Pond's built the Age Miracle line around three actives, and this wash carries all of them. Hexylresorcinol works on dark spots, Retinol-C on fine lines, and niacinamide on dullness and uneven tone. That is a genuinely serious combination for a cleanser, and it is why this sits above an ordinary face wash on price.

It is worth being straight about what a cleanser can and cannot do. This is on your skin for under a minute before it goes down the drain, so it is not going to erase a wrinkle. What it does is clear away make-up, sunscreen, oil and pollution properly, and leave the skin clean enough that the serum and moisturiser after it can actually work. Treat it as the first step of a routine and it earns its place. Treat it as the whole routine and it will disappoint you.

The foam is light and rinses clean without that tight, stripped feeling, which matters more once skin is past its twenties and holds moisture less easily.

Suits: thirties onwards, dullness, uneven tone and early fine lines, and anyone already using an Age Miracle serum or cream who wants the routine to match.

Worth knowing: 90g tube, made in Thailand. Because there are retinol-family ingredients in here, sunscreen during the day stops being optional. Retinol makes skin more sun-sensitive, and using it without SPF works directly against the result you are paying for.