You cannot preserve youth forever, but it is certainly possible to delay the onset of old age for decades. To start anti-aging care, you don't have to wait until the first wrinkles appear - on the contrary: it is better to take preventive measures in advance. Let's think about where we start, what we pay attention to and what results we strive for.
How skin ages
The aging process affects all cells in the body and the skin is no exception. This process is influenced by both internal and external factors. The first group includes genetics, ethnicity, and hormone levels - things that are impossible or very difficult to change. The second factor is stress, exposure to air and UV pollution, smoking, diet, lack of sleep and exercise, and various diseases. These factors can be controlled. With high-quality skin care, it is possible to at least partially neutralize the negative effects.
With increasing age, many processes on which the condition of the skin depends slow down; for example, the cells no longer renew themselves as quickly as in youth. Blood circulation and thus cell nutrition deteriorate. Due to the lack of hyaluronic acid, moisture levels decrease and less collagen and elastin are produced. The skin becomes thinner, drier and less elastic and wrinkles form.
External factors make the situation worse. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation changes the structure of the skin, making it thinner and less elastic. Smoking slows down the regeneration of the epidermis and impairs blood circulation, leading to disruption of cell nutrition. Air pollution leads to the development of age spots and wrinkles.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle prolongs youth. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, getting good sleep and moderate physical activity will help maintain your beauty for a long time.
Prevention or treatment?
It is believed that skin begins to age as early as age 28. In practice, everything is individual: some discover signs of aging earlier, others later, depending on genetic characteristics, health status, lifestyle and the influence of external factors. In any case, you don't have to put off care until you no longer like the reflection in the mirror. Prevention is always more effective and cheaper than treatment. Therefore, you should take care in advance to prolong your youth. The further you go, the more you need to use the funds, but to prevent skin aging, it is enough to carefully care for your skin and protect it from negative effects.
When choosing cosmetics, you need to focus not on the brand, but on the recommendations of a beautician after a personal examination. All people are different, the aging process is different and correcting it requires an individual approach. The doctor will determine the appropriate remedies that correspond not to the calendar, but to biological age.
The main features of anti-aging care
- Gentle effect. It's time to stop using harsh exfoliants and harsh products that dry out your skin. Mature skin is sensitive and has difficulty recovering from traumatic procedures. She needs tender, gentle care;
- Mandatory skin protection. The sun is the number 1 enemy of the skin. It is not for nothing that there is a special term "photoaging", which refers to the changes in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays. With age, it becomes more and more difficult for the skin to resist their effects. Creams with sun protection factor help it with this. It isalso necessary to protect the skin from the effects of free radicals;
- Intensive hydration. The immediate cause of a deterioration in skin tone and the appearance of wrinkles is a lack of moisture. The anti-aging care is based on deep moisturizing;
- Stimulating collagen production. In adulthood, collagen, which is responsible for skin elasticity, is synthesized more slowly and destroyed more quickly than in youth. This means that additional stimulation of the formation of its own protein compounds necessary to increase the turgor of the epidermis is required;
- Not just cream. A thin layer of moisturizer may not be enough. Anti-age care also includes intensive skin nutrition, the use of peelings, masks and serums. The need for professional procedures also increases every year;
- Regularity. Young skin forgives its owner for small sins such as unwashed cosmetics overnight or irregular care. Adult women need to constantly care for their face, neck and décolleté, day after day, year after year. Only in this case can you count on a noticeable effect.
Doctor's comment:You don't need to overcomplicate the skin care process in your mind, start small, with proper home care! If you suffer from dermatological diseases, you should definitely see a dermatologist! Because even high-quality home care will not be able to get you out of the acute process. First the treatment against the background of cosmoceutical care, then everything else.
Can you do without a beautician?
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology have not yet made the dream of eternal youth a reality, but they have made it possible to come much closer to its realization. Injection and hardware cosmetic procedures allow rejuvenation from the inside and natural restoration of the skin. However, it would be a mistake to think that it is enough to take a course in a cosmetology clinic once a year and neglect face and body care the rest of the time. Professional care must be supplemented by home care – constant, daily. This approach allows you to achieve optimal results and postpone old age for many years.
To maintain youth, cosmetic procedures are highly desirable and home anti-aging care is essential. It's best to combine both.
