The super serums: how to repair summer skin

If she can look that bad, what hope is there for the rest of us? Holiday snaps can be cruel, as the bright, unforgiving light and the dehydrating hot breeze combine to show skin at its worst. If your skin is looking anything like that, you'd better grab one of the new-breed super-charged  serums, and fast.

Serums are treatment products, designed to bring about specific improvements in skin; they're full of high-tech, active ingredients: molecules of hyaluronic acid to trap moisture and plump up skin; vitamin C to boost production of skin-strengthening collagen and lighten pigmentation marks; antioxidants to prevent and repair damage from free radical molecules; peptides that are meant to relax wrinkles, and retinol to increase the turnover of skin cells.

So what are the latest super-serums, and what can they do for stressed, sun-ravaged skin?

Wonder-workers

Skinceuticals Phloretin CF (£128, 020 8997 8541). An exceptional serum which combines vitamin C with ferulic acid (another antioxidant). It's meant to even out pigmentation marks, repair damage to skin DNA and boost collagen levels. One astonished tester tells me it also cleared all her spots and generally brought her tired skin to life in less than 48 hours.

Natura Bisse The Cure Pure Serum (£250 at Harrods, from September). Cure is a provocative word to use in skincare, as is the product's claim to "reduce the skin's biological age" by prolonging the lifespan of skin cells. Seriously sophisticated blend of high tech ingredients, which might just be able to achieve this.

Euoko Y-30 Intense Lift Concentrate (£355, Harrods). Amazing price, amazing product. The ingredients — latest designer peptides to inhibit muscle contractions and enhance collagen production — are the Aston Martins and Ferraris of their genre. Also claims to promote radiance, reduce pigmentation and clear up blemishes into the, er, bargain. Phew.

Ling Skin Care's Oxygen Plasma Potion (£85 at www.cultbeauty.co.uk). One of supermodel Gisele's favourites. Developed from a top-secret military formula used to treat burns, this claims to get more oxygen molecules into the skin's tissues, to accelerate the production of new skin cells. Also great for quelling irritation and zapping acne bacteria, so an all-rounder, and, relatively, a bargain. 

Strivectin Hydro Thermal Deep Wrinkle Serum (£121 from Space NK). Latest addition to the Strivectin stable which claims to help decompress serious, deep wrinkles. It's heat-activated, so once you've applied it, you need to get it going by holding a hot facecloth over the offending areas. Bound to be hugely popular.

3 lab Super-h Serum  (£215, Selfridges, from September). Contains a synthetic version of a growth hormone found in the skin, so it's excitingly complex. This hormone depletes with age; the idea is that applying this will encourage skin to behave like young, fresher, smoother, more plumptious skin ... and there are already some 100-plus names on the waiting list. 

And on the high street

It is possible to get high-tech skincare at high-street prices and there are great products available that, with dedicated, continuous use, should show results. These are usually cheaper because they contain less of, or a less concentrated form of, the main active ingredients — so while they ought to work, results won't be so noticeable, or achieved as quickly, as with more expensive versions.
 
Roc Retin-Ox Serum Max (£14.65, Boots). With retinol to fill out wrinkles and smooth the skin.

Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum (£22.50 at Boots but currently £7 off). Two bottles are sold every minute, which must mean that those famous pentapeptides are doing a lot of people a lot of good.

No 7 Protect and Perfect Intense (£19.75, www.boots.com). The famous one, proven by decent scientific trials to make visible improvements to deep lines and wrinkles.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (£36, www.esteelauder.co.uk). An absolute cracker, now with enhanced DNA-repairing ability. Every beauty editor has one tucked into her bathroom shelf. 

Dermalogica After Sun Repair (£25.80, 0800 591818) helps to repair DNA damage as well as soothe the redness and discomfort of UV exposure.

Optimum Advanced Firm and Lift Serum (£9.74, Superdrug), with pentapeptides, retinol, panthenol for extra moisture and vitamin E as an antioxidant.