You cannot keep your youth forever, but it is quite possible to delay the onset of old age by decades. It is not necessary to wait for the first wrinkles to start anti-aging care - 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 the skin ages
The aging process affects every cell 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 hormonal levels - things that cannot be changed or are very difficult to change. The second is stress, exposure to air and ultraviolet pollution, smoking, diet, lack of sleep and exercise, and various diseases. These factors can be controlled. It is possible to at least partially neutralize the negative effect with quality skin care.
With age, many processes that depend on the condition of the skin slow down; For example, cells do not renew themselves as quickly as when they were young. Blood circulation and, accordingly, cell nutrition deteriorates. Hydration levels drop due to lack of hyaluronic acid and less collagen and elastin are produced. The skin becomes thin, dry and less elastic, wrinkles appear.
External factors aggravate the situation. Thus, as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the structure of the skin changes, it becomes thinner and less elastic. Smoking slows down the regeneration of the epidermis and inhibits blood circulation, which causes cell nutrition disorders. Air pollution causes age spots and wrinkles.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle prolongs youth. Eating foods rich in antioxidants, quality sleep and moderate physical activity will help you maintain your beauty for a long time.
Prevention or treatment?
It is believed that the skin begins to age from the age of 28. In practice, everything is individual: some people discover the 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 postpone taking care of yourself until the moment when the reflection in the mirror ceases to please you. Prevention is always more effective and affordable than treatment, so you should take care of prolonging youth in advance. The more advanced you are, the stronger the remedy will be, but to prevent aging, it is enough to take care of your skin and protect it from negative influences.
When choosing cosmetics, you should pay attention not to the brand, but to the recommendations of the cosmetologist, which are issued after a personal examination. Every person is different, the aging process is different, and an individual approach is needed to correct it. The doctor prescribes the appropriate means, which correspond not to the calendar, but to the biological age.
Key features of anti-aging care
- Gentle effect. It's time to give up harsh scrubs and aggressive products that dry out the skin. Mature skin is sensitive and does not recover well after traumatic procedures. It needs delicate, gentle care;
- Mandatory skin protection. The sun is the skin's No. 1 enemy. It is not for nothing that there is a special term "photoaging", which refers to changes in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays. With age, the skin becomes more and more difficult to resist their effects. Creams with SPF will help him in this. It is also necessary to protect the skin from the effects of free radicals;
- Intense hydration. Lack of moisture is the direct cause of tone deterioration and appearance of wrinkles. Anti-aging care is based on deep hydration;
- Stimulation of collagen production. In adulthood, collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity of the skin, is synthesized more slowly and destroyed faster than in youth. This means that it is necessary to additionally stimulate the production of own protein compounds necessary to increase the turgor of the epidermis;
- Not just cream. A thin layer of moisturizer may not be enough. Anti-aging care also includes intensive skin nutrition, the use of exfoliants, masks and serums. The need for professional procedures also increases every year;
- regularity. Young skin forgives the owner of minor sins, such as not washing off cosmetics at night or irregular care. Adult women should constantly take care of their face, neck and décolleté, every day, every year. Only in this case you can consider a noticeable effect.
Doctor's Comment:
No need to overcomplicate your skin care process in your mind, start small with proper home care! If you have dermatological diseases, then you need to consult a dermatologist! Because even high-quality home care cannot save you from the acute process. First treatment in the background of space care, then only everything.
Is it possible without a cosmetologist?
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 technique cosmetology procedures 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 neglect face and body care the rest of the time. Professional care should be supplemented with home care - constant, daily. This approach allows you to achieve optimal results and push back aging for many years.
Cosmetic procedures are highly desirable to maintain youth and home anti-aging care is absolutely essential. It is better to combine both.
Anti-aging care at home
Now it's time to take a closer look at what anti-aging skin care should consist of. What stages it consists of, what tools should be used and how to use them correctly.
It should be noted once again that the age from which you should start facial care in terms of rejuvenation is determined individually. It is difficult to independently assess the condition of your skin and detect changes in time, so it is better to consult a cosmetologist to create an individual plan to preserve youth.
cleaning
It is necessary to constantly fight age-related changes, and it is better to choose even routine personal care products with a rejuvenating effect. To avoid spoilage, it is recommended to use the mildest, gentlest cleaning agents possible. They should easily remove make-up residues, sebum and impurities, but not dry out the skin and not damage it.
When choosing a cleanser, you should pay attention to the condition of the skin. If you feel tightness or discomfort after washing, you should look for another option with a higher content of moisturizing components. The appearance of an oily sheen also, oddly enough, indicates a lack of moisture. If irritation and redness occur, you should pay attention to hypoallergenic products.