Anti-aging home care
And now it's time to think in detail about what anti-age skin care should include. What stages does it consist of, what tools should be used and how to use them correctly?
It must be emphasized once again that the age at which one should start facial care from the point of view of rejuvenation is determined individually. It is difficult to independently assess the condition of your skin and detect changes in a timely manner. Therefore, it is better to contact a beautician to create an individual plan to preserve youth.
cleaning
It is necessary to constantly counteract age-related changes, and it is better to choose even routine personal care products with a rejuvenating effect. To prevent fading, it is recommended to use detergents that are as soft and gentle as possible. They should easily remove make-up residue, sebum and impurities, but should not dry out or damage the skin.
When choosing a cleanser, you should focus on the condition of your skin. If a feeling of tightness or discomfort occurs after washing, you need to look for another option with a higher content of moisturizing components. The appearance of an oily sheen, oddly enough, also indicates a lack of moisture. If irritation and redness occur, pay attention to hypoallergenic products.
Even if your skin is prone to rashes, you should not choose aggressive drying products. It is better to give preference to cosmetics with anti-inflammatory effects.
Cleansing in the morning and evening are two completely different procedures. In the first case, you just need to remove the skin secretions and the remains of the night cream. Foam can easily cope with this task, and in some cases it is enough just to use tonic. In the evening you also need to remove all remaining sunscreen, cosmetics and air pollution. In such a situation, lotions, creams and makeup remover oils are helpful. Additionally, you should use a pore cleansing mask 1-2 times a week.
You need to clean not only your face, but also your neck and décolleté. These areas are very susceptible to aging and therefore require careful care.
Tint
This care step is underestimated by many and is completely futile. The use of a tonic restores the water and acid balance, prepares the face for applying the cream and protects it from aggressive influences. In addition, residual dirt that the cleaning lotion or cleaning foam cannot cope with is removed.
The tonic is selected depending on the skin type and applied morning and evening after washing (or other cleansing). In both cases the same suitable means can be used.
Hydration
Perhaps the most important thing in anti-aging care is hydration. Mature skin always needs moisture and therefore moisturizing products and professional treatments.
The hyaluronic acid molecule has an impressive size and cannot penetrate the epidermal barrier to reach the deeper layers of the skin. Therefore, injections were and are the most effective method of application. However, scientists have learned to process the molecule so that it penetrates the dermis better. Thanks to these developments, the effectiveness of modern external products containing hyaluronic acid has increased significantly.
Another well-known hydrant is the urea hydrant. Don't let the unsavory name put you off: the substance effectively moisturizes the skin and at the same time stimulates cell renewal. Such products are good for dry, dehydrated, rough and rough skin. To maintain moisture levels and improve the skin's appearance, creams with a low urea content are sufficient. More concentrated products are used to smooth rough calluses on the feet.
Glycerin is another popular ingredient. Due to its hygroscopicity, it attracts water molecules and binds them like hyaluronic acid. In terms of moisturizing properties, trihydric alcohol (glycerin) is inferior to hyaluronic acid, but has smaller molecules that easily penetrate the skin. This component is present in most inexpensive moisturizers with an anti-aging effect. At the same time, concentrated glycerin can have the opposite effect by removing moisture from the epidermis. Therefore, most manufacturers combine trihydric alcohol with other skin moisturizers.
Doctor's comment:I would like to emphasize that with hyperkeratosis, for example with rough skin, with psoriasis, with ichthyosis, we choose products with urea. Urea helps exfoliate dandruff, and other components of the products moisturize and nourish.
Nutrition
Unlike other organs, the skin can receive nutrition not only in the traditional way - through the blood - but also by absorbing substances that are applied to its surface. This is not just moisture, but also all sorts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and lipids. They compensate for nutrient deficiencies in the skin, improve the structure of the epidermis, saturate it with useful ingredients and strengthen the protective lipid layer.
If previously cosmetic products were safely divided into moisturizing and nourishing, now this line has been canceled: the same cream can saturate the skin with moisture and nutrients. Modern creams, serums and masks usually combine both types of effects.
