The skin care world is a vast, deep maze of ingredients that claim to fight fine lines, remove wrinkles, build collagen, and make you look like your twenty-year-old self. The skin care industry makes millions off of women trying to wrap their hands around the fountain of youth. I feel its pull. I’m sure you do too if you are a middle-aged woman.
It’s hard to look in the mirror and see my drooping eyelids and turkey neck and remember that twenty short years ago a pretty young face, smooth, unlined, and taut had stared back at you. Yet, as the song goes “time marches on.” There is beauty in aging just as there is in youth.
With every year of age, a thousand lessons have been learned. We are wiser, bolder, and hopefully more at peace with ourselves. The point of skincare, and self-care in general, is to help us age as gracefully as we can. Like fine wine-getting better every year. The list of skincare ingredients below includes the basics that every aging woman should have in her routine, as well as some other ingredients that hold significant benefits for mature skin.
I am going to start with the most common two ingredients recommended for aging skin. You have probably had both of these recommended to you before. If that’s the case then feel free to skip to number three where I begin to discuss ingredients that don’t get as much love. However, if you are just starting your skincare journey then begin at one and work your way through the list. You certainly don’t need all of these in your routine. This is just meant to be a helpful guide and you can pick the ones that hold the most relevant to what you are looking to accomplish—what your particular skin care needs are.
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1. Retinoids
Retinols are one of the few products that are recommended across the board. Beauty lovers, estheticians, and dermatologists all point out that this is the single ingredient that can make the most difference for aging skin.
Retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A. The reason they are so useful for aging skin is because they have multiple benefits. They increase the cell turnover on our skin and increase collagen production. These two benefits mean a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.
In addition to this, they can also help to fade age spots and fight acne. Topical retinoids come in several forms. The least irritating form is Retinyl Esters, and although that means you will get less dryness and irritation than some of the stronger forms of Vitamin A, it also means that it will take longer to see results. Retinyl Esters have to undergo two steps in order to convert to retinoic acid, which is what is used by your skin.
The next strongest step would be Retinols. This is the most widely known group of retinoids since just about every skincare brand offers over-the-counter retinol in its product line. Walk down the skin care aisle at Walmart and you are sure to see box after box of different retinol options. Because these are also fairly mild forms of Vitamin A a lot of people can use these without much difficulty.
Retinaldehyde is a stronger version of retinol because it’s only one step away from being converted to retinoic acid. The strongest form of Vitamin A is Tretinoin. You will need a prescription for Tretinoin. Tretinoin is Retinoic Acid and therefore does not need to be converted like the other forms of Vitamin A discussed previously. It’s more powerful and therefore delivers more powerful results, however, it can also come with side effects such as skin irritation and dryness.
The bottom line is if you want to get the most out of your skincare routine you need to be incorporating Vitamin A. My journey started with over-the-counter retinol– Neutrogena’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair which I recommend if you are just starting out. After using that for some time and allowing my skin to adapt I was able to move on to Adapalene in the form of Differin Gel. Recently I graduated to a very low level of Tretinoin. When it comes to retinoids you need a long-term strategy. This isn’t a product we will use for a few months and move on. This is a skincare marriage. You have to commit for the long haul.
2. Vitamin C
Although there are several good antioxidants that can be used, Vitamin C is by far at the most popular. It comes in several forms, and like the retinoids we discussed above, some are stronger and can also be more irritating than others. The most effective form of Vitamin C for our skin is L Ascorbic Acid. Although it can be irritating to some peoples skin. Look for a PH of less than four.
If you have sensitive skin you may want to try Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate which is a Vitamin C derivative, or Ester C which is a mineral salt of ascorbic acid. Vitamin C can brighten skin, reduce pigmentation, and even skin tone, fight free radicals, promote collagen, and may help to protect us from the damage of the sun. Need I say any more?
There are a couple Vitamin C products that I have used and recommend. The first one is from Timeless and it’s their Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum. This is $26.95 for one ounce on the Timeless website. Its a fantastic serum for a good price. If your budget allows you to be a little more spendy Drmtlgy also has a great one. Their Vitamin CE + F Serum is $69 on the Drmtlgy website. If you are on a tight budget The Ordinary also has a variety of Vitamin C products at very good prices.
3. CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 is also an antioxidant that can be used in much the same way as Vitamin C but with less irritation. It also helps to reduce damage from the sun, even out skin tone, stimulate collagen, and fight free radicals. It helps with hydration which is one of my favorite things about it. I feel like my skin always looks plumper when I use this in my morning routine. Its quickly become one of my favorite skin care ingredients. CoQ10 has far less irritation associated with it, and also does not interact with other ingredients in skin care. I use and love the Q10 formula from the Inky List. It’s super affordable at only $8.49 on their website. If you are looking for an affordable antioxidant for your skincare routine I recommend this one.
4. Niacinimide
You have probably heard of the benefits of Niacinimide. It’s having its’ day in the sun, and rightly so. This power house ingredient does all kinds of good things for our skin. Niacinimide is a form of Vitamin B3. Its list of benefits for our skin is long and includes improving our lipid barrier, minimizing redness, regulating oil, protecting against sun damage, treating hyperpigmentation, minimizes fine lines and wrinkles and it may even help with acne. Phew! Now that’s a list! The thing I love is that not only is this ingredient extremely useful but also extremely affordable. I use and recommend the Niacinimide serum from the Ordinary, but the Inky List also has an affordable one.
