Some of the most asked questions I receive are about skincare and especially about how to prevent it from aging, which products are the right ones, and when is the right time to start applying them.
The truth is that whether we like it or not, getting signs of aging in our skin is something that happens naturally but there are certainly some things you can do to prevent it from aging early in life.
You must start by understanding your skin type and what it needs, the sooner you start to get to know yourself, the better you’ll know what to use.
This will help you choose products more wisely while creating good habits, that will eventually bring the result you want: protecting and improving your skin’s texture and overall appearance. That is what you want, right?
What are the main signs of aging?
Let’s start by understanding why skin ages and what are the first signs we start to notice.
With age, it’s normal that skin starts to lose its volume, pigmentation, and elasticity. Here are the 2 main reasons why:
- Internal factors that cause skin aging: hormonal changes, poor blood circulation, genetics.
- External factors that cause skin aging: sun damage, smoking, pollution, bad nutrition, stress and not using the right products with your skincare regimen.
These external factors are things that you can improve, or stop doing, so you don’t damage your skin and you prevent it from aging prematurely.
All these internal and external factors are the reasons why your skin starts to get deep wrinkles, fine lines, lose firmness and radiance.
What is an anti-aging cream?
Try thinking about your skin as you do your body. You know it takes time with the body to see results. You have to build stronger habits in your diet, and with your exercise, to start seeing good changes. The same happens with your skin, to see good changes, you must be persistent and patient while using the right products every day.
Regular moisturizers, creams, and serums are created to plump up your skin and help with hydration which will improve skin’s texture temporarily but an anti-aging product is also packed with active ingredients that are much more efficient to treat, prevent, and improve skin’s texture and tone.
7 Anti Aging best cream and serum
We analyzed all the markets and reunited the anti-aging best cream :
1. XYZ Smart Collagen Cream:
XYZ Smart Collagen is a new collagen system designed to maintain healthy, youthful skin, that “Stops The Clock” (yes please), with clinically proven results.
What it does:
- Reduce wrinkles and fine lines
- Lift and contour, sculpt and define the look of facial shapes
- Tighten and firm: usage improves skin elasticity and density for a more strengthened appearance
- Improve the skin’s texture: the cream helps to smoothen, level, and refine the texture of the skin for a rejuvenated look
- Reduce stretch marks heavily
Recommend for: All skin types
>> Read our complete review of XYZ Smart Collagen <<
2. Estee Lauder Advanced night Repair:
What it does: Reduces fine lines and wrinkles, keeps skin moisturized helping with plumping and fresh-looking skin.
Recommended for: All skin types
3. Eucerin Q10 anti-wrinkle
What it does: It firms, moisturize, and smooths out the skin. It also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Is fragrance-free, alcohol-free, non-comedogenic. It works also as a powerful antioxidant complex to protect skin against the damaging effects of free radicals.
Recommended for: All types of skin. Won’t irritate dry or sensitive skin.
4. Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30
What it does: Protects skin from sun damage while also helps with firmness and toning. It is also a great option to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and to keep your skin hydrated.
Recommended for: All types of skin
5. Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Antioxidant
What it does: One of the most popular antioxidants that work wonders in the skin by protecting it from free radicals, pollution and helping reduce wrinkles and discoloration.
Recommended for: All skin types
6. Herbivore Phoenix Facial Oil:
What it does: Collagen boosting, prevents the appearance of premature aging, smooth the look of fine lines, and allows for deeper absorption of vitamins and nutrients.
Recommended for: Dry Skin
7. The Ordinary Buffet
What it does: thanks to his formula, this cream nourishes and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Recommended for: Dry Skin
8. Tula Hydrating Day Night Cream, Women’s
What it does: Delivers deep hydration leaving the skin glowing and fresh throughout the day, it also helps revive dull skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and improves elasticity over time.
Recommended for: All types of skin
When to start using anti-aging products?
Don’t wait until you start seeing wrinkles and fine lines to use anti-aging products. Dermatologists recommend that you start at 20/21 years old since it is commonly known that signs could start to show at age 25. Instead of waiting until they show, it would be best that you start early and prevent fine lines and wrinkles from appearing when you are young.
