Do topical skin care products really make a difference when it comes to treating age-related problems like wrinkles, sagging and brown spots?
The short answer is – yes. With a big but…
Yes, skin care products can really address and treat skin damage, but it has to be the right type of product and it has to have high levels of genuinely active ingredients.
What does this mean – bottom line? You will want:
- pharmaceutical grade skin care products with a high level of quality active ingredients
- effective delivery systems to ensure active ingredients reach deeply into the skin
- synergism between products (they work together not at cross purposes)
Sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. A few essential products can make all the difference and form the basis of an anti-aging skin care program that works.
If you are building a program from scratch, three essential products form the basis of an effective regimen.
First and foremost, in this triad is sunblock.
Seventy percent of visible aging is caused by UV radiation (20% is diet and lifestyle effects and 10% is genetics). A lot of people skip the use of daily sunblock and save it for sunny summer days on the beach. But it is the cumulative effect of indirect, year-round sun exposure that is the primary cause of UV related aging. High quality sunblock contains finely milled zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which provide a smooth texture that can be mixed into lighter bases. Sunblocks of this type sit on the surface of the skin and provide full UVA/UVB protection.
Secondly, everyone would benefit from topical Vitamin C serum.
When your skin is exposed to the UV radiation of the sun, environmental pollutants or toxins like cigarette smoke, it can cause chemical reactions in the skin that lead to the formation of free radicals – highly unstable and damaging molecules. Free radicals can damage your skin’s collagen, elastin, and the DNA of cells that are dividing, all of which adds up to significant skin damage or even skin cancer. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It neutralizes free radicals and thereby acts as a natural ‘off’ switch for their damaging effects.
Topical Vitamin C is 20 times more effective than oral Vitamin C when it comes to managing skin damage. It is very important to use a product containing USP Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and an advanced delivery system which can ensure delivery deep enough into the skin to be effective.
Finally, the last product in the triad is retinol.
Retinols have been a stalwart ingredient in the anti-aging playbook for decades. As we age, the rate which we replace our skin cells slows down. Many people notice that their skin becomes duller, dryer, thinner, and crepey over time. Retinols increase the rate of skin cell turnover so that skin behaves like a younger version of itself. Younger healthier cells produce more collagen and elastin. Thus, retinols help improve collagen and elastin production leading to improvements to fine lines, tightening of pores and greater skin thickness and elasticity. With daily retinol use the skin appears brighter, smoother, more radiant, and more even in tone.
The best retinols are pure retinol, not a derivative. Good quality retinols are microencapsulated to improve and regulate delivery to the deeper layers of the skin. Quality retinols are formulated with emollients (to moisturize), humectants (to improve hydration) and peptides to boost collagen and elastin production further.
Choosing the right sunblock, Vitamin C serum and retinol for yourself can be tricky. When investing in pharmaceutical level skin care it is important to speak to a professional who can recommend the triad of products that best suit your skin issues. You best source for consultation is a physician-led medical aesthetics clinic or certified medical aesthetician.
Stop wasting time and money on anti-aging products of dubious benefit. Set yourself up with 3 essential products and start building an anti-aging program that works!
For more information on building an anti-aging skincare program, book a consultation with the expert Medical Aestheticians at ArtMed. To book online click here or email [email protected].