You can't keep youth forever, but it's quite possible to delay the onset of old age for decades. 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 the skin ages
The aging process affects all cells of the body, and the skin is no exception. This process is influenced by internal and external factors. The first group includes genetic, ethnic 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. This factor can be controlled. It is possible to at least partially neutralize the negative effects by providing quality skin care.
With age, many processes that depend on the condition of the skin slow down; for example, cells do not renew as quickly as in youth. Blood circulation declines, and therefore cell nutrition. The level of hydration decreases due to the lack of hyaluronic acid, and less collagen and elastin are produced. The skin becomes thinner, becomes drier and less elastic, and wrinkles appear.
External factors worsen the situation. Therefore, as a result of exposure to ultraviolet rays, the structure of the skin changes, it becomes thinner and less elastic. Smoking slows the regeneration of the epidermis and affects blood circulation, which leads to cell nutrition disorders. Air pollution causes age spots and wrinkles.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle extends 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 the age of 28. In practice, everything is individual: some find 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 self-care until the moment when the reflection in the mirror no longer pleases you. Prevention is always more effective and affordable than treatment, so you should be careful in advance to prolong your youth. The further you go, the stronger the means you have to use, but to prevent aging it is enough to take care of your skin carefully and protect it from negative effects.
When choosing cosmetics, you need to focus not on the brand, but on the recommendation of a cosmetic specialist 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 method that does not correspond to the calendar, but to the biological age.
The main features of anti-aging care
- Soft effect. It's time to stop using harsh scrubs and aggressive products that dry out your skin. Mature skin is sensitive and does not recover well after traumatic procedures. He needs delicate and gentle care;
- Skin protection is mandatory. The sun is enemy No. 1 skin. It is not without reason 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, the skin becomes more and more difficult to withstand the effects. A cream with SPF will help him with this. It is also necessary to protect the skin from the effects of free radicals;
- Intense hydration. The immediate cause of the deterioration in tone and the appearance of wrinkles is a lack of moisture. Anti-aging care is based on deep hydration;
- Stimulation of collagen production. In adulthood, collagen, which is responsible for skin elasticity, is synthesized more slowly and destroyed faster 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 necessary;
- Not just cream. A thin layer of moisturizer may not be enough. Anti-aging care also involves intensive skin nutrition, the use of exfoliation, masks, and serums. The need for professional procedures also increases every year;
- Regularity. Young skin will forgive its owner for small sins such as cosmetics that are not washed off at night or irregular care. Adult women need to take care of their face, neck, and décolleté constantly, day after day, year after year. Only in this case you can count on a noticeable effect.
Doctor's comments:
No need to complicate the skin care process in your mind, start small, with proper home care! If you have a dermatological disease, then you need to consult a dermatologist! Since even high-quality home care will not be able to get you out of the acute process. First, treatment against the background of cosmeceutical care, then just everything.
Is it possible to do without a cosmetologist?
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology have not yet made the dream of eternal youth come true, but they have made it possible to get closer to its realization. Injectable and hardware cosmetology procedures allow you to rejuvenate from the inside and restore the skin naturally. However, it is a mistake to think that it is enough to take a course at a cosmetology clinic once a year, and the rest neglect the care of your face and body. Professional care must be complemented by care at home - continuous, every day. This approach allows you to achieve optimal results and postpone old age for many years.
To preserve youth, cosmetic procedures are very desirable, and anti-aging care at home is very necessary. It is better to combine both.
Anti-aging care at home
And now it's time to consider in detail what anti-aging skin care should consist of. What are the stages it consists of, what tools should be used and how to use them correctly.
It should be emphasized once again that the age at which you should start approaching 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 over time, so it is better to consult a cosmetologist to make an individual plan to preserve youth.
Cleaning
It is necessary to constantly fight age-related changes, and it is better to choose personal care products even if routine with a rejuvenating effect. To prevent fading, it is recommended to use the mildest and most delicate cleanser. They should easily remove the remains of makeup, sebum and impurities, but not dry the skin or injure 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 need to find 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 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 in the evening are two completely different procedures. In the first case, you only need to remove skin secretions and the remains of night cream. Foam can easily cope with this task, and in some cases it is enough to use only tonic. In the evening, you should also remove any remaining sunscreen, cosmetics, and atmospheric pollution. In such cases, 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. This area is very prone to aging and therefore requires careful attention.
