Skin Care Products: The Best Key Ingredients for Aging Skin
You’ve heard of or seen them all….the creams, gels, pomades (even some interesting ingredients like breast milk and snail mucous, seriously!) that guarantee to be the latest and greatest wrinkle fighters. But when it comes to skin care, nothing beats the true stars of this show- the ones that have been tried and true. It’s a pretty finite list of effective options that experts will tell you actually work. These ingredients will give your skin a youth boost in slightly different ways, and each has its own set of pros and, sometimes, cons.
For this reason, we have compiled a list of our favorite key ingredients for aging skin:
Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
The ultimate protector from UVA and UVB light that can potentially harm your skin, making it age prematurely, cause fine lines and wrinkles and age spots. Okay, sunscreen is not really an ingredient, but it’s an important product not to mention on our list. While the ingredients that go into sunscreen are a few too many to mention, zinc oxide and avobenzone are the two main ingredients that play a big role in protecting skin from burns, skin cancer and premature aging caused by excessive sun exposure.
Ceramides
Ceramides are lipids (fats) that help our skin form that barrier to retain moisture, found naturally in higher concentrations in the layers of the skin. Like the true heroes that they are, they also help the skin protect against environmental irritants and pollution.
So if ceramides are naturally found in our skin, why do we need them in our skin care products? As we age and are exposed to the sun, the effectiveness of our natural percentage of ceramides in our skin is depleted which in turns weakens the barrier against environmental radicals. In doing so, the skin becomes dry, rough, wrinkled and show signs of dehydration.
By adding ceramides to our skincare products, we are able to reinforce the skin’s barrier and increase hydration. The skin in result is plumper, smooth with fewer visible fine lines and wrinkles. Best part is, because they fall under the “skin-replenishing) category of ingredients, it is ideal for all skin types and may even be used by the most sensitive, oily or breakout prone skin types.
Collagen
When it comes to key ingredients on any skincare product, collagen is the foundation to keep your skin strong and firm. We all have heard of it in one way or another, collagen in fillers, collagen in creams, collagen in pills…but what is it really? According to Angela Degville, Brand Ambassador at Skin Republic, “Collagen is a protein that provides strength and structure found in our bones, skin, muscles and tendons…”
As we age, collagen production is slowed down along with external factors that can contribute to collagen breakdown. Besides aging, other factors such as smoking, high sugar foods and sunlight can also deplete collagen in our body.
Glycolic Acid
Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), extracted from sugar cane. AHAs work by loosening the glue-like substance that holds dull and dead skin cells on the topmost layer of your skin, revealing newer, healthier skin.
It stimulates new cell generation, resulting in improved skin texture, tone and a brighter complexion.
Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size of all the AHAs, it’s the most bio-available and active, allowing it to penetrate the skin the most easily.
Glycolic acid has also been shown to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, which means that with continuous use, glycolic acid can actually accelerate skin healing and reduce signs of environmental damage.
Great for blackheads, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, psoriasis, keratosis pilaris and hyperkeratosis, among others, removes excess oil, just as it relieves dry and scaly skin conditions.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid naturally occurrs in the human body, this gentle ingredient is responsible for keeping skin plump and hydrated, which results in younger looking skin.
It is the most powerful humectants out there, meaning it can draw water molecules into the skin. When our skin is well hydrated and moisturized, it look fuller and plump, which is why humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin are the part of the foundation for anti-aging skin-care products.
Kojic Acid
Kojic acid is derived from a variety of fungi and organic substances. It targets the root of the pigmentation source by inhibiting the production of melanin. Because of its ability to really penetrate the layers of your skin and stop the production of melanin, kojic acid is usually sought out as a spot-fading treatment, and is often considered a less-aggressive answer to hydroquinone.
It is recommended for those that are prone to hyperpigmentation; either caused by sun damage, signs of aging, after an acne breakout. It is not for permanent skin lightening and unfortunately not everyone is a candidate to use kojic acid.
Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is a natural acid derived from milk, fruit, vegetables and other plants. It's known for reducing acne breakouts and minimizing the appearance of wrinkles. Lactic acid is part of the group of Alpha Hydroxy acids (AHAs), and is a naturally occurring carboxylic acids that's found in beet sugar, cane sugar, tapioca even sour milk.
It's a non-friction type exfoliant which works by breaking down and dissolving the structure of dead skin cells without causing sensitivity."
When applied to the skin, lactic acids "stimulate the exfoliation of surface skin cells by interfering with the bonding between these cells. This causes the sloughing off of dull, rough skin and promotes cellular renewal by increasing cell turnover rates in the upper layers of your skin (epidermis), so you have younger, plumper skin cells within the skin,"
Lactic acid is a true multi-tasker—it increases the ceramides in the skin's protective barrier; it increases water retention; it works to prevent congestion; it improves pigmentation.
Skin care products with collagen help stimulate the synthesis of new collagen production. Collagen encourages the cells to renew and minimize the contraction of facial muscles. By doing so, the skin appears firmer, plumper and more youthful.
But one slight fault to this, while collagen skincare products may be used, the collagen molecule is too large to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin to do the work on its own. It is recommended to partner it up with collagen stimulation such as green tea, functional keratin among other options.
Retinol
Also known as Vitamin A, it is one of the most effective skin-transforming ingredients. Retinol is a great anti-aging ingredient for targeting fine lines and sun damage, by increasing your skin cells turnover. Because it works like an exfoliant, it is mainly targeted to combat skin blemishes, acne and wrinkles.
What are the benefits of retinol? They boost the amount of collagen your body produces and plums out the skin, visibly eliminating fine lines and wrinkles as well as improving skin tone and color. As good as it may sound, Retinol should be used sparingly though. Main side effect is irritability; redness and flaking. So make sure to use it in moderations, between layers of plain moisturizer and always use a good sun block or wear it at night-since its rendered inactive when exposed to sunlight.
Vitamin C
If you have uneven skin tone, rough texture, fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars and/or general dullness, Vitamin C is for just for you!
Vitamin C in our skin care products offer a trio of benefits for the skin. It works as an antioxidant, help neutralize radicals that damage the skin and it interferes with the production of excessive pigment in the skin-helping fade sun spots and discoloration. But that is not all, folks! Vitamin C also helps stimulate collagen production.
When purchasing Vitamin C serums (or other Vitamin C skin care products), check the label for “l-ascorbic acid”- the most effective and if it contains 15-20% even better.
So there you go ladies and gentlemen, our favorite key ingredients in skincare ingredients to combat dull skin along with fine lines, wrinkles, scarring and hyperpigmentation. Visit our website: www.laser15.com for our own skincare line of products, information and shopping. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay beautiful and let us restore your youthful glow!