Even if your skin is prone to breakouts, 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 just need to remove the skin discharge and the remnants of the night cream. Foam easily copes with this task, and in some cases it is enough to use only tonic. In the evening, you should also remove the remnants of sunscreen, cosmetics and atmospheric pollution. In such a situation, 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 the face, but also the neck and décolleté. These areas are very sensitive to aging and therefore require careful attention.
tonic
This stage of care is underestimated by many and completely useless. Using a tonic restores the balance of water and acid, prepares the face for cream application and protects it from aggressive influences. In addition, residual contaminants that a cleansing lotion or foam cannot handle are removed.
The tonic is selected according to the skin type and is used after washing (or other cleansing) in the morning and in the evening. In both cases, the same suitable agent can be used.
Moisturize
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 get into the deeper layers of the skin, so injections were and remain the most effective way of using it. However, scientists have learned to manipulate 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 famous hydrant is urea. Don't be fooled by the ungrateful name: the substance effectively moisturizes the skin and at the same time stimulates cell renewal. Such products are well suited for dry, dehydrated, rough and rough skin. Creams with a small amount of urea are enough to maintain the moisture level and improve the complexion. More concentrated products are used to smooth rough calluses on the feet.
Glycerin is another popular ingredient. 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 the most budget moisturizer with an anti-aging effect. At the same time, concentrated glycerin can have the opposite effect by stripping moisture from the epidermis, so most manufacturers combine trihydric alcohol with other skin moisturizers.
Doctor's Comment:
I would like to emphasize that in case of hyperkeratosis, we choose products containing urea, for example, in case of rough skin, psoriasis, ichthyosis. Urea helps to exfoliate the scales, while other components of the products moisturize and nourish.
food
Unlike other organs, the skin can receive food not only in the traditional way - through blood, but also by absorbing substances that are applied to its surface. It is not only moisture, but also all kinds of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and lipids. They fill the nutritional deficiency in the skin, improve the structure of the epidermis, saturate it with useful ingredients and strengthen the protective lipid layer.
If earlier cosmetic products were confidently divided into moisturizing and nourishing, now this line is erased: the same cream can saturate the skin with moisture and nutrients. As a rule, modern creams, serums and masks combine both types of effects.
First of all, fats and fat-soluble substances are needed to nourish the skin. Do not underestimate their importance in maintaining youth. With age, the skin needs more and more lipids. Even girls who complained of excess sebum in their youth report that their skin becomes drier over the years. The fat layer on the surface of the skin becomes thinner and can no longer protect the epidermis from the negative effects of the environment.
Deficiency of lipids causes:
- increased sensitivity;
- slowing down the exfoliation of dead cells;
- reduced humidity level;
- Premature decay.
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 becomes fragile, dry, dehydrated, does not resist aggressive environmental factors, and the balance of skin microflora is disturbed. We become vulnerable and lose resistance to various skin diseases.
Protection
The skin protects the internal organs from the negative effects of the environment. It comes into contact with polluted air, ultraviolet radiation, aggressive substances, low or high temperature. This effect does not go unnoticed: the condition of the skin worsens. To prevent premature aging, you should take care of skin protection throughout your life.
First of all, it is necessary to protect the skin from sunlight. And you should do this every time you go out during the day, not just when you're getting ready for the beach. Apply the cream for 20-30 minutes until it comes out in a large layer, if necessary, it needs to be renewed. In addition, it is necessary to select such products according to your phototype: the whiter the skin, the higher the protective factor should be. If you do not follow these rules, the use of sunscreen lotion will not bring the expected benefits.
Sun protection cosmetics protect the skin not only from burning, but also from aging. Long-wave radiation (UVA) penetrates into the deeper 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 throughout the year.
Daily use of protective creams will protect the skin from photoaging - pigmentation, fatigue, wrinkles, dehydration. But you should choose the means carefully. The best option would be pharmaceutical cosmetics.
High-quality day creams usually contain sunscreen ingredients. If you must combine moisturizers with sunscreens, apply a moisturizer to your face and neck first, and a sunscreen after it's 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 effect of "aggressors".
They can be:
- vitamins A, C, P and E;
- alpha lipoic acid;
- of amino acids;
- coenzyme Q10;
- isoflavones;
- tannins;
- beta glucan.
These components can be included in the cream in various combinations. Antioxidants are a recognized means of preventing aging, so it is recommended to use creams containing such ingredients before the first signs of age-related changes appear.
Doctor's Comment:
It is important to know that different antioxidants work only in certain combinations and their absorption is strictly according to the needs of the body. Space products are already presented in the right combination. It is important to determine your skin type and needs; A dermatologist or cosmetologist can help you with this.
