Reviewed and rejected: Boots No 7 Restore & Renew

March 16, 2008
Posted by marta

Reviewed and rejected: Boots No 7 Restore & Renew

Do bear in mind that this is one woman’s experience. I am allergic to Boots No 7 Restore & Renew. Actually, there are two of us because someone wrote in complaining of symptoms similar to those I was experiencing. Namely, sore and burning skin (in her case the cheekbones and, in mine, the forehead). This didn’t happen immediately. In fact, it didn’t start until a couple of weeks after I started using it. I’ve stopped using it and the problem has gone away.

It’s a shame because this is a good product for the price (just over $20) and its efficacy has been verified in an independent study in the UK (where it is called Protect & Perfect).

Of course retinol (the key ingredient) can be drying, causing redness and peeling. Of all the other ingredients in Restore & Renew, the most likely cuplrit is phenoxyethanol. This can be extremely hazardous in case of eye contact (an irritant) and very hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant). Inflammation of the eye is characterized by redness, watering, and itching. Skin inflammation is characterized by itching, scaling, reddening, or, occasionally, blistering. It is also a component of caprylyl glycol.

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