Taking care of your skin is super important. It’s the body’s largest organ, protects internal organs from outside factors and acts as a barrier against infection. There are a lot of ways to take care of the skin but the most basic way is to have a consistent routine. A skin care routine doesn’t have to be expensive or consist of dozens of products. It can be simple and inexpensive. Let’s go into detail on how a proper skin care routine should look like:
- Cleansing: this part of a routine consists of properly removing makeup, cleaning the skin from oils and dirt and letting it breath from different products applied to it.
- Toning: often an overlooked step in a skin care routine; toners balance and regulate the skin’s pH level which is often disrupted after cleansing or other parts of a skin care routine.
- Exfoliating: exfoliation can either be physical or chemical. Physical exfoliation involves the use of scrubs that manually scrub off dead skin cells while chemical exfoliators like BHA or AHA acids aren’t as harsh manually but seep into the skin for more noticeable effects. Exfoliation can be quite damaging to the skin if overdone so it’s important to do this step only a limited amount of times per week (preferably twice). Of course, it all depends on your skin type and how delicate it is.
- Moisturising: dry skin is not attractive. Youthful, glowy and moisturised skin is nourished and looks amazing. It’s important to help the skin stay hydrated (from the inside and out). This is where moisturisers and creams come in handy – they get rid of dry spots and patches and leave the skin super soft. Moisturisers also help reduce wrinkles.
- Sunscreen: this part is the most crucial for preventing wrinkles and fine lines. UV rays are very damaging to the skin and can cause dark spots and discolouration. Sunscreen shouldn’t only be used during the summer – sun rays can still be present in cloudy weather, especially during the winter.
You should know that all skin types require different forms of care and not one routine is good for everyone. It’s a matter of testing out different products and seeing what works best for your skin. Sometimes some products can irritate certain skin types and even cause allergic reactions. Those with sensitive skin should be extra careful and always patch test products before using them on the face.
Aging of the skin
Wrinkles appear because the body loses the ability to produce collagen and elastin proteins that make your skin youthful and elastic. Fine lines that form from zero elasticity in the skin turn into deeper lines. This is what causes creases around the eye area and makes the eyes look more tired. The skin around the eyes is less hydrated and thinner since it doesn’t create much moisture. It also becomes worse when puffiness, discoloration and dark circles start showing up.
What causes wrinkles?
Aging – reduction of estrogen, thinning of the skin and menopause all cause wrinkles. The skin becomes more dry and doesn’t produce as much oil.
Sun exposure – UV rays cause fine lines and make the skin change its texture. This is the most common cause of wrinkles. They also form brown spots, red blotches, broken capillaries and hyperpigmentation form. Elastin fibres are damaged. Skin cancer is the most dangerous consequence of sun exposure. It’s even worse with those with fair skin since light skin is more prone to damage and sun spots. Try to avoid the sun, wear sunscreen and protective clothing like sunglasses and hats.
Smoking – smoking causes the skin to sag and loose its elasticity. Smoking raises your chances of developing squamous cell carcinoma. It’s the second most common form of skin cancer. It usually starts on the lips. The skin tone of smokers is also uneven and orange or grey in colour.. Cigarette smoke contains over 7000 chemicals (70 being cancerous).
Poor care of the skin – always be gentle and careful while applying products onto your face. Never tug at your eyes when applying eye makeup. Use sunscreen everyday and try not to be aggressive with the skin when removing makeup. No single skin care product will work wonders for your skin. Always remove your makeup at night and patch test products to avoid allergic reactions.
Facial movements – surprisingly, facial motions like smiling, laughing, squinting and scrunching eyes also cause wrinkles. Stretching your face decreases elasticity of the skin. Sleeping on the face also causes unpleasant movement for the skin.
Keep in mind that there are many habits that help reduce wrinkles.
- Wearing sunglasses and caps
- Always wear sunscreen
- Drinking water to stay hydrated
- Getting at least eight hours of sleep
- Quit smoking and drinking alcohol
- Investing in high-quality, anti-aging skin care products: serums, moisturisers, hydrating creams, peptides. Use products that contain alpha-hydroxy acids, retinoids, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. These all soothe inflammation and reduce the risk wrinkles.
- Avoid random facial movements like squinting too much
- Always use a night cream
- Maintaining a balanced diet will keep your skin healthy from the inside. Eat foods with omega-3’s and antioxidants. Some great examples of healthy foods that are great for the skin: avocados (vitamins that vitalize the skin), nuts (hydrating and plumping fatty acids), sunflower seeds (selenium), kiwi, matcha tea, sweet potatoes, beans (zinc), bananas and oatmeal
Peptides
When it comes to managing wrinkles and dealing with them when they are present, peptides are known to help with this problem and reverse signs of aging. They also help make your skin look younger and healthier.
What are peptides?
Skin is made up mostly of collagen – a protein comprised of long segments of amino acids arranged like a chain. It provides a foundation and makes the skin thick. People who are under 30 have ample collagen which causes smooth and tighter skin. Those over 30 have less collagen which causes the skin to be thinner and reveals more wrinkles.
When there is less collagen in the skin caused by aging and environmental factors, including sunlight, it can’t be completely replaced. Young skin naturally becomes thinner and wrinkled as time passes. As collagen deteriorates, it produces some types of peptides. These peptides send “messages” to your skin that it lost collagen and needs to generate more. Skin peptides applied topically trick the skin into “thinking” it’s breaking down collagen and your body manufactures new collagen. This minimises wrinkles and gives the skin a youthful and glowy appearance. Peptides trigger the production of collagen.
Matrixyl – the most popular peptide used in skin care. It’s a neuropeptide that reduces fine lines and plays an important role in improving skin conditions like eczema or dermatitis. It also helps repair wounds. Peptides are known to be safe for the skin and no adverse side effects have been reported after using them.
Peptides in wrinkles creams
Wrinkle creams that contain peptides are very effective. They’re actually known as a safe alternative to Botox. They cause facial muscles to relax. Peptides help fade forehead and eye wrinkles. Argireline, Leuphasyl, Octapeptide are a few examples of peptides found in common wrinkle creams. By making the small muscles under skin longer and reducing their tension, peptides fade the appearance of fine lines.
Here are some more known peptide wrinkle creams and serums:
PCA Skin ExLinea Peptide Smoothing Serum – a spot treatment serum that contains peptides and actively works for 12 hours to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial movements. It should be patted onto the forehead crow’s feet, and lines around the mouth. In addition to argireline, the serum features moisturizing sodium hyaluronate which is able to hold 1000 times its weight in water, along with other nourishing ingredients from olives and rice bran wax.
SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex – A.G.E., or advanced glycation end-products is a major factor of the natural aging process and can lead to under-eye circles and dark spots. Peptides in this cream work with antioxidant flavonoids and blueberry extract to combat dark circles, puffiness and bags over time while optical diffusers that give skin instant radiance.
iS Clinical Super Serum Advance Plus – copper tripeptide growth factor plus a 15% concentration of L-ascorbic acid smooths skin and improve scar tissue, stretch marks and uneven skin. The product is known for its wound-healing powers. The copper tripeptide is released naturally in the body during an injury which makes it a perfect regenerating compound to be utilized in the skin.
Wrinkles and skin aging are natural occurrences that happen to everyone. There are way to prevent them like wearing sunscreen, hats, having a proper skin care routine and not being too aggressive with the skin. Peptides in creams and serums are great products to try that will help moisturise the skin and have the body produce more collagen. They are definitely worth a try and can only benefit your skin!