Special care
In addition to routine skin care, "special purpose" procedures are also needed. This category includes both anti-aging courses in cosmetology clinics, as well as the use of masks and peeling at home.
Mature skin needs to exfoliate dead cells more than younger skin, as natural renewal processes slow down with age. Therefore, peeling, which girls use only occasionally in their youth, becomes 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 particles or irritating ingredients.
When talking about skin care, it is impossible not to mention masks. They usually contain 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 fix your face before an event.
Masks can be made in the form of a cream, gel, powder for self-dilution, and a ready-made piece of cloth moistened with medicinal compounds. The latter variety is most often used for urgent skin renewal.
The purpose of masks can also be different. Nourishing, moisturizing, toning, firming and brightening products are best for mature skin. Choosing a specific mask is best done together with a cosmetologist.
Doctor's Comment:
Pay attention to alginate masks, they are sold for home use and are also professional. They have unique properties and are ideal for any skin type. Their healing properties are explained by the fact that they are made from brown algae. They have a super pronounced lymphatic drainage effect and are a powerful anti-aging preventative.
From theory to practice: selection of cosmetics
A general understanding of rejuvenating ingredients can help you choose your personal care products.
Day cream to prolong youth
The main task of the day cream is to moisturize and protect the skin. Hyaluronic acid and other moisturizing components help to achieve the first goal. Also, the day cream should improve the quality of the skin, make it more resistant to the negative effects of free radicals - aggressive molecules that provoke aging. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are used for this.
Vitamin C is generally called the vitamin of youth, and it is no accident: ascorbic acid stimulates the production of collagen by fibrocytes and destroys melanin, eliminating unnecessary pigmentation.
When choosing a cream, you should give preference to the so-called cosmetics, that is, cosmetics sold in pharmacies. These varieties differ from mass creams with a high content of active substances and. Consequently, greater efficiency. And the best result 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 nourish the skin. Although modern night creams do not necessarily have a heavy, greasy 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, as well as to stimulate the production of substances necessary for improving its structure - hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin.
When feeding 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 an oily sheen, pores become clogged, comedones and rashes appear. Such phenomena indicate that the night cream is poorly selected or used incorrectly.
It is important to remember that thick, oily products are intended mainly for dehydrated, rough skin with peeling. In other cases, it is better to choose light, melting textures. In addition, the cream should correspond to your skin type and age: for anti-aging care, it is better to use cosmetics that have anti-aging properties.
As for use, the main mistake here is overuse. The 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 is not absorbed into the epidermis with a napkin.
Don't forget that products should be applied not only to the face, but also to the neck and décolleté!
Doctor's comment: Modern high-quality creams purchased at the pharmacy eliminate the need to use a tonic. It is important to choose a night cream and apply it half an hour before going to bed. Carefully avoid contact with eyes. Light touch movements.
Serums, peels and masks: secret weapons in the fight for youth
When choosing "special purpose" products, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- active substances included in the composition;
- their concentration;
- Potential allergens and irritants.
As when choosing creams, it is advisable to give preference to antioxidants, moisturizing and nourishing ingredients to serums and masks. But the presence of SPF is no longer necessary - day cream will take care of protection from the sun.
Antiaging serums may contain retinol, vitamin C, ceramides, peptides, collagen, and acids. Masks also often contain different types of oils that soften the upper layer of the epidermis. Modern effective peeling is rarely done without the addition of acids.
In addition to masks and peelings, it is worth buying anti-aging serums. These are very concentrated products and literally a few drops are enough for a transformation. As a rule, serums are non-greasy, they are instantly absorbed and significantly rejuvenate the skin. No wonder: they contain shocking doses of vitamins, amino acids, trace elements, peptides and other substances that moisturize, nourish, brighten and tone the skin.
When choosing such products, you should focus not so much on the type of skin, but on what problems need to be solved. Is there pigmentation? Serums that even out skin tone will come to the rescue. Is the oval of the face "floating"? This means that you should choose an option with a lifting effect. Increased dryness of the epidermis? The problem will be solved faster if, in addition to the usual cream, you use serum with hyaluronic acid.
Individual approach
Choosing anti-aging cosmetics on your own is not as easy as it seems at first glance. The ideal option is to entrust this choice to a cosmetologist. An experienced doctor will easily identify "weak spots" that need maximum attention and will help you choose appropriate remedies.
It is much more difficult to detect signs of aging on your own: we get used to our own appearance and cannot track changes over time. The result is the wrong selection of antiaging products and, therefore, ineffective prevention and treatment of skin aging. That's why it's better to consult a doctor for an hour so that you can immediately choose exactly the products that your skin needs.
And, of course, the best addition to routine home care would be professional cosmetic procedures at the clinic. I will tell you about them next time.