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Today we're talking well-ageing, and now I'm in my 30s, I feel like I'm in a place to share with you the products that are helping me to slow down those early signs of photoageing, so let's dive right in...
Let's start with products that protect your skin and help to maintain what you already have, starting with the obvious: sunscreen! I'm sure your bored of hearing it, but whatever stage you're at in life; if you're embarking on a well-ageing routine, it's really important to use sunscreen if you're heading out and about. Not only will it significantly slow down those visible signs of ageing (sun damage is a big one of them) but it's also important because active skincare ingredients can increase sun sensitivity. When it comes to what to use; I recommend whatever you're actually going to ok with applying as part of your everyday routine. Here in the UK, outside of spring and summer, SPF 30 is fine, but I recommend SPF 50+ for high UV index days (most of us don't apply or reapply enough sunscreen so this safeguards against user error). I recommend a formula that's not too expensive and that's cosmetically-elegant because you're obviously not going to want to use something regularly if it doesn't mesh well with any makeup you're applying or if it's thick, heavy and breaks you out! Personally, I enjoy the Ultra Violette Fave Fluid Lightweight Skinscreen SPF 50+* | £37 | full review | because it's lightweight, non-greasy, doesn't pill and has a high level of protection (making sunscreen application effortless all year round).
Obviously we need to talk about antioxidants in this category, and let's start with the most famous and well-studied: Vitamin C. Vitamin C is generally an effective antioxidant but the most proven form of it is pure-form Ascorbic Acid - I did a deep-dive on this ingredient here, so I won't get into too much detail here, but essentially this ingredient can be very unstable (which not only may cause skin irritation but renders the product ineffective). I recommend buying from a small-batch independent company and using up the product right away if you want to try pure Vitamin C. In terms of what it does; as an antioxidant, it's protecting the skin from free radical damage (and therefore premature ageing). It also helps to treat discolouration, gives the skin an instant glow boost and possibly could boost collagen production in the skin (this final benefit has only been demonstrated in this pure form of Vitamin C but the others can be observed with its derivatives). It's also been demonstrated that Vitamin C works synergistically with your sunscreen so both products work to the best of their ability. There are plenty of nice Vitamin C derivatives on the market, but if you want the pure form of this ingredient; the most effective, reliable and affordable formula I've found so far is the Geek & Gorgeous C-Glow 15% Vitamin C Serum* | £11.95 | full review.
If Vitamin C all seems a bit too faffy for you, there are other options on the market that are stable, gentle and effective (though obviously not as well-studied). I really recommend you getting one of them or a serum combining several of them into your routine for that preventative protection against free radicals. As an alternative antioxidant to Vitamin C, I really like the Niod Survival 0 | £22 | full review. This product is formulated with a combination of antioxidants, most notably pycnogenol (derived from maritime pine bark) and Superoxide Dismutase, which are new but really exciting antioxidant extracts.
Let's move onto ingredients that promote skin repair and restore some of what our skin loses over the years, starting with ceramides. Ceramides are one of the three components of the lipid barrier, which helps our skin to stay call, moisturised, happy and free from irritation. As we age, we lose ceramides in our skin, and unfortunately; the darker your skin, the fewer ceramides you had to begin with! This is of course a gentle and replenishing skincare ingredient, so I recommend incorporating it into your routine every single day. The easiest way to do this is via your moisturiser - there are a lot of options on the market including at very affordable price-points (including CeraVe, who even incorporate this ingredient into their brand name), but I have to be honest; my favourite is the Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream* | £72 | full review. This product combines ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids (the other skin barrier boosters) with nourishing shea butter and healing peptides (which we're about to move on to) and is perfect for using alongside stronger active ingredients.
Ok, on to peptides; this is a wide category but effectively they are short-chain amino acids that promote skin repair, improve hydration and potentially help increase collagen production in the skin (specific peptides also have their own individual features alongside these broad benefits). They're a gentle kind of ingredient, the only thing to note is that they shouldn't be used with acidic ingredients like pure Vitamin C and chemical exfoliants because they require a slightly alkaline environment to be effective. If you have sensitive skin that maybe doesn't love retinoids or pure form Vitamin C; this could be a great well-ageing option that your skin can tolerate every single day. Anecdotally, I find that peptides give me bouncy, healthy, plump and hydrated skin, alongside having these potential long-term collagen-boosting benefits. If you're new to this category, I recommend checking out the Ordinary's Multi-Peptide + HA Serum* | £15.90 | full review. This combines a number of the most well-studied peptides on the market and isn't too pricey, so is a great way to test out if this class of ingredient works for your skin.
Next, let's talk about tyrosinase-inhibitors. With years of life (some of which may not have involved very much sunscreen use...) comes discolouration and uneven skin tone. Essentially, this is old sun damage and the best way to treat this is by using ingredients that disrupt the signalling of the hormone that causes our skin to overproduce melanin and create these patches of darker skin. Personally, I recommend finding a serum that combines lots of different tyrosinase-inhibitors is the best way to treat this issue (I did a whistle-stop tour of some of my favourite here). There are a range of price-points in that post, but I do have to admit that the most effective formula for me has been the Cipher Night Shift Resilience-Building Brightening Serum* | AUS $168 | full review. This combines Alpha Arbutin, niacinamide, licorice root and a bunch of supporting ingredients to help fade some of that discolouration and contribute towards a more even skin tone.
If you were only to pick a couple of things to incorporate into your skincare from this post: it has to be sunscreen and retinoids! These Vitamin A derivatives represent the most proven class of ingredients when it comes to not only preventing signs of ageing, but also in terms of reversing existing signs. I'd go so far as to say that this is the only cosmetic ingredient I believe can have this ability. It also boosts collagen production in the skin. It resurfaces the skin's tone and texture by increasing skin cell turnover. So, whilst they aren't exfoliating as such, they do cover off the well-ageing benefits that an exfoliant can give you (which is why acids didn't really make the cut for this post - they're more like everyday maintenance products). I have also done may retinoid deep-dives and a great introduction to this class can be found here. But, in conclusion: my personal favourite balance of results and skin barrier health comes in the form of retinaldehyde (retinal), which is one step more concentrated than retinol. The original and still my personal favourite is the Medik8 Crystal Retinal* | from £45 | full review | collection. There are cheaper and still very good products on the market these days, but I do love that this formula is gentle and effective and comes in a wide range of strengths so you can work your way up the ladder from something very mild to something that packs a serious punch!
What are your well-ageing heroes?
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