To nourish the skin, fats and fat-soluble substances are first needed. Don't underestimate their importance in preserving youth. As we age, the skin requires more and more lipids. Even girls who complained of excessive sebum secretion in their youth notice that their skin becomes drier over the years. The fatty film on the surface of the skin becomes thinner and can no longer protect the epidermis from negative environmental influences.
Lipid deficiency leads to:
- Increasing sensitivity;
- slowing down the shedding of dead cells;
- Reduced moisture content;
- Premature wilting.
It is believed that the skin absorbs nutrients best at night. It is therefore recommended to apply nourishing products in the evening and at night.
Doctor's comment:Our skin is covered with a hydro-lipid coat, a very important structure that ensures the normal functioning of our skin! If its integrity is violated, the skin becomes brittle, dry, dehydrated, it does not resist aggressive environmental influences and the balance of the skin's microflora is disturbed. We become defenseless and lose resistance to various skin diseases.
Protection
The skin protects the internal organs from negative environmental influences. It comes into contact with polluted air, ultraviolet radiation, aggressive substances, low or high temperatures. This effect does not go unnoticed: the condition of the skin worsens. To prevent premature skin aging, you should make sure to protect your skin for life.
First of all, it is necessary to protect the skin from exposure to the sun. And you need to do this every time you go outside during the day, not just when you're getting ready for the beach. The cream is applied for 20-30 minutes until it comes out in a generous layer; if necessary it must be renewed. In addition, it is necessary to select such products according to your photo type: the whiter the skin, the higher the protection factor should be. If you do not follow these rules, using a sunscreen lotion will not bring the expected benefits.
Sunscreen cosmetics protect the skin not only from burns, but also from aging. Long-wave radiation (UVA) penetrates the deep layers of the skin and destroys cells. Such rays damage the epidermis even in cloudy weather, so it is recommended to use products with SPF all year round.
The daily use of protective creams protects against photoaging of the skin – pigmentation, sagging, wrinkles and dehydration. But you need to choose funds carefully. The best option would be pharmaceutical cosmeceuticals.
High-quality day creams usually contain sun protection ingredients. If you need to combine moisturizers with Sanskrins, apply a moisturizing cream to your face and neck first and then apply a protective cream after it is completely absorbed.
UV radiation is not the only factor that causes skin aging. To prolong youth, it is also necessary to protect the epidermis from the effects of free radicals - molecules that damage cells and destroy collagen. For this purpose, antioxidants are used to neutralize the effects of "aggressors".
They can be:
- vitamins A, C, P and E;
- alpha lipoic acid;
- Amino acids;
- Coenzyme Q10;
- isoflavones;
- tannins;
- Beta glucan.
These components can be present in the cream in various combinations. Antioxidants are a recognized means of preventing aging. Therefore, it is recommended to start using creams containing such ingredients even before the first signs of age-related changes.
Doctor's comment:It is important to know that different antioxidants only work in certain combinations and their intake is strictly based on the body's needs. Cosmoceutical products are already presented in the right combinations. It is important to identify your skin type and needs; a dermatologist or beautician can help you with this.
Special treatment
In addition to routine skin care, "special" procedures are also required. This category includes both anti-aging courses in cosmetic clinics and the use of masks and peels at home.
Mature skin has to shed dead cells much more than young skin, as the natural renewal processes slow down with age. Therefore, peels, which girls use only occasionally in their youth, become a necessity for adult women. Gentle peels should be used 2-3 times a week.
It is important to use products designed for mature skin. They should be gentle, without scratchy particles or irritating ingredients.
When talking about skin care, you can't ignore masks. They usually contain the same ingredients as creams, but in a higher concentration, which is why masks are intended for intensive care. They can be used regularly to gradually improve the condition of the skin, or as an express care when you need to put your face in order before an event.
Masks can be made in the form of cream, gel, powder for self-dilution and a ready-made piece of fabric soaked in medicinal products. The latter variety is most often used for urgent skin refreshment.
The purpose of masks can also be different. For mature skin, nourishing, moisturizing, toning, firming and brightening products are best suited. Choosing a specific mask is best done together with a beautician.
Doctor's comment:Pay attention to alginate masks, they are sold for home use, but there are also professional ones. They have unique properties and are ideal for every skin type. Their healing properties are explained by the fact that they are made from brown algae. They have a particularly pronounced lymphatic drainage effect and are an effective anti-aging prevention.
