Rosie tracks down the French bargain buy product that has cult status

Everyone is talking about A313. No, not the road from Hampton Hill to Teddington, but the cult skincare beauty buy.

Sienna Miller, a recent convert, says Alexa Chung turned her on to the product and raves about it as ‘the secret to French-girl skin’. She describes A313 as ‘a retinol that you can get quite cheaply over the counter in France. If you have to look good the next day, put that on when you go to bed’. Reader, I’ll have what’s she’s having.

But honestly, it’s not new. Models, make-up artists, muses – all those who have access to far pricier skincare for free – have long stocked up on A313 in Paris pharmacies when they’ve visited for the fashion shows.

What’s the appeal? Well, it looks pleasingly medical (our brains equate that with efficacy) and it’s not stocked widely in the UK or US (so it feels delightfully exotic). Oh, it also costs less than €10 in France.

Dr Marine Vincent, who owns The French Pharmacy in London’s Marylebone, sells A313 in store and online for £24.90, and explains its enduring popularity: ‘It really does work well, is cheap and not too aggressive. It boosts collagen production, so it helps with fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, it improves dark spots and skin texture.’

Quick beauty lesson. Vitamin A has anti-ageing properties. Retinoid products can contain natural and synthetic forms of vitamin A, such as retinol, retinal and retinyl esters (eg retinyl palmitate), which have varying levels of effectiveness.

Sarah Chapman, A-list facialist and a trusted authority on product formulation after many years spent developing her own brand, says, ‘A313 uses retinyl palmitate, which can work well, but it’s an oil-soluble form, so is a greasy-feeling product that won’t suit all skins. And it needs to go through a series of conversions in the skin to become the active form of retinoic acid, so it is slower to work than, say, retinol or retinal. But it’s still effective over time. I would use it as an introduction or for maintenance.’

I’ve been using Chapman’s A1 Vitamin A Power 1 Face Serum, which is £90 from her new high-performance clinical range (sarahchapman.com). But, with fares from £39, you could take the Eurostar to Paris, buy the cream for less than the cost of Chapman’s and still have enough change for a vin blanc! 

So why should I pay more for her retinol product? Chapman says that her formula is very concentrated with retinol and retinal and includes other active ingredients to deliver maximum skin boost. She raves about its biomimetic delivery system (it imitates the body’s natural processes to ensure it is absorbed well by the skin). It is also carefully calibrated to reduce irritation and redness.

‘We use oilier retinyl palmitate in our Overnight Facial [from £62], Age Repair Concentrate [£98] and Dynamic Defence Concentrate Intensive Day Cream with SPF 15 [£92],’ says Chapman. ‘We combine it with other actives for a multilevel approach to skin health.’

Like Sienna, I use my retinoid at night (it doesn’t mix well with UV rays) and I wear SPF during the day.

So how sophisticated your retinoid formula feels, how long it takes to work and the results it delivers may be cost-dependent. But if you don’t mind a more unctuous cream (and many of us mature types love them), then A313, used diligently, should deliver brighter, plumper skin.

@lifesrosie 

Fluoro, nailed

The Gel Bottle’s new Neon Nights Collection (from £14.80, thegelbottle.com) offers its brightest fluoros yet, from Hot Pink (right) to Lime Punch. Use to show your wild side.

Under a tenner

Sanctuary Spa’s new Ultra Rich Hand Creams look beautiful, contain rejuvenating niacinamide and come in three fragrances: Signature, Lily & Rose and Golden Sandalwood (£8.50, sainsburys.co.uk).