When To Start Using Anti-Aging Skin Care

If you’re wondering when to start using anti-aging skincare products, you’re not the only one. Wrinkle creams and plumping serums can be overwhelming, and you may be tempted to put them off until you have wrinkles to fade away.

“It’s never too soon to start an anti-aging skincare routine if you want to maintain a radiant complexion!”

• Shani Darden

However, you may want to incorporate anti-aging products into your skincare routine before then. Read on for my advice on how to put together an anti-aging skincare routine and when to start using it.

What Is Anti-Aging Skincare?

Anti-aging skincare refers to products designed to improve the appearance of visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. What sets these products apart are their powerful ingredients and concentrated formulas. Here are a few ingredients and products typically used in anti-aging skincare.

Retinol

Retinol is one of the most common ingredients in anti-aging skincare products, and for a good reason. This retinoid is an incredibly powerful exfoliant and is known for its ability to improve the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A, just like other members of the retinoid family. Unlike other retinoids, however, retinol is available in over-the-counter products. Other retinoids are too powerful to be distributed over-the-counter and must be regulated by dermatologists.

Retinol works by resurfacing your skin and stimulating collagen production. Collagen is a protein that is located in your dermis and epidermis, and it’s responsible for helping your skin maintain its structure. Collagen can also help your skin look full and firm. 

As your skin ages, its production of collagen slows down. Eventually, your stores of collagen will start to get low. This causes aging skin to appear saggy and can contribute to creases and wrinkles. 

Retinol can help restore some structure to your skin and give the appearance of plumper skin, even as you age.

Retinol can also support regular skin cell turnover. Cell turnover is the process by which your skin renews itself, and it typically occurs every 28 to 40 days. However, aging skin can take as long as 70 days to fully turn over.

Retinol can help slowly fade wrinkles and fine lines by shedding affected skin cells by maintaining cell turnover. In short, retinol is a powerhouse anti-aging skincare ingredient.

If you want to try retinol for yourself, I recommend my Retinol Reform. Our formula pairs retinol with encapsulated lactic acid for a dual brightening effect.

AHAs

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are skincare acids that include glycolic acid, citric acid, malic acid, and lactic acid. You may recognize lactic acid as a hero ingredient in my Retinol Reform serum. Although this AHA is one of the mildest AHAs, it is also a powerful ingredient in anti-aging skincare.

All AHAs are well-known as chemical exfoliants and are key ingredients in wrinkle-fighting products like light chemical peels. Light peels utilize the exfoliant powers of AHAs to lift away the outermost layers of skin to lift the appearance of discoloration and fine lines.

As chemical exfoliants, AHAs can remove dead skin cell buildup. As part of skin cell turnover, dead skin cells can collect on the surface of your skin. While the dead skin cells won’t directly harm your skin, they can prevent products like serums and moisturizers from adequately soaking into your skin.

AHAs can also support regular skin cell turnover. Although AHAs don’t work on the same scale as retinol, they are highly effective and popular ingredients.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is also known as l-ascorbic acid in the skincare world, and it can help brighten the appearance of your skin. However, this ingredient’s real anti-aging prowess comes into play with its antioxidant properties.

Antioxidants like vitamin C track down and neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that wreak havoc across your skin and even inside your body as they seek stability. Also called oxidative stress, free radical damage contributes to premature signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles and can even contribute to long-term illness.

Many of the free radicals you’re exposed to daily come from UV radiation, so applying vitamin C daily provides a good second layer of protection against sun damage. As a bonus, vitamin C is a vital component of collagen production – so it can help support your other anti-aging skincare products.

Eye Cream

The skin around your eyes is thin and delicate, which means a few things. First, your under-eye skin isn’t as good at holding hydration as the rest of your body. 

Second, this skin is more prone to developing creases and wrinkles. Because this skin has specific needs, you’ll need a specific product. 

Eye cream is a product designed specifically for the delicate under-eyes that provides deep hydration. For example, my Intensive Eye Renewal Serum is formulated with many of the ingredients listed above to help minimize fine lines and crow’s feet. 

LED Light Therapy

LED light therapy is a skincare technique that has been around for decades but is gaining traction as a social media trend. The LED devices may be trendy, but they are also highly effective.

LED devices operate on multiple wavelengths, or colors, of light, the most popular being blue and red. Blue LED therapy targets blemishes and breakouts, while red LEDs target wrinkles and fine lines.

Red light can penetrate deeper into your skin than other colors of light and has a few unique benefits as well. For instance, red light can help stimulate collagen and elastin production.

Collagen provides support for the skin, while elastin provides stretch. Together, these two proteins make up skin elasticity. As you age, you begin to lose elasticity, and your skin can’t bounce back the way it used to. Devices like LED light therapy masks can help your skin regain some of its lost bounce.

I recommend my Déesse PRO LED Light Mask. This LED mask provides the benefits of red light and blue light and even comes with a neck attachment to target the delicate skin of your neck.

When Should I Start Using Anti-Aging Skincare?

Although it may seem like the best time to start using anti-aging skincare is after the wrinkles start forming, the secret is in the name. The true value of anti-aging skincare is highest while your skin is youthful.

Essentially, it’s never too early to start using anti-aging skincare. Many of these anti-aging ingredients have great benefits for youthful skin as well. For instance, lactic acid promotes bright and glowing skin, and retinol can help your skin stay smooth and young-looking for longer.

How Can I Prevent Premature Skin Aging?

One effective way to prevent premature skin aging is to start using anti-aging skincare products early. Infusing your skin with these skin-refreshing ingredients can help protect it against fine lines and wrinkles before they even start.

However, there are a few more products that should be a part of your preventative routine. Here are some of my favorites.

Moisturizer

To keep your skin bright and youthful-looking for many years to come, it’s important to keep it adequately moisturized. Dry skin is much more prone to early signs of aging, so we recommend using a moisturizer at the tail end of your evening routine.

I also recommend choosing a moisturizer that suits your skin type. Using a moisturizer that isn’t formulated for your skin’s specific needs can lead to clogged pores and other issues.

Antioxidants

I mentioned before that antioxidants are an incredibly important part of anti-aging skincare. Like other anti-aging ingredients, antioxidants have more time to work their magic when you start using them early.

Although vitamin C is a strong antioxidant, it isn’t the only skincare ingredient with antioxidant properties. Another powerful antioxidant in the skincare world is niacinamide. Derived from vitamin B3, niacinamide is a gentle ingredient that can also brighten skin and clear up breakouts. 

Sunscreen

It’s no secret that sun damage greatly contributes to premature aging. As I mentioned, UV radiation can create free radicals, damaging your skin. UVA radiation can also affect your skin’s ability to produce collagen and cause your skin to form wrinkles.

Although antioxidants can help mitigate these effects, they’re not powerful enough to replace sunscreen. Whether you use a chemical or a physical sunscreen, experts recommend using at least SPF 30 daily to protect against sun damage.

I also recommend limiting sun exposure when possible. I know it’s hard during warm summer months and fun outdoor activities, but remember that the effects of sun damage over time can do more than just cause premature aging.

Final Thoughts

You’re never too young to start using anti-aging skincare. Although this type of skincare reduces wrinkles and fine lines, it also works wonderfully to prevent those signs of aging from occurring before their time.

I recommend making anti-aging products part of your preventative skincare regimen, as well as a good moisturizer and sunscreen.

Sources:

Retinoid or Retinol? | American Academy of Dermatology 

The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health | Nutrients