From theory to practice: choosing cosmetics
A general understanding of the ingredients useful for rejuvenation will help you choose personal care products.
Day cream to prolong youth
The main tasks of a day cream are to moisturize and protect the skin. Hyaluronic acid and other moisturizing components help achieve the first goal. The day cream is also intended to improve the quality of the skin and make it more resistant to the negative effects of free radicals - aggressive molecules that cause aging. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are used for this purpose.
Vitamin C is commonly called the vitamin of youth, and this is no coincidence: ascorbic acid stimulates the production of collagen by fibrocytes, destroys melanin and eliminates unnecessary pigmentation.
When choosing a cream, you should give preference to so-called cosmeceuticals, that is, cosmetics that are sold in the pharmacy. These varieties differ from mass creams in their high active ingredient content and. correspondingly higher efficiency. And the best results can be achieved by combining the use of the cream with cosmetic procedures, for example, mesotherapy and biorevitalization.
Anti-aging night cream
Night is the best time to care for your skin. Although modern night creams do not necessarily have a heavy, oily texture, they always contain lipids and fat-soluble substances. These can be fatty acids, shea butter or wheat germ, cholesterol and other ingredients. Also contains moisturizing components.
The task of such products is to restore the skin and stimulate the production of substances necessary to improve its structure - hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin.
When caring for the skin, it is important not to overdo it - not to overload it with lipids. This effect is possible if you choose the wrong night cream: the skin acquires a greasy shine, pores become clogged, comedones and rashes appear. Such phenomena indicate that the night cream was poorly selected or used incorrectly.
It's important to remember that thick, oily products are primarily intended for dehydrated, rough skin with flakiness. In other cases, it is better to choose lighter, melting textures. In addition, the cream must suit your skin type and age: for anti-aging care, it is better to use cosmetics called Anti-Age.
As far as usage goes, the main mistake here is over-application. After applying the toner, the night cream should be applied in a thin layer to slightly damp skin. After 15 minutes, you can blot off the excess that is not absorbed into the epidermis with a napkin.
Do not forget that the products must be applied not only to the face, but also to the neck and décolleté!
Doctor's comment: Modern, high-quality creams from the pharmacy make the use of a tonic unnecessary. It is important to choose your night cream and apply it half an hour before bed. Discreet, avoid eye contact. Light tapping movements.
Serums, peels and masks: the secret weapon in the fight for youth
When selecting "special products" you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- active ingredients in the composition;
- your concentration;
- Possible allergens and irritants.
As with the choice of creams, it is recommended to give preference to serums and masks with antioxidants, moisturizing and nourishing ingredients. However, the presence of a sun protection factor is no longer necessary - the day cream provides sun protection.
Anti-aging serums may contain retinol, vitamin C, ceramides, peptides, collagen and acids. Masks often also contain various oils that soften the top layer of the epidermis. Modern, effective peelings rarely do without the addition of acids.
In addition to masks and peelings, it is worth purchasing anti-aging serums. These are very concentrated products where literally a few drops are enough for the transformation. Serums are generally non-greasy, absorb immediately and significantly rejuvenate the skin. No wonder: after all, they contain shock doses of vitamins, amino acids, microelements, peptides and other substances that moisturize, nourish, brighten and tone the skin.
When choosing such products, you should focus not so much on your skin type, but on what problems need to be solved. Is there pigmentation? Serums that even out skin tone can help. Does the oval of the face "float"? This means that you should choose the variant with a lifting effect. Increased dryness of the epidermis? The problem can be solved faster if you use a serum with hyaluronic acid in addition to the regular cream.
Individual approach
Choosing anti-aging cosmetics yourself is not as easy as it seems. The ideal option is to entrust this choice to a beautician. An experienced doctor will easily identify "weak spots" that require maximum attention and help you choose the appropriate remedies.
It is much more difficult to recognize signs of aging on your own: we get used to our own appearance and are unable to recognize changes in time. The result is an incorrect selection of anti-aging products and thus ineffective prevention and treatment of skin aging. That is why it is better to visit a doctor for an hour to immediately choose exactly the products that your skin needs.
And of course, professional cosmetic procedures in the clinic are the best complement to routine home care. We will tell you about it next time.