Each skin is different, it has specific needs and daily care must be adapted to them. But there is something common: the desire to delay the appearance of the signs of aging. The pharmacist Rocío Escalante, owner of Arbosana Farmacia, chooses the five active ingredients that should not be missing from a facial routine if we want to delay skin aging.
Vitamin C
It is the best known antioxidant and one of the most powerful. In addition to protecting the skin from free radicals, it stimulates the synthesis of collagen, essential to prevent flaccidity, and has a depigmenting action, helping to reduce and prevent blemishes. On the other hand, vitamin C provides luminosity and a good face effect. Its use is recommended in the morning, although it can also be used at night.
There are several types: pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), which is the most effective, but also the most unstable and irritating. And stabilized, in which other acorbate derivatives, ascorbyl phosphate, etc. are used. The latter are usually better tolerated, cheaper, but are not as effective. It is also important to see the concentration of vitamin C that a cosmetic includes, on which its effectiveness will depend. In pharmacies we find concentrations between 5-20%.
Retinol
It is the quintessential anti-aging active ingredient, which has been shown to improve wrinkles, blemishes, uneven skin tone, lack of luminosity, enlarged pores, loss of firmness… It acts like a peel, favoring cell renewal, which can cause irritation. , when the superficial layer of the skin disappears, which is replaced by a new one. It is recommended to use at night. When we follow a treatment with retinoids, we must always moisturize and protect the skin from the sun.
There are various forms, some such as retinoic acid, can only be obtained by prescription. Without prescription we can find retinol, retinaldehyde or retinil that are less irritating.
It is important before using them to know the tolerance threshold of the skin and introduce them progressively, starting 2-3 times a week and depending on tolerance, use them on alternate days.
Alpha hydroxy acids
They include various acids: glycolic, one of the best known and most effective, citric, lactic, mandelic… Its function is to exfoliate, renewing the skin, thus helping to improve skin texture, as well as wrinkles and expression lines. and the stains. In addition, they help maintain the barrier function, reducing the loss of water from the epidermis. They can even be used on skin with acne, rosacea, dermatitis… as long as it is done under the supervision of a specialist. Although they can be used in the morning and at night, in high concentrations they will only be used at night, and always protecting the skin from the sun. Its effectiveness, its mode of use and its tolerance depend on the concentration, and the pH at which they are formulated.
Glycolic acid is often recommended to improve acne and acne scars, some blemishes such as melasma and solar lentigines, and treat wrinkles. Lactic acid has properties very similar to glycolic acid, and is used to treat acne, hyperpigmentation or incipient aging. Mandelic acid is less effective but is better tolerated, so it is a good option for sensitive skin.
Hyaluronic acid
It is an essential active ingredient to maintain and replenish skin hydration, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, improve elasticity and stimulate the synthesis of collagen and elastin, to fight sagging. There are various types of hyaluronic acid: cross-linked, hydrolyzed, acetylated… In addition, depending on its molecular weight, we also find various hyaluronic acids: low molecular weight or high molecular weight. All this, as well as the concentration in which it is used, determines its greater or lesser effectiveness.
It is an active ingredient that is very well tolerated by all skin types and can be used in the morning or at night. Hyaluronic acid is part of our skin, but with age, its synthesis capacity decreases, which causes wrinkles and sagging, so it is a good asset to include in an anti-aging routine.
peptides
Peptides are other interesting anti-aging active ingredients. Peptides are molecules formed by the union of different amino acids. And amino acids are the building block of proteins. Peptides are involved in a large number of biochemical processes, they transmit information to cells, they connect the epidermis with the dermis so that it can regenerate faster, they stimulate fibroblasts, they favor the production of collagen, etc. With age, as we know, these functions slow down. So cosmetics with peptides are used to restore the skin, stimulating its renewal and regeneration, thus helping to fight against aging, and also as anti-wrinkles.
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