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The ABCs of anti-aging skin care products
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Photo of Michele Pfeiffer courtesy of buzzine.com
Michele Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and many celebrities 40 and over are famous not just for their looks, but for their great skin. The boom in anti-aging skin care is not only a celebrity focus it's a global focus that has consumers confused.
Many cosmetic company brands offer anti-aging skin care products. Many of these cosmetic companies own more than one logo brand which can add even more confusion as to what anti-aging skin care product is necessary.Easy access to ingredient information is not a problem, but having the time to read dermatology, cosmetic chemists, and skin care industry clinical reviews can be.
A few basic, low-priced, and easy to find anti-aging ingredients are the ABC’s in promoting healthy clear skin while reducing the signs of lines and wrinkles. It isn’t necessary to shop at large department stores for these ingredients; they are located in the skin care sections at most big box, aka super stores, drug stores, and ecommerce websites.
Simplified anti-aging skin care products for main-stream consumers are as easy as:
A – Alpha Hydroxy Acid
B – Beta Hydroxy Acid
C – Stabilized Vitamin C
SPF – Broad spectrum protection against sun’s harsh UVA/UVB rays.
St. Ives Apricot Face Wash with AHA
Alpha Hydroxy Acid, aka AHA is one of the top cosmeceuticals in the skin care industry. Over 200 US manufacturers produce products with AHA’s. It is widely available in low concentrations in both natural skin care products and chemical skin care products.
AHA’s come in many forms and are largely found in foods, plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, viruses and algae. Metabolic processes involve AHA’s at essential cellular levels. In skin’s dermis AHA’s have the ability to increase collagen, hyaluronic acid, elastins, and mucopolysacharides.
Other names of AHA’s are glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and tartaric acid.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids help reduce the signs of aging and acne on the skin by:
- Improving sun damaged skin, reducing hyperpigmentation, aka age spots, and melasma.
- Smooth the skins dermal surface by reducing lines and wrinkles.
- Enhancing skins natural epidermal cell shedding process.
New studies in the last 10 years are testing AHA’s ability to to help with severe skin disorders including psoriasis and hyperkeratosis.
AHA’s are highly effective with a quick response time, low irritation threshold, and safe in dosages less than 10%. Higher AHA application should only be performed in a dermatologist’s office.
It is also recommended to use a sunscreen with any AHA product to prevent sunburn on the new dermal skin layer that is emerging.
Inexpensive anti-aging skin care products that contain AHA’s are widely available, Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Oil-Free Powder-Cream Wash, St. Ives Blemish And Blackhead Apricot Face Wash, and Jason Natural New Cell Therapy AHA, are just a few.
Photo courtesy of Walgreens.com
Beta Hydroxy Acid, aka BHA is Salicylic Acid. It is a natural skin care ingredient and in no way related to AHA’s.
The unique quality of BHA is:
- The capability to enter the pore softening sebum and debris.
As sebum and dead cells within the poor are softened and exfoliated pore size can be reduced, as dead skin and abundant oil no longer remain.
BHA in the proper 2% or less are generally safe for facial skin and have a quick response time. For skin’s safety, higher BHA levels of application should be reserved for dermatologist use.
Salicylic Acid is an inexpensive anti-aging ingredient. Acne products are known for containing BHA; Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment, St. Ives For Oily Or Acne Prone Skin, and L’Oreal Acne Response Line. There are many others, but the few listed products for acne are great for anti-aging skin care routines with the same BHA as brands seen in high-end department stores.
Stabilized Vitamin C is the ingredient of choice for skin care. It is widely known that other forms of Vitamin C oxidize rapidly, thus losing their ability to perform this function. The most used form of Stabilized Vitamin C in anti-aging skin care is ascorbic acid.
Photo courtesy of Walmart.com
A research study at Duke University by Dr. Sheldon Pinnel showed Stabilized Vitamin C applied topically had the ability to adhere to the skin showing an increase in collagen products. This same study also showed when Stabilized Vitamin C was applied topically to the skin it was able to penetrate the upper dermal layers.
Used as a cosmetic ingredient in anti-aging skin care, Stabilized Vitamin C offers many benefits including:
- As an antioxidant protecting skin cells from free radical damage. I.E. The sun’s damaging UVA/UVB rays, tanning booth use, cigarette smoking (including second hand smoke), air pollution, and stress.
- Offers skin’s a lightening effect due to its antioxidant capabilities.
- Anti-inflammatory properties after cosmetic laser resurfacing.
- Increase skin’s collagen levels.
Anti-aging skin care products that utilize Stabilized Vitamin C must have a high percentage within the formula. A high level, 10% and above of Stabilized Vitamin C is necessary in a skin care product to produce any valid benefit associated with aging skin. Mixing a powder skin care vitamin c powder into a natural ingredient such as olive oil or olive squaline is an inexpensive and effective method to utilize vitamin c.
Well known anti-aging skin care products that contain the correct ingredient formula for Stabilized Vitamin C to work are; Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder, Prevage skin care products, Olay Total Effect 7-in-1 Age Defying Web Cleansing Cloths, and L’Oreal Paris: Revitalift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser.
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Photo courtesy of Prevageskin.com
SPF – UVA/UVB sunscreen protection is mandatory to help prevent sun damage, skin cancer, lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, aka freckles, and other sun caused skin disorders.
The mandatory sunscreen SPF UBA/UVB importance topic will be addressed in length, provided in a separate anti-aging skin care article.
Skin care is important to everyone no matter what the age, race, or gender. It is one of the top fields of research in the Global Cosmetic Industry. Newly discovered anti-aging skin care ingredients hit the mainstream cosmetic market monthly. Simultaneously this sends droves of anti-aging skin care conscious consumers to the internet and retail outlets to review information and purchase the latest products for younger looking skin.
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