Everyone is talking about the A313 – not the road that runs from Hampton Hill to Teddington, but the cult skincare beauty shop.
Sienna Miller, who recently discovered the product, has been introduced by Alexa Chung and praised it as “the secret to French women’s skin.” She describes A313 as “a retinol that’s super cheap to buy over the counter in France. If you want to look great the next day, put this on before you go to bed.” Readers, I’m going to try it out like her.
But let’s be honest, this is nothing new: models, makeup artists, muses, and everyone else who has free access to much more expensive skincare products have long been stocking up at the pharmacy on A313 when they visit Paris for the fashion shows.
What’s the appeal? Well, it has a medicinal and pleasant look (our brains associate it with benefits), it’s not widely stocked in the UK or US (hence the exotic feel), and yes, you can buy it in France for under €10.
Sienna Miller switches to the A313
Dr Marine Vincent, owner of The French Pharmacy in Marylebone, London, who sells A313 in stores and online for £24.90, explains its enduring popularity: “It really works, it’s cheap and not too harsh. It stimulates collagen production so it’s great for fine lines and wrinkles, plus it improves the appearance of dark spots and skin texture.”
A quick beauty lesson: Vitamin A has anti-aging properties. Retinoid products contain natural and synthetic forms of Vitamin A, such as retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters (e.g., retinyl palmitate), with varying degrees of effectiveness.
Sarah Chapman, a leading facialist and product formulation authority who has developed her own brand over many years, says, “A313 uses retinyl palmitate, which is highly effective but is oil-soluble, so it can feel greasy and not suit all skin types. It also has 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 something like retinol or retinal. But it does work over time. I use it as an introduction or as a maintenance product.”
I use Chapman’s A1 Vitamin A Power 1 Face Serum, which is from her new High Performance Clinical Products range (sarahchapman.com), and costs £90, but with fares starting from £39, you could hop on the Eurostar to Paris, buy the cream for less than Chapman’s price, and still have enough change left over for a glass of white wine!
So why should you pay more for her retinol products? Chapman says her formulas are highly concentrated with retinol and retinal, along with other active ingredients for maximum skin revitalization. She praises its biomimetic delivery system (which mimics the body’s natural processes to ensure it’s well absorbed by the skin), and it’s carefully tailored to reduce irritation and redness.
“For overnight facials, I use retinyl palmitate, which is oily. [from £62]Age Repair Concentrate [£98] Dynamic Defense Concentrate Intensive Day Cream SPF 15 [£92]”We combine it with other active ingredients for a multi-faceted approach to skin health,” Chapman says.
Like Sienna, I use a retinoid at night (so it doesn’t mix with UV rays) and wear SPF during the day.
So the sophistication of the retinoid formulation, how quickly it works, and the results you get may depend on the cost. But if you don’t mind a more oily cream (and many of us adults love them), diligent use of A313 should result in brighter, plumper skin.
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