Astral Cream – Review

I’m sure that everyone has heard of Astral moisturiser. It’s a cream which was launched back in 1950 and is still going strong over 60 years later. It’s one of the most well-known face creams on the shop shelves and is instantly recognisable from its blue packaging. It’s been used for generations and passed down through recommendations from grandmother to mums and daughters.

Celebrity Joanna Lumley has even attributed her youthful looking skin to this anti ageing cream in the famous blue pot.

Here’s my Astral cream review.

Astral Proven to Hydrate

Recently Astral commissioned a clinical trial to see just how great the cream is at keeping the skin hydrated. Two groups of 20 women, the first aged 18 – 25 and the second 50 – 65, were asked to use Astral twice daily on both their hands and face.

Before, during and after the trial, measures of skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TWEL) were taken. Improvements were recorded within just six hours of the trials starting.

Twenty nine days later improvements in the hydration of the cheek area of 18 – 25 year olds saw the biggest improvement – up 50%. In the 50 – 65 group it was the forehead at 53.8%. TWEL readings were up 12.4% in the younger age group and 16% in the older group.

Both groups also saw improvements in hydration and TWEL of their hands, although not by quite such a vast amount. Over 75% of the women taking part in the trial said they would buy Astral Cream again while almost 40% said they would most likely change over to it from their current skincare products permanently because they just loved how their skin felt after using it. The majority of the age groups said it was appropriate for their age group so it really is very versatile and suitable for everyone.

Astral cream is also multi-talented. You can use the cream for a multitude of different things including removing make-up, as a make-up primer, a body moisturiser and even as a face mask if you fancy some pampering. Just apply a thick layer over your face, leave on for 20 minutes and then wash off to leave your skin feeling super soft and smooth. 

But did you know that there is also a lighter version of the famous cream?

Astral – Light and Creamy

This lighter version of the original Astral Cream contains the key ingredients Aloe Vera and Vitamin E and is formulated to support the changing needs of skin. It even works on the most sensitive skin. The two ingredients were specially chosen to help fight moisture loss while protecting the skin from the signs of ageing.

But that’s just facts and figures, what’s it like in the real world?

I was sent a tub of both the original and the light and creamy versions to try out. I decided the best idea would be to open them with my Mum. OK, so I’m outside the younger group by a few years now but my Mum still fits into the older one.

While I liked both, I definitely found I was more drawn to the light and creamy version, finding it moisturised enough while still sinking into the skin quickly so the skin feels hydrated but not greasy. Plus it smelled rather nice. My Mum, on the other hand, was more drawn to the original version. The thicker consistency meant it seemed to give more of a lasting hydration and extra moisture for her as it took longer to sink into the skin. It is more of an intensive moisturiser and is more suited to dry skin. As older skin tends to be dryer, this is a perfect transition as you age.

In conclusion they really are both great creams for slightly different reasons. In fact, I could see both of them being useful in your skincare routine depending on the time of year – thicker cream for winter, lighter for summer.

You can pick both creams up at for a large range of retailers including Boots, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and Tesco, and they have an RRP of £4.28 for a 200ml sized pot.

Have you tried Astral cream? Are you a fan?

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