What ingredients to look for anti-aging?
Let’s be honest, it has never been harder to find the right creams, serums, moisturizers, and even SPF’s that can fight signs of aging. This is all because there are many ingredients, products, and brands that all seem to be amazing but at the end of the day, we all want to know which ones really work and are worth investing in.
Here are the 8 most common ingredients you should look for when trying to get an anti-aging cream:
1. Retinoids
The most common type is to fight wrinkles and improve skin texture. Retinoids are Vitamin A compounds (generic name known as Retin A) and can also be found as retinol which is just a type of retinoid.
2. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s)
These are a group of natural compounds derived from animal or plant products such as grapes, lactose, sugar cane. The most common AHAs for skincare are glycolic and lactic acid because they are gentle on the skin and have multi-benefits. They are chemical exfoliants, remove dead skin cells improving their texture and pigmentation. They are also known for regenerating collagen, treating acne, reducing wrinkles and fine lines leaving your skin smoother, brighter, and softer.
3. Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA’s)
Similar to AHA’s benefits but these are not derived from natural ingredients, they are derived from salicylic acid. They are oil-soluble which makes them less irritating to the skin and easier to use for someone with dryer or sensitive skin. (source)
4. Vitamin C
One of the best and most powerful antioxidants to fight signs of aging. Some of the benefits of using Vitamin C are, reducing wrinkles, fine lines, and acne scars by regenerating skin cells, it also improves discoloration and texture, protects skin from sun damage, and helps your skin to produce collagen helping to firm and plump the skin. It is mostly recommended to use in a serum instead of using a cream.
5. Coenzyme Q10
This ingredient is a naturally produced bodily enzyme and its also known as one of the most powerful antioxidants. This is something our body produces naturally but with age our body energy slows down and with it also the production of this enzyme diminishes.
A great ingredient to protect skin from sun damage, even out skin tone, produce collagen and elastin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, helps reduce the damage of free radicals. It is commonly found in moisturizers, under-eye creams, toners, and even body lotions.
6. Peptides
These are amino acids that build protein, enzymes, hormones, and energy in our bodies. These peptides help to stimulate collagen production improving skin elasticity and firmness.
7. Niacinamide
It is a type of vitamin B-3, a great antioxidant that helps with water absorption improving skin’s elasticity, uneven skin tone, fine lines and it also improves enlarged pores.
8. Tea Extracts
Green tea, Oolong, and black tea are some of the most common to find on anti-aging creams because of their powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
7 Important things to consider when using anti-aging products:
If you are starting to use an anti-aging product daily, you must consider a few things :
- Using several anti-aging products simultaneously on a daily basis could irritate your skin causing rashes, redness, and/or burning. If you are not following instructions by a professional, or a dermatologist, make sure you follow the instructions on each of the products; and in case any of the side effects or reactions occur, stop using and try asking a professional on ways you could apply them. It is common that your skin reacts to some ingredients and there is certainly a right way on how to apply each of them.
- If you have sensitive skin, try using hypoallergenic products. If you have acne prone skin try using noncomedogenic.
- Don’t expect to see results in a week. Be patient and persistent, anti-aging products work their magic with time.
- Cost doesn’t mean anything. Nowadays there is a lot of marketing put into a product or a brand that promises to give you the best results, but that is not always the case. Make your selection based on what you need, consider that, not everything that works for someone else will work for you.
- A product with multiple active ingredients isn’t necessarily the best option. Sometimes it would be best to get the one ingredient that your skin needs. While some products are designed to treat several skin concerns, there are others that are designed to focus on a particular skin issue that are much more effective.
- Apply the products on the spots they need to be applied. You don’t have to use all of them all over your face if it’s not needed. If you want to know more about how to take care of your face, read our article about how to restore collagen in face naturally.
- Follow instructions and expiration dates. The stability of the ingredients and its ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This is where a consultation with your dermatologist may be helpful.