Anti-Ageing Products for Youthful-Looking Skin
Full disclosure: anti-ageing products are unable to reverse the effects of maturing skin.
However, they can work together to reduce, mask or prevent the signs of ageing, including fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots.
And the result? Smoother, firmer and younger-looking skin. (Hurrah!)
Whether in the form of a cream, moisturiser or serum, read on to find out the types of anti-ageing products available and the main ingredients to look for.
Types of Anti-Ageing Products
First things first, shopping for anti-ageing products can feel a little overwhelming because there are so many that claim to be the best on the market.
Most beauty mavens don’t realise that anti-ageing products (especially those with antioxidants) can be used as early as age 21 when the body’s production of collagen begins to decline.
That said, the number one rule of thumb is to always shop according to your skin type, no matter how old you are.
Here are some other important things to remember:
- Anti-ageing products are generally designed to treat drier complexions, therefore, oily complexions may find that certain creams are too heavy, cause clogged pores and encourage breakouts
- Those with very dry skin need to opt for intensive, lipid-rich oils with hydration properties, otherwise, they might struggle to improve their skin texture
- Refrain from using overly harsh exfoliant scrubs because they can damage the skin’s barrier function, which leads to irritation and redness
Oh, and if your skin keeps breaking out after applying a specific product, check the ingredient list.
Why? Well, some vitamin and peptide combinations can stimulate the metabolism of already-active skin — and this can have detrimental results.
Topical Anti-Ageing Ingredients
Speaking of the ingredients found in anti-ageing products, they usually fall into two main categories: antioxidants and cell regulators.
Antioxidants
Creams, serums and moisturisers that contain antioxidant ingredients, such as Vitamins C, B3 and E, are efficient in reducing collagen degradation in the following ways:
- Vitamin C stimulates the production of collagen, including the enzymes that support this production
- Vitamin B3 regulates cell metabolism and regeneration
- Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties and encourages new cell growth
In fact, we recommend trying to find an anti-ageing product that contains all three of these ingredients.
How come, you ask? Well, collectively, they’re proven to have a significant smoothing effect. Goodbye, fine lines. Hello, beautiful skin.
Cell Regulators
Cell regulators, such as Vitamin A derivatives and polypeptides, work against ageing skin by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin fibres.
- Vitamin A (also known as retinol) combats loss of elasticity, pigmentation and fine lines — and causes less skin irritation than some other ingredients
- Polypeptides (or oligopeptides) are composed of amino acids and imitate collagen or elastin to result in younger-looking skin
In addition to antioxidants and cell regulators, there are other ingredients you can look for that are known to have considerable anti-ageing effects. These include epidermal growth factor, Alpha-hydroxy acids, Beta-hydroxy acids and Equol.
The Top Anti-Ageing Product for Young Skin
Fundamentally, the only way that you’re going to discover which anti-ageing products work best for your skin is by trying out different options.
And if there’s a particular ingredient that seems to compliment your complexion? Be sure to look for it in other creams, moisturisers and serums.
Having said that, the number one way to prevent premature sun damage and delay the effects of ageing is to use suncream every single day.
And if you haven’t been doing this already, start now to undoubtedly reap the rewards later.
Look out for the next blog post in the “anti-ageing” series, “Part 3: Top Anti-Ageing Treatments and Procedures,” coming very soon!
