You cannot preserve youth forever, but it is quite possible to postpone the onset of old age by decades. To start anti-aging care, there is no need to wait until the first wrinkles appear - on the contrary, already preventiveIt is better to take measures. Let's consider where to start, what to pay attention to and what result to strive for.
How does skin age?
The aging process affects all cells in the body and the skin is no exception. This process is influenced by both internal and external factors. The first group includes genetics, ethnicity and hormonal levels – things that are impossible or impossible to change. is very difficult. The second is stress, exposure to air and ultraviolet pollution, smoking, nutrition, lack of sleep and movement, and various diseases. These factors can be controlled. Minimize the negative effects by providing quality skin care. Partial neutralization is possible at less than .
With age, many processes on which skin condition depends slow down; For example, cells are not renewed as rapidly as in puberty. Blood circulation deteriorates, and hence cell nutrition. Due to the lack of hyaluronic acid, hydration levels drop, and less collagen and elastin are produced. The skin becomes thinner, drier and less elastic, and wrinkles begin to appear.
External factors aggravate the situation. Thus, as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the structure of the skin changes, it becomes thinner and less elastic. Smoking slows down the regeneration of the epidermis and impairs blood circulation. Which leads to disruption of cell nutrition. Air pollution causes the appearance of age spots and wrinkles.
The good news is that a healthy lifestyle prolongs youth. Antioxidant-rich food, good sleep and moderate physical activity will help preserve your beauty for a long time.
Prevention or treatment?
It is believed that the skin begins to age from the age of 28. In practice, everything is individual: depending on genetic characteristics, health status, lifestyle and the influence of external factors, some notice age signs earlier. are, and some later. In any case, until the reflection in the mirror ceases to please you, there is no need to stop taking care of yourself. Prevention is always more effective and economical than treatment, Therefore, you should take care in advance to prolong your youth. The older you get, the stronger the means you have to use, but it is important to carefully care for your skin to prevent aging and protect it from negative influences. That is enough.
When choosing cosmetics, you need to pay attention not to the brand, but to the recommendations of a cosmetologist given after personal examination. All people are different, the aging process is also different and itRequires an individual approach. The doctor will prescribe the appropriate means that correspond not to the calendar, but to the biological age.
Key Features of Anti-Aging Care
- Gentle effect. It's time to give up rough scrubs and aggressive products that dry out your skin. Mature skin is sensitive and does not heal properly after painful procedures. She needs delicate, gentle care;
- Essential skin protection. The sun is the skin's No. 1 enemy. It is not without reason that there is a special term "photoaging" to refer to the changes that occur in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays. With age, it is more difficult for the skin to resist their effects. Creams with SPF will help them in this. It is also necessary to protect the skin from the effects of free radicals;
- Intensive hydration. The immediate cause of discoloration and wrinkles is lack of moisture. Anti-aging care is based on intensive hydration;
- Stimulation of collagen production. In adulthood, collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity of the skin, is synthesized more slowly than in youth and is destroyed faster. This means that it is unable to produce its own collagen, which is necessary to increase the elasticity of the epidermis. Additional stimulation of the formation of protein compounds is necessary;
- Not just cream. A thin layer of moisturizer may not be enough. Anti-aging care also includes intensive skin nutrition, the use of exfoliants, masks and serums. The need for professional procedures is also increasing every year;
- Regularity. Young skin will forgive its owner for small sins, such as cosmetics left unwashed at night or irregular care. Adult women must constantly care for their face, neck and décolleté, day after day, year after year. Requires care. Only in this case can you count on a noticeable effect.
Doctor's comment:
There is no need to complicate the skin care process in your thoughts, start small with proper home care! If you have skin diseases, you need to consult a dermatologist! Because even high-quality home care will not be able to get you out of the serious process. First, treatment against the background of cosmoceutical care, only then everything else.
Is it possible to do without a cosmetologist?
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology have not yet realized the dream of eternal youth, but they have made it possible to get very close to its realization. Injections and hardware cosmetology procedures allow you to rejuvenate from the inside and restore the skin in a naturalHowever, it would be wrong to think that it is enough to take a course at a cosmetology clinic once a year, and neglect the care of your face and body the rest of the time. Professional care should be complemented by home care - constant, Daily. This approach allows you to achieve optimal results and push back old age by several years.
