Is Trinny London’s Elevator Neck Treatment Really ‘Gravity Defying’? My Mum Tried it Out
Trinny London is big business – nearly £57million in annual revenue kind of big business according to figures for the year ending March 2024.
Consumers connect with founder Trinny Woodall’s bubbly, open personality and natural, untamable enthusiasm.
And I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to take a closer look at her range and its popularity.
In this review, we’ll be paying particular attention to one of the more interesting skincare products, The Elevator neck concentrate.
Note, this article contains commissionable affiliate links.
Putting Trinny’s Products to the Test
Trinny London offered us the chance to put a selection of products to the test so I enlisted my 82-year-old mum Rhoda for this task!
We chose the Overnight Sensation retinal serum (both my mum and I are big retinal fans). We also tried the exfoliating Better Off conditioning gel cleanser along with the one we were most intrigued to try – The Elevator neck and décolleté concentrate.
I am always dubious when a brand claims a topical product can lift sagging skin. While I know certain ingredients, including retinal, can have a smoothing effect, an actual lift would only really be considered possible through powerful clinical treatments or surgery.
Still the product description for The Elevator states that it not only lifts but restructures skin. Its “gravity-defying” formula includes star ingredient isodonis japonicus leaf/stalk extract, from a plant native to East Asia and known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Trinny London position it as being able to strengthen the “glue” between epidermis and dermis.
And the ingredient supplier’s own data suggests the extract can increase dermal collagen density, improve the collagen matrix and help skin resist sagging, with improvements in jawline and wrinkle depth in small studies run by the manufacturer.
What that means is we don’t have any independent ‘gold standard’ evidence from larger clinical trials.
So that leaves my mum!
Did The Elevator Elevate?
In addition to the star ingredient, The Elevator concentrate also includes well-established ingredients like alpha arbutin, third-party peptides, and moisturizing agents like glycerin and emollients which contribute to smoother skin.
The formulation itself is very nicely done. It has a creamy, silky texture with a light and very pleasant herbal scent. My mum, like me, has sensitive skin but she didn’t experience any irritation.
There is a slight residue for a while after application because of the emollient content but that gives a nice hydrated look to the neck, helping tackle crepeyness!
My mum said she could feel rather than see a difference in her neck. There was a textural change after using The Elevator for 6 weeks that left her feeling more confident about the skin on her neck.
We didn’t notice a lift, but there was a definite smoothening. In fact, if you take a look at the before and after below showing my hands 1 hour after applying The Elevator to my left hand only (right of picture) you can see how that residual coating, locking in the moisture, actually smooths the skin on my treated hand beautifully with the skin on my drier, unmoisturised hand looking distinctly shriveled!
Personally, I combine retinal and a deep hydrating moisturizing cream in my skincare routine to keep my skin smooth. Dry, crepey skin can add years to your neck. I also believe keeping our muscle strong is essential for a toned neck and jawline!
As for the other products
It’s only to be expected that such a shrewd business woman as Trinny would have an eye for detail when it comes to her own range. Every product we’ve tried is well formulated, using ingredients that although widely available are also better evidenced in the main.
My mum is a big fan of Medik8 retinal. It is sublimely formulated, but Trinny’s Overnight Sensation fell into the category of not quite as silky smooth in application, but still an impressive formula that she was happy to use. It also includes granactive retinoid – a newer form of retinoid thought to be more stable than retinol and less irritating.
For those looking for a lower-cost but effective retinal formula, Naturium do a nice mid-range option.
My mum usually cleanses her skin at night with micellar water while I use an oil-based balm. In both cases, this is to avoid overstripping our skin of moisture. Mum actually had to stop using the Better Off Gel cleanser because it was drying out her skin too much.
Personally I think wash cleansers of any kind are best left for younger skin – but that’s just my opinion!
The bottom line
All in all, a thoughtfully formulated range of products and with an eye on innovation which I appreciate.
A little like some of the skincare ranges available now from the celebrity dermatologists and aesthetic doctors, what we choose often falls to trust in and familiarity with the brand at a time when there are a bewildering array of options out there!
For committed skincare enthusiasts that don’t mind shopping around, there are cheaper alternatives.
That said, my mum was impressed with The Elevator concentrate which she felt really did offer something pretty unique in the marketplace.
BFFs!
A huge hit in the Trinny London range are the BFF products. My friend Alice – a big skincare enthusiast who shared a recent KaramMD review on this site – swears by BFF De-Stress for coverage, protection and hydration, and the BFF Cream offers a mix of sheer or tinted coverage plus SPF 30.
