You cannot preserve youth forever, but the onset of old age can be postponed for many years. To start anti-aging care, it is not necessary to wait for the first wrinkles to appear - on the contrary, it is better to take preventive measures in advance. Let's consider where to start, what to pay attention to and what results to strive for.
How to age skin
The aging process affects all the cells of the body, and the skin is no exception. Internal and external factors influence this process. The first group includes genetics, ethnicity and hormonal levels - things that are impossible or very difficult to change. The second is stress, exposure to air and ultraviolet pollution, smoking, diet, lack of sleep and movement, and various diseases. These factors can be controlled. The negative effects can be at least partially neutralized by providing quality skin care.
With age, many processes on which the condition of the skin depends slow down; for example, cells are not renewed as quickly as they are in youth. Impaired blood circulation, and thus cell nutrition. The level of hydration drops due to the lack of hyaluronic acid, and less collagen and elastin are produced. The skin becomes thinner, drier and less elastic, and wrinkles appear.
External factors contribute to the situation. Therefore, as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the structure of the skin changes, it becomes thinner and less elastic. Smoking slows the regeneration of the epidermis and affects blood circulation, which affects cell nutrition. Air pollution causes the appearance of age spots and wrinkles.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle increases youth. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, quality sleep and moderate physical activity will help maintain your beauty for a long time.
Prevention or treatment?
It is believed that the skin begins to age as early as 28 years of age. In practice, everything is individual: some show signs of age earlier, and others later, depending on genetic characteristics, health status, lifestyle and the influence of external factors. In any case, there is no need to stop taking care of yourself until the reflection in the mirror ceases to satisfy you. Prevention is always more effective and affordable than treatment, so you should take care in advance to extend your youth. The longer you go, the stronger the resource you will have to use, but to prevent aging it is enough to take care of your skin carefully and protect it from negative effects.
When you choose cosmetics, you need to focus not on the brand, but on the recommendations of a cosmetologist given after a personal examination. Everyone is different, the aging process also happens differently, and an individual approach is needed to correct it. The doctor will determine the appropriate methods that correspond not to the calendar, but to the biological age.
Key features of anti-aging care
- Sweet effect. It's time to give up harsh scrubbing and aggressive products that dry out your skin. Mature skin is sensitive and does not recover well after traumatic procedures. She needs sensitive, gentle care;
- Mandatory skin protection. The sun is enemy No. 1 the skin. It is not for nothing that there is a special term "photoaging" to refer to the changes that occur in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays. With age, it becomes harder for the skin to withstand their effects. Creams with SPF will help her with this. It is also necessary to protect the skin from the effects of free radicals;
- Intense hydration. The immediate reason is a decline in tone and the appearance of wrinkles lack of moisture. Anti-aging care is based on deep hydration;
- Collagen production is stimulated. In adults, collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity of the skin, is synthesized more slowly and destroyed more quickly than in youth. This means that it is necessary to further stimulate the formation of its own protein compounds to increase the turgor of the epidermis;
- Not just cream. A thin layer of moisturizer may not be enough. Anti-aging care also involves intensive skin nutrition, the use of exfoliants, masks, and serums. The need for professional procedures is also increasing every year;
- regularity. Young skin will forgive its owner small sins such as cosmetics left unwashed at night or irregular care. Adult women must always take care of their face, neck, and décolleté, day after day, year after year. Only in this case can you count on a significant effect.
Doctor's Comment:
The skin care process does not need to be complicated in your thoughts, start small, with proper home care! If you have dermatological diseases, then you must consult a dermatologist! Since even quality home care will not be able to get you out of the acute process. First, treatment against the background of cosmoceutical care, then only everything else.
Is it possible to do without a cosmetologist?
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology have not yet realized the dream of eternal youth, but they have managed to come much closer to its realization. Injection procedures and hardware cosmetology allow you to rejuvenate from the inside and restore the skin naturally. However, it would be a mistake to think that it is enough to take a course at a cosmetology clinic once a year, and the rest of the time to neglect taking care of your face and body. Professional care must be complemented by home care - constant, daily. This approach allows you to achieve the best results and push back old age by many years.
To preserve youth, cosmetic procedures are highly desirable, and home anti-aging care is absolutely essential. It is better to combine the two.
Home anti-aging care
And now it's time to consider in detail what anti-aging skin care should be. What are the steps, what tools should be used and how to use them correctly.
It must be emphasized again that the age at which you should start rejuvenating facial care is decided individually. It is difficult to independently assess the condition of your skin and detect changes over time, so it is better to consult a cosmetologist to draw up an individual plan to preserve youth.
Cleaning
Age-related changes need to be continuously addressed, and it is even better to choose routine personal care products that have a rejuvenating effect. To prevent fading, it is recommended to use the mildest and most delicate cleansers possible. They should easily remove remnants of makeup, sebum and impurities, but not dry out the skin or hurt it.
When choosing a cleanser, you should focus on the condition of your skin. If after washing there is a feeling of tightness or discomfort, you must look for another option with a higher content of moisture components. The appearance of an oily sheen also, oddly enough, indicates a lack of moisture. If irritation and redness occur, you must 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 an anti-inflammatory effect.
