When it comes to anti-aging skincare, it’s important to start as early as possible. Today, we’ll go over five anti-aging ingredients that you can use on a regular basis. These ingredients will help you combat all the signs of aging and promote healthy skin.
1. Antioxidants
Antioxidants work to prevent and repair free radical damage to the skin. Free radicals are present everywhere in the air and they’re caused by radiation from the sun, pollution, smog, cigarette smoke, etc.
Basically, free radicals steal the valuable electrons in the barrier of the skin, thus weakening elastin fibers, breaking down blood vessels, and causing damage to collagen, dark spots, and wrinkles.
Antioxidants protect us from the damage caused by free radicals by building a barrier on the skin made up of electrons. This helps to prevent free radicals from reaching and ultimately damaging the skin. There are also properties in the antioxidants that will repair any past free radical damage.
Now, there are many antioxidants out there, including resveratrol, coenzyme Q10, niacinamide, flavonoids, glutathione, polyphenols, and Vitamin E. The most potent ones include Vitamin C which can help reduce dark spots caused by sun damage and boost collagen production and retinol which has an extremely small molecular structure that allows it to penetrate deeply into the skin’s layers. Retinol boosts collagen production, accelerates cell renewal and repair, and helps to reduce the appearance of scars and dark spots.
It’s important to know when to use Vitamin C so you can get the most out of it. It’s gentle enough for daily use and it is recommended to apply it in the morning so it can protect your skin throughout the day.
2. Hyaluronic acid
Moisture and hydration are essential elements of effective skincare and hyaluronic acid is an ingredient that provides both. It’s excellent at hydrating the skin, it holds so much water and it takes moisture from the atmosphere to help plump out the skin. This helps with fine lines and wrinkles and is great for general skin health.
3. Peptides
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as building blocks of all the proteins that are in our skin. These peptides are super smart in that they have a really small molecular structure that allows them to penetrate the skin deeply.
They also send messages to your skin’s collagen-production cells telling them to produce more collagen. Collagen is the stuff that makes our skin plump, youthful, and beautiful which keeps fine lines and wrinkles at bay. This is why you need peptides in your skincare routine.
4. Exfoliants (AHAs and BHAs)
Exfoliants work by removing the layer of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, revealing luminous fresh skin underneath. They also prevent skin blockages and breakouts by removing the top layer of dead skin cells while releasing oil from our pores.
A few examples of useful exfoliants include chemical exfoliants such as AHAs and BHAs. AHAs or alpha hydroxy acids dissolve the bonds between the skin cells to reveal radiant, and smooth skin underneath. Glycolic acid is a great example of an effective AHA.
BHAs or Beta Hydroxy Acids go deeper into the pores to exfoliate all the way to the bottom of the skin. They’re great for anyone who suffers from blocked pores, they can help clear pores of sebum and dirt while helping to treat and prevent future blemishes.
5. Epidermal growth factors (EGF)
In the human body, there are many growth factors that deplete dramatically as you get older, causing the skin to get thinner as you age. That is why it is beneficial to reintroduce epidermal growth factors into the skin in order to increase the thickness and texture of your skin.
