These anti-aging skin-care ingredients can help stave off wrinkles
-Paige Herman-Axel, BettyConfidential.com
Antioxidants
Perhaps the biggest beauty buzzword right now, antioxidants are
essential for preventing wrinkles. But what are they exactly?
Simply put, antioxidants protect the skin from damage that results
from free radicals, which form when environmental aggressors like
the sun, pollution, and even air come in contact with the skin.
Examples of antioxidants include vitamins C and E, as well as
botanically based ingredients like coffeeberry, and synthetic
active ingredients like idebenone. Antioxidants can be found in
cleansers, serums, moisturizers and even sunscreens, and
dermatologists agree that they are essential for the health and
beauty of the skin.
One product to try: Give your skin its daily dose of pomegranate and green tea antioxidants with Hissyfit's Saving Face SPF 50+ Moisturizing Tinted Sunscreen. Wear it instead of foundation for a protective shield that lends a touch of color. $49, hissyfit.com
Peptides
Now that you're using antioxidants to protect your skin from
damage, peptides can help repair any signs of aging that you may
already have. There are a few types of peptides-including
face-firming, wrinkle-relaxing and skin-repairing peptides-which
act differently, but they can all rejuvenate and renew your skin,
which is why many products contain different peptides in one tube
or jar. In a nutshell, peptides act as messengers in the skin,
allowing the dermis to communicate with the epidermis. As we age,
this communication begins to decrease, causing the skin to produce
less collagen. As a result, peptides can improve the appearance of
fine lines and wrinkles as well as the skin's texture and
tone.
One product to try: Olay Regenerist 14 Day Skin Intervention; it's packed with Olay's own peptide-B3 complex, and this two-phase treatment system is used in place of your nighttime moisturizer. After two weeks, expect to see a lifted look with less noticeable lines and wrinkles. $24.99, drugstores nationwide
Growth factors
A bit of a new kid on the anti-aging block, growth factors are a
relatively pricier active ingredient, which is why you're not
likely to find them at the drugstore anytime soon. With that said,
there are quite a few prestige and professional-grade lines that
feature growth factors, including ReVive and Skinmedica. There are
different types of growth factors, which work by replacing growth
factors in our skin that begin to dwindle with age. By replacing
the lost growth factors that tell the collagen-producing cells
within the skin to ramp up their output, the skin literally beings
to act more youthful.
One product to try: DDF's Bio-Molecular Firming Eye Serum promotes firmness and tone in the delicate eye area without irritation. $88, sephora.com
SPF
Perhaps the biggest beauty buzzword to know is SPF, since shielding
the skin from the sun's rays is the number-one way to stave off
wrinkles. But it's important to know that SPF only applies to
UVB rays, and dermatologists are starting to believe that UVA rays
are even more damaging to the skin, especially in terms of aging.
(The FDA is working on a new rating system that accounts for UVA
rays, so keep an eye out!) An SPF of 30 is a great place to start,
even just for every day, and look for a formula that contains
antioxidants since free radicals form on the skin when sunscreen
ingredients are exposed to daylight.
One product to try: BeingTRUE Essential SPF Gel 30 gives you all the protection you need without clogging pores and without the white residue. $36, beingtrue.com
Read more about protecting your skin: Sunscreen Sense and Skin-Cancer Prevention