5. Copper Peptides
Copper Peptides is another ingredient that is thought to stimulate collagen and elastin production in the skin, helping with fine lines and wrinkles. There is even some evidence that they may help with skin firmness and texture. Two things that our aging skin needs help with. The Ordinary’s Buffet + Copper Peptides is a nice serum at around $30. Dmtlgy also has Copper Peptides in their Needless Serum which is $69 on their website. This is a beautiful serum that I have used. In fact, in addition to containing copper peptides, it also has Niacinimide, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides, and several other helpful ingredients.
6. Matrixyl 3000
Matrixyl 3000 is a synthetic peptide. This peptide also helps stimulate collagen to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, firm the skin, and help with texture. Another great benefit that I notice when I use this product is that it helps with moisture. I notice a visible difference in the plumpness of my skin when I use this. I use and love the Matrixyl Synthe 6 serum from Timeless. Their website says this serum “has 6 critical skin building essentials” and is especially helpful for mature skin. I have certainly found this to be true.
Skin care can be overwhelming. There are so many ingredients and every brand has it’s own spin on those ingredients. If you start with these six ingredients you are going to have a good base for any additional skin care. You don’t need all of them, but they are all beneficial.
It might help you to know how I incorporate these ingredients into my own skin care. I have tried different products and combinations at different times of course, but what is working for me right now is as follows: In the morning after I cleanse my face I apply my Vitamin C serum first, then my Q10 formula, and then the Needless Serum from Drmtlgy, because as noted above it contains the Niacinimide and Copper peptides as well as other hydrating ingredients. I apply my moisturizer and then sunblock over that. In the evening after cleansing, I apply my Matixyl 3000, then Tretinoin (retinoid), and then my moisturizer. I hope that you find this helpful.
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The Extras
The next group of skin care are chemical exfoliants that keep our skin looking younger by exfoliating the top layer of our skin to reveal the smoother skin underneath. They are broken into two categories, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA). Both are beneficial for fighting the sings of aging.
7. Glycolic Acid
Glycolic Acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid. It works by breaking down the bonds between the skin cells so that the dead skin cells can be removed from our face. Removing the old cells helps our skin to look smoother, with fewer lines and wrinkles. It can also help with hyperpigmentation. Glycolic Acid products are very popular right now, but be careful if you have sensitive skin. I have to be very careful which Glycolic products I use. A lot of them cause my face to burn and react badly. Make sure you start out with a lower concentration and work your way up.
8. Lactic Acid
Lactic Acid is my favorite Alpha Hydroxy Acid to use because it’s gentler than the others. This is the one that I personally keep in my skincare routine on a regular business. It exfoliates like the other BHA and AHAs but without irritation. I prefer the Lactic Acid solution from The Ordinary.
9. Azelaic Acid
If you subscribe to Doctorly on Youtube you may have heard them talk about how Azelaic Acid is an underrated product. It’s not only useful for exfoliation but also for lightening dark spots and fighting acne (the reason I like it). I have only used the one from The Ordinary, because the price is great, but it’s not an eloquent product. If you are looking for something a little more pleasant to use you may want to try the one by Paula’s Choice. However, the one by The Ordinary does the job.
10. DNA Repair Enzymes
DNA Repair Enzymes are not something commonly talked about in beauty videos. It wasn’t until this year that I heard about them from a beauty YouTuber. The science sounded really interesting to me but because I have not heard anyone else talk about this I ignored it for a while. Then it recently popped again in something I was reading. So I decided to look into it a bit deeper.
There is some pretty solid support for DNA Repair Enzymes being beneficial for aging skin. For any of you that like to nerd out and dive deep, I am going to link an interesting article for you here. For anyone who just wants the basics, here it is: DNA Repair Enzymes repair damaged DNA in skin. They may be able to slow the progression of skin cancer, and slow the signs of aging according to the article Six critical questions for DNA repair enzymes in skincare products: a review in dialog. Definitely something worth looking into. I am on the hunt for a reputable DNA repair skin care product and I will report back. If any of you are already using one please leave a comment below and let us know if you have seen results!
11. Growth Factors
Growth Factors do exactly what they sound like they would–they stimulate the growth of cells. Growth factors are large proteins that send messages to our cells to grow and/or heal. They have several benefits including increasing collagen, less texture, and better skin tone. Allure has a great article on Growth Factors that I will link here for you. There seem to be mixed feelings on growth factors within the skincare world. They show a lot of promise but some experts think that there needs to be more science-backed evidence for their benefits in skincare. It’s something worth researching further. Most growth factor serums on the market are pricey but the benefits may be worth it.
There are a lot of beneficial skincare products on the market. This list of skin care ingredients is not comprehensive, it’s just informational. It’s meant to be a sort of guide as you address the skin concerns that you have. I wish you healthy skin!
“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life.” – Renee Rouleau
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