Morning and evening cleansing are two completely different procedures. In the first case, you only 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 to use a tonic. In the evening, you must also remove any remnants of sunscreen, cosmetics, and atmospheric pollution. In such a case, lotions, creams, and makeup remover oils will come in handy. In addition, 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 attention.
Toning
This step of care is underestimated by many, and completely in vain. Using a tonic will restore water and acid balance, prepare the face to apply cream and protect it from aggressive influences. In addition, it removes residual contaminants that the cleansing lotion or foam could not tackle.
A tonic is chosen according to skin type and is used after washing (or other cleansing) in the morning and evening. In both cases the same suitable agent can be used.
Hydration
Perhaps the most important thing in anti-aging care is hydration. Mature skin needs constant moisture and, accordingly, hydrating products and professional treatments.
The hyaluronic acid molecule has a significant size and cannot penetrate the epidermal barrier to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, so injections are still the most effective way to use it. However, scientists have learned how to process the molecule so that it penetrates the dermis better. Thanks to these developments, the effectiveness of modern external products with hyaluronic acid has increased significantly.
Another well-known hydrant is urea. Do not be fooled by the unappetizing name: the substance effectively saturates the skin with moisture and at the same time stimulates cell renewal. Such products are well suited for dry, dehydrated, rough and rough skin. To maintain moisture levels and improve complexion, creams with a small urea content are sufficient. More concentrated products are used to smooth rough calluses on the feet.
Another popular ingredient is glycerin. Due to its hygroscopicity, it attracts and binds water molecules such as hyaluronic acid. In terms of moisturizing properties, trihydric alcohol (glycerin) is inferior to hyaluronic acid, but it has smaller molecules that easily penetrate the skin. This component is included in most budget moisturizers with an anti-aging effect. At the same time, concentrated glycerin can have the opposite effect, drawing moisture from the epidermis, so most manufacturers combine trihydric alcohol with other skin moisturizers.
Doctor's Comment:
I want to emphasize that we choose products with urea in cases of hyperkeratosis, for example, with rough skin, with psoriasis, with ichthyosis. Urea helps exfoliate scales, 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 applied to its surface. This is not only moisture, but also all kinds of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and lipids. They replenish nutritional deficiencies in the skin, improve the structure of the epidermis, saturate with useful ingredients and strengthen the protective lipid layer.
If before cosmetic products were confidently divided into moisturizing and nourishing, now this line is destroyed: 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, first of all, fats and fat-soluble substances are needed. Don't underestimate the importance of preserving youth. With age, the skin needs more and more lipids. Even those girls who complained of excess sebum secretion in their youth have noticed 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 results in:
- Increase sensitivity;
- Slow down the exfoliation of dead cells;
- reduced humidity levels;
- Premature sawing.
It is believed that the skin absorbs nutrients best at night, so it is recommended to apply nourishing products in the evening, at night.
Doctor's Comment:
Our skin is covered with a hydro-lipid mantle, this is a very important structure that ensures the normal functioning of our skin! If its integrity is violated, the skin is fragile, dry, dehydrated, does not resist aggressive environmental factors, and the balance of the skin's microflora is disturbed. We become defenseless and lose resistance to various skin diseases.
Protection
The skin protects internal organs from negative environmental influences. It comes into contact with polluted air, ultraviolet radiation, aggressive substances, low or high temperatures. This effect is ignored: the condition of the skin becomes worse. To avoid premature aging, you should take care to protect your skin throughout your life.
First of all, it is necessary to protect the skin from exposure to sunlight. And you need to do this every time you go outside during daylight hours, and 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 needs to be renewed. In addition, it is necessary to choose such products according to your phototype: the whiter the skin, the greater the protection factor should be. If you don't follow these rules, sunscreen lotion won't have the expected benefits.
Sunscreen cosmetics protect the skin not only from burning, but also from aging. Longwave 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.
Daily use of protective creams will protect against skin photoaging - pigmentation, sagging, wrinkles, dehydration. But you must choose the methods carefully. The best choice is pharmaceutical cosmeceuticals.
High quality day creams usually contain sunscreen ingredients. If you combine moisturizers with Sanskrit, then apply first a hydrating cream on the face and neck, and after it is completely absorbed, head protection.
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 "attackers".
They can be:
- Vitamins A, C, P and E;
- Alpha lipoic acid;
- Amino acids;
- Coenzyme Q10;
- Isoflavones;
- tannins;
- Beta glucan.
These components can be in the cream in different combinations. Antioxidants are a well-known method of preventing aging, so it is recommended to start using creams containing such ingredients even before the first signs of age-related changes appear.
Doctor's Comment:
It is important to know that different antioxidants only work in certain combinations, and that their absorption occurs strictly according to the needs of the body. Cosmoceutical products have already been presented in the right combinations. It is important to determine your skin type and needs; a dermatologist or cosmetologist can help you with this.
Special care
In addition to normal skin care, "special" procedures are also needed. This category includes anti-aging courses in cosmetology clinics and the use of masks and peels at home.
