Rachel Weisz’s L’Oréal advert has been banned for being “misleading”.

The stunning star features in the beauty brand’s anti-wrinkle cream magazine advert, with the accompanying caption: "Skin looks smoother, complexion looks more even. It's not a facelift, it's Revitalift."

However, industry watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has stated the image “misleadingly exaggerated the performance of the product,” and has ruled that the advert must not appear in print again in its current version.

The regulator added that post-production had enhanced Rachel’s face too much.

"Although we considered that the image in the advert did not misrepresent the luminosity or wrinkling of Rachel Weisz's face, we considered that the image had been altered in a way that substantially changed her complexion to make it appear smoother and more even," they ruled.

The decision to ban Rachel’s advert followed a complaint from British politician Jo Swinson, who claimed the image had been digitally enhanced.

"The beauty and advertising industries need to stop ripping off consumers with dishonest images. There needs to be much more diversity in advertising – different skin colours, body shapes, sizes and ages. Studies show that people want to see more authenticity from brands. Images can be aspirational without being faked,” she said.

L'Oréal insisted every effort had been made to make the picture flattering, including shooting Rachel with a lot of light.

A spokesperson for L’Oréal communicated the brand’s disdain at the ruling.

“We are disappointed to learn that the ASA has adjudicated against our press advertisement for Revitalift Repair 10. We believe that the image in the advertisement is a true representation of Rachel Weisz,” the spokeperson said.

“The product claims are based on extensive scientific research which proved that the product improves ten different signs of skin aging. We therefore do not believe that the ad exaggerates the effect that can be achieved using this product.”