Anti Aging SkinCare
There are many anti aging skincare products and anti aging wrinkle creams on the market today. Some are very effective and some are not. Here is a guide to what ingredients provide results as well as skincare product reviews.
In addition, there are several skincare supplements that are very effective and can make a tremendous difference in your skin!
Toxin Free Skin Care
Natural skin care expert, Nadine Artemis believes that many of today's beauty products contribute to unhealthy skin.
In 2010, we spent $33.3 billion on beauty products and anti aging skincare. According to Nadine, many of those products contain heavy metals and toxins. Nadine says that today the average woman applies and accumulates 5 lbs. of toxins a year in their body from beauty products. These toxins are often stored in our fat. (Our body stores toxins in fat to insulate the toxins and prevent them from harming us.)
Click here for toxin free skincare reviews.
What To Avoid
Nadine believes that to have beautiful skin, we should remove the following out of our lives:
Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils include polyunsaturated oils such as Mazzola oil, soybean oil and corn oil as well as trans fats). Our skin cells are made of omega 6 fats. If we eat foods containing poor quality omega 6 fats, such as from processed omega 6 oils, they get absorbed into our skin cells. Those skin cells are then predisposed to inflammation and wrinkling.
Sugar and Gluten
Bread products tend to turn to sugar quickly in our bodies. A diet high in processed carbs and low in good fats can cause glycation. Glycation is when sugar molecules bond with protein molecules and cause cells to stiffen and lose flexibility.
Sugar increases insulin which causes the body to have trouble removing the glycation that is occurring. Normally our white blood cells take care of this. But when we eat too much sugar, the body is unable to remove the effects of the glycation.
Tap Water
Today's tap water contains chlorine, flouride and traces of many pharmaceutical drugs. These accumulate in our cells and tissues and can damage our skin cells.
Chemical Body Care
Many lotions and creams contain chemicals. When we apply chemicals to our skin, it can contribute to wrinkles and the breakdown of the skin. Today's chemical filled products contribute to over drying of our skin, the breakdown of collagen and inflammatory issues such as rosacea and acne.
Learn about supplements for beautiful skin that reallly work!
Proven Ingredients
Given that we probably need to avoid some ingredients in our skin care, there are many other ingredients that have been shown to be beneficial in anti aging skincare.
Let's start with ingredients in anti aging skincare products. Here are some of the tried and true skincare ingredients that provide results.
Retinols
Retinol is just another name for Vitamin A. Retinol is a less potent form of Retin-A, which is known in its generic form as retinoic acid or tretinoin. Retinol causes skin to turn over more rapidly and to increase the production of collagen, improving skin texture and fading age spots and redness. It is available in products sold over the counter.
Retinol is used for the treatment of fine lines and age spots. Retinol can also be used to treat adult acne, as it shrinks pores and makes them less likely to clog. It is useful for users of Retin-A who need to use a weaker formulation temporarily because of skin irritation or because they are pregnant.
There are various potencies of Retinol. Use the highest that your skin can tolerate. It can take up to 12 weeks to see changes in the skin from retinol.
Comment: I have found that retinols can provide some of the best anti aging skincare results. Be aware, though, that retinols can thin your skin. Be sure they are right for your skincare.
Peptides
According to the website, www.livestrong.com, peptides are among the most common ingredients of anti-aging skincare products for the skin. Peptides are naturally occurring substances in the body. Peptides for the skin can stimulate collagen and promote the synthesis of glycosaminoglycan, which is a component of connective tissue. Additionally, peptides stimulate capillary growth and repair, and encourage natural antioxidant activity.
Peptides are amino acids, which are the building blocks of the protein collagen. Your skin contains an abundance of collagen when you are young. As you age, however, your supply of collagen decreases, causing your skin to become thin and wrinkled.
Putting on a peptide in cream form enhances your skin’s production of collagen, which helps give you a more youthful look. When collagen breaks down, it naturally forms specific peptides that signal the skin to create new collagen.
If you want the benefits of an anti aging skincare product with peptides, look for certain active ingredients. According to the website Wrinkle Review, look for:
- acetyl hexapeptide-3, which relaxes certain types of facial wrinkles
- palmitoyl pentapeptide-3, which stimulates new collagen growth and helps skin heal
- palmitoyl oligopeptide, which not only stimulates collagen production but also provides mild UV protection
- copper peptides
The small size of peptides gives them the ability to penetrate deep into the skin, which makes them a useful delivery method for other ingredients.
Peptides are often combined with the ingredient copper, which research has shown to be useful in promoting skin healing. Copper and peptides together are thought to have an antioxidant effect, promoting the production of new collagen and removing damaged collagen.
Comment: Copper peptides have received a lot of press with their effectiveness. There has also been a number of clinical studies on copper peptides that indicate it is a very effective ingredient.
See more below on copper peptides in skincare product reviews - Skin Signals skin cream.
See my review of Aminocare Skin Cream
Idebenone
Idebenone is an synthetic form of Coenzyme-10 (CoQ-10). It is an antioxidant that has proven more effective on skin than CoQ-10 and received the highest score out of the 6 leading antioxidants in a research study from the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Idebenone has anti-wrinkle properties and has been found to prevent free radical damage.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA's)
AHA's come from milk and fruit sugars. They may reduce pore sizes, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and improve skin color and texture. It is recommended that AHA's be used in a 10% concentration or less for those with sensitive skin.
Read more about Alpha Hydroxy Acids
DMAE
DMAE became well known with Dr. Perricone's anti aging skincare books and products that provided information on the benefits of DMAE. It has been shown to be effective at firming the skin, helping with facial sagging and also reducing wrinkles, however, there has been some recent controversy on this ingredient.
Beta Hydroxy Acid (Salicylic Acid)
Beta Hydroxy Acids are similiar to the AHA's in that they may improve the color and texture of skin. The benefit of the Beta Hydroxy Acids, though, is that they tend to be less irritating that the AHA's.
Read more about Beta Hydroxy Acid
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has long been considered an anti aging skincare ingredient. Vitamin C in the form of absorbic acid has been found to be very effective with fine lines and wrinkles, however, it quickly degenerates with exposure to heat and light.
Argireline
Argireline has been found to reduce the depth of wrinkles over time with an effect much like Botox. It has been particularly effective around the eyes and the forehead. Argireline inhibits the reactions that cause muscles to move or contract – for example when forming facial expressions such as smiling or frowning. Because of this botox like effect, Argireline works well as an anti aging skincare ingredient.
Co-enzyme Q-10
Co-enzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10) is necessary for energy production in the human body. As an antioxidant, it works to protect and repair damage caused by
free radicals. It has been shown to:
- Repair sun damage
- Improve the elasticity and firmness of skin
- Reduce fine lines and wrinkles>
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