The Must-Haves for Healthier and Youthful Skin.

Premature Skin Aging

“If you had a magic wand, what would you want your skin to look like?” This is a question from my skin questionnaire that allows me to asses what your skin goals are, and the top answer that I receive is: healthier, younger-looking skin. And while I do my best to achieve that look, the reality is, there is only so much that can be done in my treatment room. The secret to achieving the younger look…is to start young. But how soon can one start this preventative aging routine? And what skincare products are the best for this?

Products to actively prevent premature skin aging can be used as early as eighteen (apart from your daily cleanser and moisturizer). But, not all anti-aging products are equal, so here is a debrief on the best products to use at certain ages.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is quite possibly the most essential product for preventative aging. It can be used as early as 6 months of age. (My grandson, Vincent, will be my model for my clients when I talk about the early use of sunscreen.) Applying sunscreen daily, even on cloudy days, is an effective and easy way to bridge towards preventative aging. I highly recommend Solar Defense by HydroPeptide, a lightweight SPF that contains antioxidants to help moisturize, protect, nourish, and soothe the skin. Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours, and when you’re on the go, Brush on Block may be the ideal product for you. It is a powdered, brush-on sunscreen that can be applied over bare skin or makeup to ensure you have maximum coverage all day.

Physical Exfoliants (Gentle Facial Scrubs)

I am not a big fan of using physical exfoliants, but they are beneficial for pre-teens that begin to see whiteheads, blackheads, and closed comedones. The exfoliation aids in anti-aging by encouraging healthy cellular turnover. Make sure that the scrub is not very abrasive; we want something with a very light texture (nothing too grainy) to prevent creating micro-tears in the skin. I recommend my exfoliant that has retinol and jojoba beads to exfoliate (it also doubles as a mask, which means you can use it more frequently to keep the glow in your skin).

Retinyl/Retinol/Retinaldehyde

Using a Vitamin A derivated product a few times a week is one of the most effective ways to make the skin look smoother and younger. Vitamin A helps resurface your skin’s texture, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes large pores, and fades discoloration. I recommend Retinaldehyde (Retinal) over Retinol because it is the closest form of Retinoic Acid and the one that our skin recognizes the most. Retinal is the most potent form of Vitamin A that you can get without a prescription. I recommend the Retinaldehyde Serum from SkinScript as it is powerful enough to see rapid results, while also being the least irritating Vitamin A product, which makes it perfect for all skin types! It is the holy grail of skincare products (other than sunscreen)!

Eye Cream/Serum

The eye area is one of the first to show major signs of aging. By keeping it hydrated and nourished, you can minimize the loss of elastin around the area. Starting with a lightweight eye cream at a younger age is recommended. Then I would switch to a serum with active ingredients as you age. I use the Viktoria DeAnn Eye Serum which is made with peptides to help reverse the look of wrinkles around the eye.

Choosing Products for You

Choosing the correct products for your skin is vital to ensure you are helping rather than harming the natural balance of your skin. Many anti-aging products on the market have active ingredients (like Vitamin A and peptides). While these work wonderfully for more mature skin types that need a boost with their cellular turnover, they could be too harsh for a younger skin type that is looking for more preventative measures to take. There is such a thing as over-stimulating the skin, so always consult with a professional to assess the goals you wish to achieve.