THE MIRACLE CREAMS

Ageing is a tricky business. While it's acceptable (in fact, mandatory) for us to do something about the effects of age on our health, worrying about wrinkles and sagging is largely, er, frowned upon. But as the world's most famous dermatologist, Dr Albert Kligman, the "father of Retin-A", says: "The wrinkle is a serious disease. Do you know anyone who gets up in the morning and worries about illness? But everyone worries regularly about wrinklesà" Psychologists say that unless you're obsessive, an interest in your looks indicates a healthy self-image.

Cosmetics technology, happily, is advancing at a galloping pace. While creams may have been sold on a dream in the past, we've more savvy these days, demanding (and getting) scientific credentials before we lay down our rands. Ageing is inevitable, but the effects can be softened with proper skin care.

On the subject of care, do remember that staying out of the sun, drinking enough water, eating properly, getting enough sleep, quitting (if you're a smoker), and having a proper skin-care regime are actually the building blocks of any miracle. Having said that, there are some creams that may give you an advantage. Here we've tested a handful of the anti-ageing wonders.

Look and feel: It comes in a beautifully stylish bottle which impressed my friends at the gym no end. The scent is pleasant, but unobtrusive. It has a rich, creamy texture that makes application easy. I didn't need to apply a great deal to feed my thirsty skin, and there was no greasy residue. I applied it daily in the mornings, and 50ml lasted 3 months.

Our report-back: At last. I've been searching for a good rejuvenating cream ("plus jeune plus longtemps" it says on the label û "younger, for longer") for some time now. To be precise, ever since my mother-in-law told me the time had come for me to apply my moisturiser upwards ("against the force of gravity, dear").

I'm lazy in the evenings, so I didn't do the morning-and-evening thing the manufacturers suggest; also, I used only one jar, when their claims are posited on one using two or three before results become evident. But even with limited use, the cream certainly did the trick in making my skin feel smooth and well-fed. I'm a bit suspicious of concepts like radiance (I believe that lies deeper than skin), and so far, although I did put it on upwards, nobody has really commented on my looking younger, unless you count my mom telling me to act my age when I wouldn't share the cream with her.

Bottom line: A classy, rich cream. When I went back to my normal cream on finishing the Gatineau, I discovered I needed to apply twice as much to feed my skin. Plus jeune plus longtemps. It's plus pricey, but I'd like to buy it again.

The look and feel: It's an understated jar, in the same way JP Todds are understated shoes. The cream is thick with a fresh, lemony scent. It doesn't spread: you warm a dab on your palm and then pat it onto your face. A jar lasts about 10 weeks, used morning, night and instead of eye cream.

Our report-back: You've heard the hype. A handsome rocket scientist gave himself terrifying facial injuries in an accident involving rocket fuel, and spent the rest of his life experimenting with healing skin creams. The result is this potion, which contains ingredients from vodka to seaweed harvested from a particular spot in the ocean, at a particular time in the lunar cycle, and which won't foment unless you play it a backing tape.

After the scientist's death, his daughter sold the recipe to the EsteT Lauder group, which just kept getting it wrong. Growing desperate, someone eventually decided to follow the recipe literally, dug out the backing tape, and lo! CrFme de la Mer came on to the commercial international scene. For years, it has been the favourite of starlets and society queens worldwide.

South Africa's rich and famous were finally able to buy it locally from about a year ago. It's totally divine. It seems to ooze moisture as you pat it on, beating even the drying Gauteng air. The legend is, it does different things for different people. I have an appallingly sensitive skin, and throw most products out within a few days of trying them, but this was fantastically soothing. What everyone does notice in common, though, is the hydration factor. It's in a class of its own. Bottom line: Within just weeks, I was collecting enough compliments to make it official: I look young and radiant. What price that?

The look and feel: It's light, and feels water-based rather than oily. It spreads evenly and quickly, and is easily absorbed, with no distracting perfume. Perhaps this is parsimony, but a 50ml jar lasted about 50 days.

Our report-back: One reaches an age when the skin is, in the words of a grandchild "scratched". I feel a "pulling in" sensation after application, and I believe my skin looks better and smoother. My nearest and dearest would not notice even a trip to the hairdresser (which doesn't happen frequently), what I am wearing (though I know not to wear a baggy track suit), or a bloodshot eyeà Face skin, I imagine, is not what is on his mind. So no compliments to date (after two months). I think I see a certain radiance, but it could be what comes with chilly weather (which coincided with the trial). I am using less foundation, sometimes none at allà and the UV factor is a big plus.

Bottom line: I had been using a richer, cheaper product (I have a dry skin), and at first I did feel less nourished. But I'm enjoying the feel-clean sensation, and I prefer my skin now. As with, for instance, calcium supplements, it takes a while for benefits to show up. I feel I'd see more results over a longer period. To me this is the very best on the market. I love it.

The look and feel: All three have a light, non-greasy texture û the creams were especially silky smooth û and were pleasant to use. The serum, although claimed to be fragrance-free, had a slight, curious smell. The night cream lasted just under two months, the day cream a few weeks longer, and the serum about seven weeks.

Our report-back: I am a child of Africa. My skin bears testimony to many sweaty hours on netball courts as a kid, and many languorous hours on beaches as an older, if not wiser person. Beauticians have told me I have a dehydrated skin, an oily skin, a dry skin, a sensitive skin. I think I have it sussed: it's sensitive/dehydrated with a heap of what my mum kindly calls character or laughter lines.

With the cream, my skin is firmer and feels suppler, denser, smoother û and there's absolutely no hint of oiliness from the products. I'm really impressed, and while I don't see a reduction in lines û all present and accounted for û they've softened. My sister says I look great, though it may be because she wants me to babysit her kids. Bottom line: Love it, but the price is scary.

The look and feel: Honey-coloured, thick, oily, with an old-fashioned smell. Our report-back: Like Creme de la Mer, this has a gorgeous legend. Elizabeth Arden was mad about her horses. When one of them was badly injured, she developed a curative. And when it worked miracles on her horse, she looked to the human applications. Since launch, it has been a staple of make-up artists, models and the rest of the beauty industry.

The faintest smudge on your finger allows you to groom unruly eyebrows. A little more rubbed between the palms and smoothed over your hair, tames flyaways and gives wonderful sheen. A slick on your lips gives long-lasting shine and delivers a powerful moisture punch. If you're having a desiccated skin day, use it as a night cream, and wake up to a dewy new you. Scratches and abrasions heal faster, the neglected skin on our hands drinks it up. This is surely one of the most versatile creams on the market.

Bottom line: So what are you waiting for? Every handbag needs this.

Procter & Gamble (who make Oil of Olay) has answered this with a five-year study that involved 6000 women around the world. No matter what our culture or age, women universally see ageing etched in these signs on our faces:
* lines and wrinkles
* visible or enlarged pores
* age spots and blotches
* uneven skin tone
* rough skin
* dryness and dullness.