Tone
This level of care is taken for granted by many, and completely wasted. Using a tonic restores the balance of water and acid, prepares the face for the use of creams and protects it from aggressive influences. In addition, residual contaminants that cannot be overcome by cleansing lotions or foams are removed.
Tonic is selected according to skin type and used after washing (or other cleansing) in the morning and evening. In both cases, the same agent can be used.
Hydration
Perhaps the most important thing in anti-aging care is hydration. Mature skin always needs moisture and, therefore, hydration products and professional procedures.
Hyaluronic acid molecules have an impressive size and cannot penetrate the epidermal barrier to get into the deeper layers of the skin, so injections have been and remain the most effective way to use them. However, scientists have learned to process the molecule so that it penetrates better into the dermis. Thanks to these developments, the effectiveness of modern external products with hyaluronic acid has increased significantly.
Another famous hydrant is urea. Don't be put off by the unappetizing name: the ingredient effectively saturates the skin with moisture while simultaneously stimulating cell renewal. Such products are ideal for dry, dehydrated, rough and rough skin. To maintain the level of moisture and improve the skin, a cream with a small urea content is sufficient. Thicker products are used to smooth rough calluses on the feet.
Glycerin is another popular ingredient. Due to its hygroscopic properties, 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 anti-aging effects. At the same time, concentrated glycerin can have the opposite effect, pulling moisture from the epidermis, so most manufacturers combine trihydric alcohol with other skin moisturizers.
Doctor's comments:
I would like 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 product 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 the lack of nutrition in the skin, improve the structure of the epidermis, weave it with useful substances and strengthen the protective lipid layer.
If earlier cosmetic products were confidently divided into moisturizing and nourishing, now this line has been 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.
To nourish the skin, first of all, fat and fat-soluble substances are needed. Do not underestimate their importance to preserve youth. With age, the skin needs more lipids. Even girls who complain about excessive sebum secretion in their youth notice that their skin becomes drier over the years. The fat film on the surface of the skin becomes thinner and can no longer protect the epidermis from negative environmental influences.
Lack of lipids leads to:
- Increases sensitivity;
- Delays the exfoliation of dead cells;
- The humidity level decreases;
- Wilt prematurely.
It is believed that the skin absorbs nutrients better at night, so it is recommended to use nutritious products in the evening, at night.
Doctor's comments:
Our skin is protected by a hydro-lipid mantle, this is a very important structure that keeps our skin functioning normally! If its integrity is violated, the skin becomes fragile, dry, dehydrated, it does not resist aggressive environmental factors, and the balance of skin microflora is disturbed. We become helpless 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 rays, aggressive substances, low or high temperatures. This effect is not noticed: the skin condition worsens. 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 the day, and not just when getting ready for the beach. The cream is used for 20-30 minutes until it comes out in a large layer; if necessary, it should 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 do not follow these rules, using sunscreen lotion will not bring the expected benefits.
Sunscreen cosmetics protect the skin not only from burning, but also from aging. Long-wave radiation (UVA) penetrates into the inner layer 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 a protective cream will protect against skin photoaging - pigmentation, sagging, wrinkles, dehydration. But you have to choose the way carefully. The best option is pharmaceutical cosmeceuticals.
High-quality day creams usually contain sunscreen ingredients. If you need to combine moisturizer with Sanskrin, first apply the hydrating cream to the face and neck, and after it is completely absorbed, the protective cream.
UV rays are 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 "attackers".
They can be:
- Vitamins A, C, P and E;
- Alpha lipoic acid;
- Amino acid;
- Coenzyme Q10;
- Isoflavones;
- Tannins;
- Beta glucan.
These components can be contained in the cream in various combinations. Antioxidants are a recognized way to prevent aging, so it is recommended to start using creams containing these substances even before the first signs of age-related changes appear.
Doctor's comments:
It is important to know that various antioxidants only work in certain combinations, and their absorption occurs strictly according to the body's needs. Cosmeceutical products have already been presented in the right combination. It is important to determine your skin type and your needs; A dermatologist or cosmetologist can help you with this.
Special care
In addition to routine skin care, "special purpose" procedures are also required. This category includes both anti-aging courses in cosmetology clinics and the use of masks and peels at home.
Mature skin needs to exfoliate more dead cells than young skin, as the natural renewal process slows down with age. Therefore, exfoliation, which girls used only occasionally in their youth, became a necessity for adult women. Gentle exfoliation should be used 2-3 times a week.