To maintain youth, cosmetic procedures are very desirable, and home anti-aging care is absolutely essential. It is best to combine the two.
Home Anti-Aging Care
And now it's time to consider in detail what anti-aging skin care should include. What steps it includes, what tools should be used and how to use them correctly.
Once again it should be emphasized that the age at which you should start facial care from the point of view of rejuvenation is determined individually. Independently assessing the condition of your skin and noticing changes in timeIt is difficult to impose, so it is better to consult a cosmetologist to draw up an individual plan to preserve youth.
Cleaning
It is necessary to constantly fight age-related changes, and it is also better to choose regular personal care products with a rejuvenating effect. To prevent fading, it is recommended to use the softest, most delicate cleansers. And impurities should be easily removed, but not dry out or injure the skin.
When choosing a cleanser you should pay attention to the condition of your skin. If after washing there is a feeling of tightness or discomfort, you will have to look for another option with a higher content of moisturizing components. The appearance of oily sheen, oddly enough, indicating a lack of moisture. If irritation and redness occur, you need to pay attention to hypoallergenic products.
Even if your skin is prone to rashes, you should not choose aggressive drying products. It is better to give preference to cosmetics with anti-inflammatory effect.
Morning and evening cleansing are two completely different procedures. In the first case, you just need to remove skin secretions and the remains of night cream. Foam can easily handle this task, and in some cases it only requires the use of a tonic. That's enough to do. In the evening, you also need to remove any remains of sunscreen, cosmetics and atmospheric pollution. In this case, lotions, creams and makeup remover oils will come in handy. Additionally, you should 1-Pore cleansing mask should be used twice.
You need to cleanse not only your face, but also your neck and décolleté. These areas are very sensitive to aging and therefore require careful attention.
toning
This stage of care is underestimated by many, and it is completely in vain. The use of tonic restores water and acid balance, prepares the face for applying the cream and protects it from aggressive influences. Additionally, residual contaminants that cleansing lotions or foams could not tackle are removed.
Tonic is selected according to skin type and used in the morning and evening after washing (or other cleansing). The same suitable agent can be used in both cases.
hydration
Perhaps the most important thing in anti-aging care is hydration. Mature skin always needs moisture and, accordingly, hydrating products and professional treatments.
The hyaluronic acid molecule has an impressive size and cannot penetrate the epidermal barrier to get into the deeper layers of the skin, so injection has been and remains the most effective way to use it. However, scientists learned to process the moleculeso that it can better penetrate the skin. Thanks to these developments, the effectiveness of modern external products containing hyaluronic acid has increased significantly.
Another well-known hydrant is urea. Do not be discouraged by the unattractive name: the substance effectively saturates the skin with moisture and at the same time stimulates cell renewal. Such products are suitable for dry, dehydrated, rough and flaky skinCreams with low urea content are sufficient to maintain moisture levels and improve the complexion. More concentrated products are used to smooth out rough calluses on the feet.
Glycerine is another popular ingredient. Due to its hygroscopicity, it attracts and binds water molecules, like hyaluronic acid. In terms of moisturizing properties, trihydric alcohol (glycerin) is inferior to hyaluronic acid, but it has smaller molecules that can easilyThis ingredient is included in most budget moisturizers with anti-aging effects. At the same time, concentrated glycerin can have the opposite effect, drawing moisture from the epidermis, so most manufacturers replace trihydric alcohol with other skin moisturizers. Let's add together.
Doctor's comment:
I would like to emphasize that we choose products containing urea in cases of hyperkeratosis, for example, for rough skin, for psoriasis, for ichthyosis. Urea helps to exfoliate the scales, and otherIngredients moisturize and nourish.
nutrition
Unlike other organs, the skin can receive nutrition not only in the traditional way - through the blood - but also by absorbing substances applied to its surface. This is not only moisture, but also all kinds of vitamins, minerals, aminoThere are also acids and lipids. They make up for the lack of nutrients in the skin, improve the structure of the epidermis, saturating it with useful ingredients and strengthening the protective lipid layer.
