Spa Girl Beauty Tips

Do Age-Defying Creams and Lotions really work?

Anti-aging is big business in cosmetics.

Most people learn their skin care and information from commercials on the tv and ads in the magazines. As a result most are skeptical about the claims they see.

Rightly so!

The ads are clearly edited and photoshoped and it’s highly unlikely Beyonce actually uses boxed hair dye. So thus far the visuals are all lies.

What about the claims?

They dazzle you with quick, fancy graphs and percentages that show cells plumping and wrinkles drastically reduced. However the fine print that appears for .3 second will clearly state “Results not typical” or “tested on 16 women”.  For the most part what they are showing is that your skin is more moisturized when you, you guessed it, use a moisturizer.

So what results can you expect from an anti-aging moisturizer?

1-Have realistic expectations: No cream will stop wrinkles or get rid of them. No matter what they claim. They can only ever reduce the look and help to slow down the appearance of new ones.

2-They only work if you use them. I often get asked how frequently the product needs to be used.  Skin is constantly assaulted by UV, pollution and the natural aging process. Usage of any product needs to be consistent if you want to protect it. the other issue is that repairative products need at least a full skin cell cycle to really make a change. Otherwise you’re asking dead skin cells to act younger. 6-8 weeks of consistent use gives the active ingredients time to nourish the new cells and improve them as they grow. There are no results over night.

3-What are they really doing? Mostly hydrating. This plumps the cells and reduces wrinkle depth. Certain ingredients are thought to increase collagen production over time. Some will also exfoliate which will further reduce the depth and will also brighten and even the tone.

They should also protect. Prevention is much easier than repair. SPF and occlusive barriers will protect against excessive damage and will hold in all that lovely moisture and nourishing ingredients.

4-Will a moisturizer be enough? You will see some improvement with simply using a well-formulated moisturizer. Whether you invest in other products is entirely up to your comfort level and the results you are seeing.

• A gentle cleanser and toner will be fine. Anything too aggressive will irritate the skin. Dry and sensitized skin will always look older.
• Exfoliating. This is just about as important at moisturizing. Removing the dead skin cells improves skin function, evens and brightens tone and ensure better product absorption. Retin-A and AHA products give the deepest and most even exfoliation are known to increase collagen over time as well.
• Serum: These deposit highly active ingredients deeply into the skin. They work best when used as short term treatments and are a great way to boost a focused routine, or address a separate skin issue.
• Eye Creams: These are best as prevention as well. There are many genetic factors to how our eyes age and many are very difficult to reverse once they  occurred.
• Sunscreen: This is the single greatest step you can take to keep your skin looking it’s best. Sun damage is responsible for almost all of the aging (other than the natural process) that happens to the skin. Plus it takes at least a decade. Protection from the sun now will benefit your skin later on.

Some ingredients to look for:

There are really a fairly limited number of ingredients that actually work at making the skin appear healthier and younger. This is not a comprehensive list but it will give you a basic idea of some of the most available things to look for:

• Vitamins A, C, E- All three have anti-oxidant properties, however it’s never actually been proven that these can protect against some aspects of aging. The research is ongoing and looks promising.  It certainly sounds fancy and that’s why so many cosmetics companies stress their important. They are thought to help slow free radical damage.
• AHA/Glycolic/Lactic/Salicylic Acid: Deeply exfoliating, these even and smooth out the skin and encourage collagen production which will improve tone. Salicylic is great for those that want anti-aging and have oilier skin.
• Retin-A: Still by far the most effective at home ingredient. It’s very aggressive and can cause some sensitivity
• Glycosaminoglycans: Complex proteins that are essential for healthy skin function. They include Hyaluronic Acid, Muccopolysaccharides and Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF)
• Ceramides: naturally occuring fats in the skin, they help create a barrier to prevent moisture loss.
• Peptides: if formulated correctly (stable, accompanied by a carrier and actually able to make it through the skin without breaking down) they have tissue-healing benefits.

Different lines sometimes have their own patented technology as well.

Conclusion:

Cosmetics are not a replacement for medical treatment or surgery, they will not get rid of or stop your wrinkles. The best they can do is make your skin look as healthy and balanced as possible. You can easily reduce the look of lines and help to slow down future damage. Soft, bright, even skin tone can go very far and make skin look beautiful.

Have you found any products or ingredients to be more effective than others?

Tags: AHA, anti-aging, anti-oxidants, moisturizing

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