Beauty shopping for anti-aging products can be a staggering experience especially if you don’t know where to start or what you are looking for. So let’s start at the beginning. Most of them work hard to keep your skin moisturized, others target fine lines, wrinkles, spots, and sun damage.
Most anti-aging skincare products contain one or more of the ingredients listed below to have you looking youthful and glowing all year round.
Sunscreen: One of the best ways to prevent premature aging is to use great sunscreen. While many anti-aging skincare ranges include Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15, improve your skin’s umbrella and look for “broad spectrum” protection that effectively blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs): AHAs like glycolic acids exfoliate the dead outer layers of your skin, which in turn can make your skin look fresher and more youthful. Besides tackling signs of sun damage they also help your cells stay moisturized
Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs): Usually listed as salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, salicylate, willow extract, tropic acid, or trethocanic acid, BHAs are like AHAs. They exfoliate the skin, smoothen its texture, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and worry lines. Though you should use these along with a high SPF sunscreen to avoid breaking out.
Retinoic acid: A specialized form of vitamin A, this is the only skincare ingredient that has been approved by the FDA to use in reversing sun damage. Available by prescription only, results can be seen in after several months of daily application. The skin pigmentation evens out, and there is increased skin-firming collagen.
Ammonium lactate: For dry and flaky skin the ingredient to look for is ammonium lactate. It helps plump up the skin and gets rid of excess dead skin cells.
Antioxidants: Products with added antioxidants like Vitamins E and C and coenzyme Q10, have been shown to repair aging skin and even protect it from further sun damage. Beside sit also works to reverse the effects of free radicals, which are molecules that can irritate and inflame the skin.
Petrolatum: The main ingredient in petroleum jelly, petrolatum is used to seal in moisture by creating a barrier over the skin.