It is important to use products designed for mature skin. They should be soft, without scratching particles or irritating substances.
When talking about skin care, it is impossible not to mention masks. They usually contain the same ingredients as the cream, but in a higher concentration, so the mask is intended for intensive care. They can be used regularly, improving the condition of the skin gradually, or as an express care if you need to organize your face before an event.
Masks can be produced in the form of creams, gels, powders for self-dissolving, and a finished piece of cloth soaked in a healing compound. The last variety is most often used to refresh the skin immediately.
The purpose of the mask can also be different. For mature skin, nourishing, moisturizing, refreshing, firming and brightening products are most suitable. The choice of a specific mask should be done together with a cosmetologist.
Doctor's comments:
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 very noticeable lymphatic drainage effect and are a powerful anti-aging preventative.
From theory to practice: choosing cosmetics
A general understanding of ingredients that are useful in rejuvenation will help you choose 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 hydrating components help achieve the first goal. In addition, the day cream should improve the quality of the skin, making it more resistant to the negative effects of free radicals - aggressive molecules that trigger aging. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are used for this.
Vitamin C is usually called the vitamin of youth, and this is no coincidence: 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 cosmeceuticals, which are cosmetics sold in pharmacies. This variety differs from mass cream in the high content of active ingredients and. accordingly, higher efficiency. And the best results can be achieved by combining the use of creams 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 and greasy texture, they always contain lipids and fat-soluble ingredients. These can be fatty acids, shea butter or wheat germ, cholesterol and other ingredients. Also contains moisturizing components.
The task of the product 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 acquires an oily sheen, clogged pores, blackheads and rashes appear. Such a phenomenon indicates that the night cream is poorly chosen or used incorrectly.
It is important to remember that thick and oily products are intended mainly for dry and rough skin with peeling. In other cases, it is better to choose a lighter and more liquid texture. In addition, the cream must match your skin type and age: for anti-aging care, it is better to use cosmetics labeled anti-aging.
As for usage, the main mistake here is too many applications. The night cream should be applied in a thin layer on slightly damp skin after using the toner. After 15 minutes, you can wipe off the excess that is not absorbed into the epidermis with a napkin.
Do not forget that the product should be used not only on the face, but also on the neck and décolleté!
Doctor's comments: High-quality modern creams bought in pharmacies eliminate the need to use tonics. It is important to choose your night cream and use it half an hour before going to bed. Subtly, avoid contact with eyes. Light patting motion.
Serums, peels and masks: secret weapons in the fight for youth
When choosing a "special purpose" product, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- Active ingredients in the composition;
- Their concentration;
- Potential allergens and irritants.
As when choosing a cream, it is advisable to give preference to serums and masks with antioxidant, moisturizing and nourishing ingredients. But the presence of SPF is no longer necessary - day cream will take care of sun protection.
Anti-aging serums may contain retinol, vitamin C, ceramides, peptides, collagen, and acids. Masks also often contain various oils that soften the upper layer of the epidermis. Modern effective exfoliation is rarely done without the addition of acid.
In addition to masks and exfoliation, it is worth acquiring an anti-aging serum. This is a very concentrated product, and literally a few drops are enough for a transformation. As a rule, the serum is not greasy, it is immediately absorbed and significantly rejuvenates the skin. It is not surprising: after all, it contains a shock dose of vitamins, amino acids, microelements, peptides and other substances that moisturize, nourish, brighten and brighten the skin.
When choosing such a product, you should not focus on your skin type, but on what problem needs to be solved. Is there pigmentation? A serum that evens out skin tone will come to the rescue. Is the face oval "swimming"? This means that you should choose an option with a lifting effect. Increased epidermal dryness? The problem will be solved faster if, in addition to the usual cream, you use a serum with hyaluronic acid.
Individual approach
Choosing anti-aging cosmetics yourself is not as easy as it seems. The ideal option is to entrust this choice to a cosmetologist. An experienced doctor will easily identify the "weak spots" that require maximum attention and will help you choose the appropriate medication.
It is more difficult to detect the signs of aging ourselves: we are used to our own appearance and cannot track changes in time. The result is the wrong selection of anti-aging products, and, therefore, ineffective prevention and treatment of skin aging. Therefore, it is better to spend an hour consulting a doctor to immediately choose the product that your skin needs.
And, of course, the best addition to routine home care is a professional cosmetic procedure at the clinic. We will tell you about them next time.