Mature skin needs to exfoliate dead cells much more than young skin, since natural renewal processes slow down with age. Therefore, peelings, which girls use only occasionally in their youth, become a necessity for adult women. Gentle exfoliators should be used 2-3 times a week.
It is important to use products designed for mature skin. They should be gentle, without scratching particles or irritating ingredients.
When talking about skin care, it is impossible not to mention masks. They usually have the same ingredients as creams, but in a higher concentration, so masks are designed for intensive care. They can be used regularly, gradually improving the condition of the skin, or as an express care if you need to put your face in order before an event.
Masks can be produced in the form of cream, gel, powder for self-dilution, and a finished piece of fabric soaked in healing compounds. This last variety is often used for urgent skin rejuvenation.
The purpose of masks can also be different. For mature skin, nourishing, moisturizing, toning, tightening and brightening products are best. It is best to choose a specific mask together with a cosmetologist.
Doctor's Comment:
Pay attention to Alginate masks, they are sold for home use, and there are also professional ones. They have unique properties and are suitable for any skin type. Their healing properties are explained by the fact that they are made from brown algae. They have a pronounced lymphatic drainage effect and are a powerful anti-aging agent.
From theory to practice: choosing cosmetics
A general understanding of the ingredients that are useful in rejuvenation will help you choose personal care products.
Day cream to extend youth
The main tasks of a day cream are to moisturize and protect the skin. Hyaluronic acid and other hydrating components help achieve the first goal. Also, the day cream should improve the quality of the skin, making it more resistant to the negative effects of free radicals - aggressive molecules that stimulate aging. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are used for this.
Vitamin C is generally known as the vitamin of youth, and this is no coincidence: ascorbic acid stimulates the production of collagen by fibrocytes and destroys melanin, which eliminates unnecessary pigmentation.
When choosing a cream, you should give preference to so-called cosmeceuticals, that is, cosmetics sold in pharmacies. These types differ from mass creams in their high content of active substances and. accordingly, greater efficiency. And the best results can be achieved by combining the use of the cream with cosmetic procedures, for example, mesotherapy and bio-rejuvenation.
anti-aging night cream
Night is the best time to nourish the 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 has moisturizing components.
The task of such products is to restore the skin, as well as stimulate the production of substances necessary to improve its structure - hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin.
When nourishing 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 gets an oily sheen, pores become clogged, comedones and rashes appear. Such phenomena indicate that the night cream is poorly chosen or used incorrectly.
It is important to remember that thick, oily products are mainly intended for dehydrated, rough and flaky skin. In other cases, it is better to choose lighter, melting textures. In addition, the cream must match your skin type and age: for anti-aging care, it is best to use cosmetics labeled anti-aging.
In terms of usage, the biggest mistake here is over-applying. Night cream should be applied in a thin layer on slightly damp skin after applying the toner. After 15 minutes, you can wipe off the excess that has not been absorbed into the epidermis with a napkin.
Do not forget that the products need to be applied not only on the face, but also on the neck and décolleté!
Doctor's Comment: Modern high-quality creams bought at the pharmacy eliminate the need to use a tonic. It is important to choose your night cream and apply it half an hour before bed. Subtly, avoiding contact with the eyes. Light patting movements.
Serum, skin and masks: the secret weapon in the fight for youth
When choosing "special purpose" products, attention should be paid to the following parameters:
- active substances in the composition;
- Their concentration;
- Allergens and potential irritants.
Because when choosing creams, it is advisable to give preference to serums and masks with antioxidants, moisturizing and nourishing ingredients. But the presence of SPF is no longer necessary - a day cream will take care of the sun protection.
An anti-aging serum may contain retinol, vitamin C, ceramides, peptides, collagen and acids. Masks also often contain a variety of oils that reduce the top layer of the epidermis. Effective modern peels are rarely made without the addition of acids.
As well as masks and peels, anti-aging serums are worth getting. These are highly concentrated products, and literally a few drops are enough for a transformation. As a rule, serums are non-greasy, they are absorbed immediately and significantly rejuvenate the skin. It is not surprising: 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 not focus so much on your skin type, but on the problems that need to be solved. Is there pigmentation? A serum that evens out skin tone will come to the rescue. Is the human oval "floating"? This means that you should choose the option with a lifting effect. Increased dryness of the epidermis? The problem will be solved faster if, in addition to a regular cream, you use a serum with hyaluronic acid.
An individual approach
Choosing anti-aging cosmetics on your own is not as easy as it might seem. The ideal choice is to entrust this choice to a cosmetologist. An experienced doctor will easily identify "weak spots" that need the most attention and help you choose the appropriate remedies.
It is much more difficult to detect the signs of aging on our own: we get used to our own appearance and cannot track the changes of time. The result is the incorrect selection of anti-aging products, and, accordingly, ineffective prevention and treatment of skin aging. So it is better to spend an hour in consultation with a doctor to choose the products that your skin needs right away.
And, of course, the best addition to routine home care will be professional cosmetic procedures in the clinic. We will tell you about them next time.