Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor10.31.23
Skincare brand No7 has tapped “renaissance woman,” actress, director and entrepreneur Elizabeth Banks as its first US ambassador.
The brand held a soirée in New York City during which Banks was interviewed by broadcast journalist Hena Doba about her love of No7 products and its Future Renew line, which debuted earlier this year.
“I’m so grateful to No7 for choosing me, a natural beauty, to represent these products to people,” Banks told Doba on Oct. 26.
The brand touts itself as “UK’s best-kept beauty secret” with the tagline: “Don’t regret, just reverse.”
The products in the Future Renew collection include three skincare products suitable for sensitive skin – Damage Reversal serums for eyes and face and a night cream made with peptide technology, which reportedly underwent 15 years of research and development.
Dermatologist Recommendation
Banks was first discovered No7 following an annual skin cancer screening with her dermatologist. While he suggested retinol, Banks wince at the thought of the dryness that can often come as a side effect.
“That scared the crap out of me,” she admitted to Doba. “I make my living with my face. I can’t have a dry face.”
In conducting her own research on retinol, the actress said she came across No7’s retinol line and appreciated its built-in SPF Day Cream and other “skin-saving” products.
Banks—who says takes a minimalist approach to beauty with heavy reliance on skincare products specifically—lauded the brand’s efficacy, ingredient transparency, affordability and longevity.
“Everyone knows Boots,” she said of the popular UK retailer where the No7 brand was created. “If you’ve ever traveled to the UK – which I’ve been lucky enough to do and I’ve lived in London – Boots are everywhere.”
She continued, “I was a little leery with breaking the bank on a retinol product that wasn’t going to work for me. Or that I was going to just not love. This way, I was going to try something that was affordable that I know millions of women in the UK have been using for years since 1939.”
As the actress approaches her 50th birthday, the timing of her appointment as brand ambassador couldn’t have been more apt.
“Aging is, as my dermatologist reminded me, a progressive situation,” she mused. “It progressively gets worse. It doesn’t’ get better. The cellular level of your skin right now is the healthiest and youngest it’s ever going be. In two hours, you’re already older. Tomorrow it’s worse. So, knowing that these products combat that, is really what got me excited about it. The peptide technology helps your skin at the cellular level renew itself so you can reverse damage.”
Apart from the Future Renew line, No7’s other recent launches include its new Menopause Skincare range, which followed five years of scientific research into skin’s evolution during perimenopause and menopause. The brand this past week marked World Menopause Day with "Sex and the City" creator Candace Bushnell and Hello! Magazine.
Last year, the brand launched Retinol 1% and Pro Derm Scan, a new diagnostic service touted a “gamechanger” in providing personalized, accessible skincare and cosmetic recommendations.
Last year, the brand launched Retinol 1% and Pro Derm Scan, a new diagnostic service touted a “gamechanger” in providing personalized, accessible skincare and cosmetic recommendations.
Reflecting on her skincare regimen throughout her life, Banks admitted she may have forgotten the SPF at times.
“I’ve learned these lessons now. When you know better, you can do better. And now that I can do better, I’m doing it better with No7.”