It seems to me that the word anti-ageing sounds a little scary, especially for younger women and men who are introduced to the skincare world. Because every other product claims it’s anti-ageing and from this they conclude that it is not suitable for them because they are too young to use serums, anti-ageing creams or eye creams. In this post, I’m going to explain how to get started with anti-ageing skincare routine, when it’s time to get started and how to get it right.
When do we start ageing?
One scary fact is that our body ages since we are born. In our body, both regenerative (building) and degenerative (degradation) processes take place. At one point, simply degenerative processes outweigh the regenerative ones. Ageing is a genetically conditioned process. There are two types of ageing: chronological ageing and photoageing. Chronological ageing is a process that cannot be stopped and is conditioned by internal factors. Photoaging, however, is a process that is conditioned by external factors and can accelerate the process of chronological ageing. At this point, I have to add that after the age of 20, the amount of collagen in the skin begins to decline and drops by 1.5% every year.
If I start anti-ageing skincare in my twenties, does that mean that no product will work when I’m in my fifties?
This myth is rooted in our minds, which is why we believe that we can only begin with anti-ageing skincare at the age of 50. Skin is not an organ that gets used to products and then they miraculously stops working.
What no one tells you is that it is better to work on prevention than on curation. Existing injuries and resulting wrinkles are much harder to repair than you think. Working on prevention, however, can prevent the formation of deep wrinkles and reduce the chance of skin damage. Of course, chronological ageing cannot be avoided, but photoageing is one that can be prevented.
Which are these external factors that accelerate ageing? The main culprit is certainly unprotected sun exposure, including smoking, the use of aggressive cosmetics (containing a lot of fragrances, alcohols) and more.
The greatest benefit is to make sure that you are properly nourishing your skin in your twenties.
Does anti-ageing care have to be one big complication that takes us 1 hour a day?
The golden rule of anti-ageing skincare, as I mentioned above, is prevention. It is essential that we use products that prevent skin damage and adequately protect us from outside factors. I am aware that many people think that anti-ageing skincare is too complicated. But it’s not really any big deal, you can only complicate matters by yourself. Anti-ageing does not mean that you have to add 20 products and active ingredients to your skincare. You can choose three quality products that will represent your prevention against photoageing and that is absolutely enough.
Now that I’ve told you how simple anti-ageing skincare can be, what do you really need?
The most important step begins with proper skin cleansing. Cleansing should be your ritual and overture to all following skincare. Cleansing removes impurities from the surface of the skin. If the skin is not properly cleansed, impurities will accumulate in the pores and cause them to become clogged. If the skin is not properly cleansed, you can also apply the 100 € cream, but it will not have the desired effect. All cleansers must be rinsed well from the skin, including micellar water.
3 Most Important Products In Anti-Ageing skincare …
Now on to skincare. As the three most important products or ingredients in preventative anti-ageing skincare, I would point out humectants (moisturizing ingredients), antioxidants and UV filters for sun protection. Well, let’s just go in order.
How does moisturizing benefit in anti-ageing care?
Everyone urgently needs either a good moisturizing serum or a good moisturizer in their skincare routine. A dot, amen. In our epidermis, the percentage of moisture ranges from 12-13%. If the percentage of moisture in the skin decreases, the skin is more susceptible to the influence of external factors, wrinkles more intensively and more rapidly, and is also more sensitive to external factors, which can be manifested as redness, tightening and bruising. Make sure that your moisturizing serum or cream contains at least one of these moisturizers: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, amino acids, urea.
Antioxidants protect against skin damage
Another ingredient that is crucial in anti-ageing care are antioxidants. Antioxidants are ingredients that are able to capture and counteract the harmful effects of radicals that form in the skin after exposure to UV radiation. Radicals cleave the bonds between proteins, cause lipid peroxidation, and break the bonds on the DNA molecule. In the long run, this is reflected as damage of the extracellular matrix (damage to collagen and elastin), which is a support to our skin, causing the skin to sag.
Due to the influence of radicals, mutations in the molecules of melanin (the molecule that gives our skin pigment) can also occur, causing its overproduction and hyperpigmentation. By using antioxidants, the harmful effects of radicals in the skin are neutralized to prevent skin damage. Vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, superoxide dismutase are among the most effective antioxidants.
We are not doing anti-ageing skincare rotuine without this step
We are already at the last step. I told you it’s not as complicated as it may seem. But if you neglect this last step, it doesn’t make sense to take anti-ageing skincare at all, because there will be no results. To prevent photoageing, you should use a high SPF (SPF30 or SPF50) sunscreen daily. This does not mean that a foundation or BB cream with an SPF 15 protection factor will be sufficient because it is not applied in sufficient quantity to make it even relevant for skin protection.
Sunscreen is a product that absorbs or repels UV rays, preventing them from penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin. If UV radiation penetrates the deeper layers of the skin, radicals will form there, damaging our tissues. Sunscreen should not only be the product you buy just before you go out to sea but should be part of your daily morning care.
However, it is imperative that you use the right amount of sunscreen for adequate protection, half a teaspoon full of face.
Sources:
- Zhang, S., & Duan, E. (2018). Fighting against Skin Aging: The Way from Bench to Bedside. Cell transplantation, 27(5), 729–738. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963689717725755
- Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E., & Zouboulis, C. C. (2012). Skin anti-aging strategies. Dermato-endocrinology, 4(3), 308–319. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.22804
- Puizina-Ivić N. (2008). Skin aging. Acta Dermatoven APA 17 (2), 47-54.
- Masaki, H. (2010). Role of antioxidants in the skin: Anti-aging effects. Journal of Dermatological Science, 58(2), 85–90. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2010.03.003
- Hughes MCB, Williams GM, Baker P, et al. Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2013;158:781–790. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-11-201306040-00002
- Randhawa M., Wang S., Leyden J., Cula G., et al. (2016). Daily Use of a Facial Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Over One-Year Significantly Improves Clinical Evaluation of Photoaging. Dermatologic Surgery. 42(12):1354–1361. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000000879