Ten step user guide to anti aging skin care

If this is the first time you’ve considered using an anti aging product you may literally not know where to start. Choosing anti aging skin care is not for the faint hearted.

There are thousands of creams, serums, lotions and potions to choose from with new must have magic ingredients appearing weekly in the beauty press.

Anti aging is big business and millions of dollars are spent every year on the search for the ultimate youth giving face cream.

But don’t be put off – there are some excellent anti aging products available and they can make a real difference to how youthful your skin looks as you get older.

Before you start looking for the right product for you – here’s ten practical tips to help you narrow the field.

1. Check the ingredients – There are relatively few ingredients that have been put through rigorous clinical testing and shown to be effective against skin aging. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) sometimes known as glycolic acid, Tretinoin (trans-retinoic acid) which is commonly known as retinol and Vitamin C are the most well tested and proven.  Peptides and pentapeptides are also used in many products but less research backs up the anti aging claims.

2. Go for a high concentration of ingredients – Some ingredients don’t have any effect below a certain concentration. For example – vitamin C has been shown to be ineffective below the 10% level and most creams and serums with Vitamin C as an active ingredient contain much less than this. Similarly AHA has to be present at levels above 8% to be effective as an anti aging ingredient.  A good retinol cream should contain enough to be effective (0.30 and above) usually unless you have very sensitive skin.

Unfortunately a lot of anti aging skin care products don’t declare the level of each ingredient in the formulation. What manufacturers do though is to list the ingredients from highest to lowest concentration so you can draw some conclusions from that. There are some exceptions but if most important active ingredient is down at the bottom of the list you know it is included at tiny levels and is unlikely to be effective.

Effective anti aging skin creams also needs a good delivery system. That’s the bit in the formula that delivers the ingredients to your skin – for instance nanoparticles or microencapsulation. Good delivery systems make sure the ingredients don’t go off and are absorbed quickly. Better brands generally put better active ingredients and delivery systems into their products. Unfortunately, this tends to mean they cost more – but that isn’t always the case.

3. Just because it’s got lots of ingredients doesn’t mean it works. Most of the ingredients in a skin care formulation are part of the base cream or serum and have nothing to do with its effectiveness against wrinkles, sags or bags.

Too many active ingredients in your anti aging skin care can dilute the effectiveness of any single one. A good base cream or serum plus one or two excellent high strength active anti aging ingredients at high levels of concentration is better than a lot of active ingredients at low concentrations.

4. Choose a good brand - dermatologist based skin care is best in my experience. Look out for brands like SkinCeuticals, Peter Thomas Roth,Obagi, Dr Brandt, Cellex-C, Skin Medica, BioMedic, La Roche Posay and others set up and run by certified dermatologists using active ingredients at high levels.

5. Give it time to work. The anti aging ingredients that really work take effect slowly over time. You cannot possibly judge the effect of an anti aging cream or face serum in a matter of days or even in a week or two. The full effects will probably take closer to 4-8 weeks or more to emerge. Ignore any customer review if the user hasn’t used the product long enough to properly comment.

6. Don’t believe all you read. Ads are there to sell products – testamonials and before/after photos are not always all they seem. Look for hard clinical studies and see what customers who have actually used the products say about products in review forums. When you look at research claims bear in mind that much of the anti aging effect of a product will come from hydration (moisturizing your skin) alone.  It needs to do more than a good basic hydrating cream would or it’s not worth the money. Very few brands show data that isolates the moisturizing effect of a cream from the effect of the anti aging ingredients.

7. Natural isn’t always best. – Many natural chemicals can be harmful or even deadly – many man made chemicals are life saving drugs. What really matters is whether the product is clinically proven to be safe and effective.

8. Remember you’re unique – When it comes to skin care there’s no such thing as one size fits all. What suits others may be totally wrong for you so you need to accept a certain element of trial and error. You can narrow the field by working with your own skin type and being clear about what you are looking for.

9. Can you return it? Only buy an anti aging product you’ve never used before if you can return it easily. Online suppliers are much better at this than retail in my experience. If you get a bad reaction or you feel the anti aging product just doesn’t do what it says the last thing you want is a hassle about returning it. Check the return policy before you buy and make sure you stick to the terms.

10. Buy from a knowledgeable dermatologist based skin care supplier – sites like Dermstore and SkinCareRX are set up and run by board certified dermatologists. They add value to your purchase by giving you informed opinion, user reviews, special offers and online advice. The range of products offered is huge and you can take your time to decide without a heavy sales pitch. Browsing through great skin care sites is an enjoyable learning experience once you have a few ideas on what you’re looking for!

Before you start looking – take some time to think about what kind of anti aging skin care you are looking for.

Products are usually categorized by area of application – the most common first buy is a face cream. Decide whether you want a straightforward hydrating cream (moisturizer) or whether you want additional anti aging ingredients. A face product with added actives will usually be called an anti aging moisturizer.

Do you want a face serum – sometimes called an anti aging serum – as well as your cream? Serums are lighter, thinner and more liquid than creams and are used under and in addition to your moisturizer. They can really add a punch to your skin care regimen but obviously at a cost.

The neck and chest or decollete is also an area of the body that shows age and there are lots of products in this category. Can you use your face cream on your neck or is it too heavy? A neck cream is lighter and avoids dragging delicate skin. Check the label on your face cream or ask for advice before you buy an additional product.

Eye creams are a big category – this is a really delicate area of the face and the first to show age. Products are light gels or lotions and come in small tubes or pots as you aren’t supposed to use much. Check out our aricle on choosing the right eye cream.

Hand cream is also now coming in anti aging versions – usually targeting age spots and skin fragility. Consider how often you wash your hands in day time and go for an overnight cream with added anti aging ingredients – they do make a difference. The other option is looking at an exfoliating treatment for hands – these combine a light scrub with deep moisturizing ingredients so you exfoliate and hydrate in one go.

Microdermabrasion creams for the face are worth considering as exfoliating once or twice a week is good for your skin as it gets older. Using a basic scrub – unless it’s very gentle – can damage aging skin.  A high end microdermabrasion cream aims to reproduce the results you might get from an in office microdermabrasion treatment.

Otherwise chemical exfoliation using a product with AHA or glycolic acid at low formulations is an alternative for exfoliating skin and treating age spots or uneven skin pigmentation – but tread carefully and read the labels and reviews.

Retinol is an ingredient that has really captured the consumers imagination – probably because it has been proven to work as an anti aging skin care ingredient. Look at our general advice on choosing a good retinol product and our selection of the best retinol cream.

Botox alternatives – as you might guess – try to reproduce the effect of botox injections using anti aging ingredients as muscle relaxants.  There are many of the market but you may be advised to go for a proper dermatologist based product for good results.  A botox alternative could be worth considering if you want a similar effect without injecting toxins – however “safe” the procedure is considered to be.

Wrinkle fillers have come on the market recently in an attempt to mimic the action of a dermal filler applied in office. At the present time even the best is likely to be more of an anti aging cosmetic than an anti wrinkle treatment and should be considered part of your makeup routine. They cannot match the wrinkle filling action of an injectable whatever the makers claim and results will wash off at night time. Having said that as an anti aging cosmetic – they are very effective.

There is a lot to consider in choosing the right anti aging skin care and more products are being launched all the time. Take your time before you buy and you should be able to find a good product that works for you.

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