Because signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and loss of firmness, can begin as early as in your early 20s, we believe it’s never too soon to start incorporating anti-aging ingredients into your daily routine. With so many serums and moisturizers available that promise to lift, tighten and brighten your skin, it can be tough to figure out how to start. So, if you’re interested in starting an anti-aging skin-care routine but need some help, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading for some beginner friendly tips for anti-aging skin care.
I’ll be the first to admit that an anti-aging skincare routine can get rather complicated pretty quickly. When you realize it’s time to address the signs of aging, it can be intimidating if you don’t know where to begin. If you think that it’s time to consider anti-aging products into your skincare routine but don’t have a clue where to start, this post is for you!
When Should You Start An Anti-Aging Skincare Routine?.
The million-dollar question: When should you start an anti-aging skincare routine? Let’s look at how your skin starts to show the signs of aging:
Collagen is a structural protein in your skin (as well as your bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments). It keeps it looking plump and it keeps those pesky fine lines and wrinkles at bay. It also strengthens your hair and nails and even heals wounds.
By your mid 20’s your collagen production starts to decline. While you should always consider prevention when crafting a skincare routine, you certainly can start considering anti-aging products to combat collagen decline as early as your 20’s. You may hear suggestions to incorporate anti-aging skincare products into your routine once you hit your 30’s or 40’s. But why wait that long? You can start with prevention at any age.
NOTE: In addition to aging, stress, dehydration, excess sun exposure, smoking, and too much sugar can also inhibit collagen production. Try to eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants to support collagen formation.
An Anti-Aging Skincare Routine for Beginners.
The following routine is a very basic routine that incorporates some anti-aging heavy hitters, such as vitamin C and retinoids. The suggested products are just a few effective options in a sea of thousands of skincare products.
Everyone will have their own unique needs, so start very basic and see how your skin responds. Work your way up to more products and steps in your skincare routine. Here is a 4-step morning and 3-step evening basic anti-aging skincare routine:
TIP 1: Sunscreen Is Non-Negotiable.
UVA and UVB rays are one of the biggest factors that causes premature signs of aging in all skin types. The best thing you can do to protect your skin from them is to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every single day to keep your skin protected from potential sun damage.
TIP 2: Never Skip Moisturizer.
Along with broad-spectrum SPF, moisturizer is a must in any anti-aging skin-care routine and using both in tandem can help to make a noticeable difference in your skin’s appearance as you get older. So, we recommend using an anti-aging moisturizer, like the IT Cosmetics Hello Results Wrinkle-Reducing Daily Retinol Serum-in-Cream next in your line-up. The formula is made with free and encapsulated retinol to help improve the look of loss of firmness, fine lines and dark spots. While retinol can be a potentially irritating ingredient due to its high potency, the formula also includes vitamin E to soothe and calm skin.
TIP 3: Add an Eye Cream to Your Routine.
Because the skin surrounding the eye contour is thinner than other areas of your face, it’s typically more prone to premature signs of aging. You can avoid this by applying a daily eye cream into our routine.
I spy, with my little eye…under-eye wrinkles! Like us, you may have noticed the first signs of aging around your eyes. This tends to happen since the skin surrounding your eyes is extra thin and delicate. That means you’ll want to pay a little extra attention to your under-eye area, using a dedicated eye cream or treatment every day. We suggest the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey Eye Gel, which is formulated with manuka honey—an ingredient with quite a bit of buzz at the moment. The gel formula de-puffs and leaves skin looking more youthful. To give it a try, use the rollerball wand to massage the product under your eyes, then pat—don’t rub—with the pads of your fingers.
TIP 4: Add an Antioxidant Serum.
Another major contributor to aging skin is free radical damage. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced from external aggressors such as UV rays, smoke and pollution. These molecules can latch onto the skin and cause damage to cells in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. To get environmental protection from free radicals, try incorporating an antioxidant serum into your daily routine, like the SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic. It’s a vitamin C serum that protects the skin from free radicals to help improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness and dullness.
In general, serums contain a higher concentration of active ingredients than a moisturizer. The best anti-aging ingredients to look out for are vitamin A derivatives known as
(retinol, tretinoin, and tazarotene) and
(L-ascorbic acid and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate). As well as increasing collagen in your skin, they also act as antioxidants to soak up the biological and environmental oxidative stress that builds up.
TIP 5: Adopt Better Lifestyle Habits.
When it comes to aging, bad habits could be the root cause of some early signs. Eating junk food, not drinking enough water, smoking, laying out in the sun all day and not getting enough sleep could all contribute to premature signs of skin aging.
Final Thoughts on Anti-Aging Skincare for Beginners.
Well, there you have it, a basic anti-aging skincare routine. Starting an anti-aging skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated. You can simply start by incorporating a retinoid treatment into your skincare routine a few evenings a week to see how your skin responds. You can then add in a vitamin C treatment and consider other anti-aging treatments.
Regardless of how many steps you choose for your anti-aging skincare routine, for beginners and the experienced skincare devotees alike, it is imperative that you use a sunscreen to protect your skin.
Although there is no magic pill to eliminate the signs of aging (yet!), prevention and consistency are key to delaying the need to treat the signs of aging.
Remember: No matter how great the skin care product—if you don’t use it consistently, you likely won’t see results. The best way to slow the clock is to make your anti-aging routine a daily habit.
