So maybe you haven’t celebrated the big 4-0 birthday yet. Maybe you don’t have kids, and you’re still trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. So sure, you haven’t started seeing signs of time marching across your face just yet. But let us be the bearer of bad news: just because you haven’t started noticing signs of aging in the mirror yet, doesn’t mean it’s not time to start shifting to an anti-aging skincare routine! Need more of a reason to look into natural age prevention regimens? Read on, my friend.
Here’s a quick quiz to help you confirm that it’s time for you to start taking anti-aging preventative steps in your skincare routine:
Any of those hit home? Well then, read on, my friend. We’ve got some age prevention science to cover.
The main physical symptoms of skin aging are simple:
Maybe you’re looking to tackle just one symptom with a minor skincare change. Maybe you’re ready to take the leap into custom night creams and total lifestyle changes to salvage what’s left of your independence and free spirit – I mean, your youthful appearance.
That’s why we’re looking at a variety of ways to reverse aging naturally. From symptom-specific anti-aging ingredients that you can incorporate into your existing skincare regimen to things you can do in your daily life to start age prevention, we’ve got you covered.
Of course, there’s a quick way to analyze your own skin and determine the right
ingredients for your type of skin and your personal skincare concerns. Take the Y’OUR Skin Analysis Quiz. It’ll take about 3 minutes to complete. We’ll then recommend a personalized skincare ritual that just works for you.
The main culprits behind wrinkles, sagging skin, sunspots, and dull complexion boil down to too much UV, not enough collagen, and a few key lifestyle no-nos. Without enough collagen and elastin, your skin begins to thin and sag. There are even things we do every day that can make the appearance of fine lines grow worse until you’ve got full-blown wrinkles. So let’s look at the best anti-aging techniques and age prevention ingredients.
One of the biggest daily demons to youthful, healthy skin is UV exposure. UVA rays contain a super high level of free radicals, which break down collagen in your skin, causing wrinkles.
UVA rays (unlike UVB rays) even penetrate clouds and windows, meaning you are being constantly exposed if near a window, in your car, and on overcast days when you wouldn’t think to wear sunblock.
So, if you want your skin to radiate for years to come, you should include a sunscreen into your daily skincare practice. Take our Skin Quiz to ensure you get a skincare regimen that includes a non-toxic, non-greasy sunscreen that works with your skincare goals and skin type.
Here’s another tip: wearing sunglasses doubles your effort. Not only will the sensitive skin around your eyes be protected from UV damage, but also, you’ll be reducing your total amount of time spent squinting, which causes wrinkles, too.
Cigarette smoke is not just unhealthy for your lungs. Tobacco smoke can cause significant changes to the quality and appearance of your skin. It can also intensify skin disease, including cancer.
According to researchers, “Tobacco smoke additionally quickens the natural process of skin aging. It has been observed that the skin of smoking addicts at the age of 40 years resembles skin of non-smoking 70-year-old adults.”
That alone is a great reason to give up the habit and prevent further aging on your face.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a great age prevention ingredient. It boosts collagen-production, making skin appear plumper and tighter. Vitamin C also acts as a hydration barrier, keeping your skin viable and pliable.
Vitamin C can also protect skin cells from sun damage caused by UV light, pollution, and smoke. It also is a brightening agent, lightening the discolored areas of sun damage. It works by inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase, preventing the formation of melatonin.
Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic Acid is actually the formal scientific name for Vitamin C. It can refer to either a naturally occurring Vitamin C found in foods such as citrus, or a synthetic form of ascorbic acid created to be more shelf-stable for skincare products like discoloration repair lotions and creams.
All of the age prevention benefits listed above for Vitamin C also apply to Ascorbic Acid, but with its own drawbacks. Ascorbic acid is an unstable compound, meaning it’s affected by light, temperature, and exposure to oxygen. So, you have to be very careful with how you store and use creams that include it. Another downside is that this ingredient can irritate many people’s skin.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate is yet another form of Vitamin C. By synthesizing this chemical from Vitamin C, dermatologists are able to give us all the benefits of Vitamin C in a more shelf-stable form that can also be soluble in oil to make more effective, deeper penetrating skin products.
Tetrahyxyldecyl Ascorbate increases collagen levels to plump fine lines and wrinkles caused by sun damage. It also reduces melanin production and brightens skin – helping reduce the signs of aging. And, like Vitamin C, it creates a barrier to shield skin from free radicals in sunlight and pollution that damage the skin further.
Getting confused by all the variations of Vitamin C? Take our three-minute Skin Analysis Quiz to identify your unique skin needs. You’ll get a custom skincare routine with the right ingredients for your skin.
Peptides
Peptides send signals to cells to produce more collagen. Including collagen-boosting peptides in daily serums or night creams can help reduce the visibility of wrinkles, leaving your skin smoother and firmer.
Different peptides perform different jobs within our skin. For example, neuropeptides relax facial muscles to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Copper peptides help the skin heal and reduce inflammation, meaning they may help target stretch marks, sunspots, and scars that age our skin. Phyto-peptides increase collagen production and protect existing collagen from damage.
Retinol
Retinol is a vitamin produced from vitamin A. Retinol is often used in a cream form by dermatologists to improve the health and appearance of skin. Retinol has plumping effects by affecting collagen production, so it will help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Another bonus, though, is that retinol can improve overall skin tone and smooth out areas of discoloration, giving you a brighter, younger complexion.
Tretinoin is in the retinoid family, but it’s different than retinol. It’s stronger, and as such, is prescription-based. It’s a form of vitamin A that acts on the skin by increasing skin cell production and turnover. Tretinoin boosts the exfoliation process, causing your skin cells to slough off and regenerate more quickly.
Tretinoin specifically can reduce the appearance of dark spots, liver spots, or sun spots. It is useful in treating sun damage in general to the face and neck, and give the skin a brighter, more uniform and youthful color.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to find the right ingredients for your skin type. You can find out exactly what types of ingredients will work best for your skin type by taking our short Skin Analysis Quiz.
Certain foods you eat can affect your skin and the aging process. For example, sugar damages collagen, and studies have shown that reducing your sugar intake can have positive effects on reducing wrinkles.
Also, adding certain vitamins to your diet can also fight wrinkles. Some peptides taken orally can significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Exercise is an obvious way to boost your health overall, but it can specifically be a good key to age prevention. Exercise boosts the immune system and improves circulation – and that goes for your skin, too. Research supports the idea that your skin metabolism is affected by exercise, which in turn affects the youthfulness of your skin.
Hydrated skin is healthy skin. The more moisture within your skin layers, the plumper it will be. Therefore, the more hydrated your skin, the less wrinkles will appear. Dehydrated skin is also damaging over time.
Staying hydrated by drinking water regularly every day can directly affect the health and appearance of your skin.
Also, using good moisturizers, night creams, and serums will help hydrate your skin from the outside in. There are water-based and oil-based moisturizers. Water-based moisturizers pull water into your skin while oil-based moisturizers prevent water from evaporating from your skin. And the type that will be most effective for treating wrinkles on you will depend on your unique skin.
For instance, if you have dry skin, you will want a water-based moisturizer to infuse your skin with deep hydration. If you live in a dry environment, you’ll want an oil-based moisturizer since it prevents water from evaporating from your skin.
Jump straight to taking the Skin Quiz, where we will assess your skin type using a unique algorithm to ensure you’re getting a moisturizer that actually works—and feels great!