If earlier cosmetic products were confidently divided into moisturizing and nourishing, now this line has been erased: the same cream can saturate the skin with moisture and nutrients. As a rule, modern creams, serums andMasks combine both types of effects.
Fats and fat-soluble substances are needed first of all to nourish the skin. Do not underestimate their importance to preserve youth. With age, the skin needs lipids more and more. EvenGirls who complained of excessive sebum secretion in their youth notice that their skin becomes drier over the years. The fatty film on the skin surface becomes thinner and is no longer able to protect the epidermis from negative environmental influences.
Lipid deficiency causes:
- increased sensitivity;
- slowing the removal of dead cells;
- Low humidity levels;
- Withering prematurely.
It is believed that the skin absorbs nutrients best at night, so it is recommended to apply nourishing products in the evening, at night.
Doctor's comment:
Our skin is covered with a hydro-lipid envelope, a very important structure that ensures the normal functioning of our skin! If its integrity is violated, the skin becomes fragile, dry, dehydrated, it does not resist aggressive environmental factors, and the balance of the skin microflora is disturbed. We become defenseless and are prone to various skin diseases. Lose immunity.
Security
The skin protects the internal organs from negative environmental influences. It is exposed to polluted air, ultraviolet radiation, aggressive substances, low or high temperatures. This effect does not go unnoticed: the condition of the skin worsens. Over timeTo avoid aging earlier, you should take care of protecting your skin throughout your life.
First of all, it is important to protect the skin from exposure to sunlight. And you have to do this every time you go out during daylight, and not just when getting ready for the beach. The cream is applied for 20-30 minutesUntil it comes out in a large layer; If necessary, it needs to be renewed. In addition, it is necessary to select such products according to your phototype: the fairer the skin, the higher the protection factor should be. If you do not follow these rules, then using sunscreen lotion will not provide the expected benefits.
Sunscreen cosmetics protect the skin not only from burning, but also from aging. Long-wave radiation (UVA) penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin and destroys cells. Such rays damage the epidermis even in cloudy weather. They cause harm, so it is advisable to use products with SPF throughout the year.
Daily use of protective creams will protect the skin from photoaging - pigmentation, sagging, wrinkles, dehydration. But you need to choose the means carefully. The best choice will be pharmaceutical cosmeceuticals.
High-quality day creams usually contain sunscreen ingredients. If you must combine moisturizer with sunscreen, apply a hydrating cream to the face and neck first, and after it is completely absorbed, apply a protective cream.
UV radiation is not the only factor that causes skin aging. To prolong youth, it is also necessary to protect the epidermis from the effects of free radicals – molecules that damage cells and destroy collagen. For this purpose, antioxidants are used to neutralize the effects of "aggressors".
They may be:
- Vitamins A, C, P and E;
- Alpha lipoic acid;
- amino acids;
- Coenzyme Q10;
- Isoflavones;
- Tannins;
- beta glucan.
These components can be included in creams in various combinations. Antioxidants are a recognized means of preventing aging, so it is recommended to start using creams containing such ingredients even before the first signs of age-related changes appear. Is performed.
Doctor's comment:
It is important to know that different antioxidants work only in certain combinations, and their absorption occurs only according to the body's needs. Cosmoceutical products are already presented in the right combinations. Your skin type and your needs will determineIt is important to do; A dermatologist or cosmetologist can help you with this.
special care
In addition to regular skin care, "special purpose" procedures are also needed. This category includes both anti-aging courses in cosmetology clinics and the use of masks and peels at home.
Mature skin has a greater need to remove dead cells than young skin, as the natural renewal process slows down with age. Therefore, peels, which girls used occasionally in their youth, are not recommended for adult women. Gentle exfoliators should be used 2-3 times a week.
It is important to use products designed for mature skin. They should be gentle, without irritating particles or irritating ingredients.
When it comes to skin care, it is impossible not to mention masks. They usually contain the same ingredients as creams, but in higher concentrations, so masks are created for intensive care. They can be used regularly. Can be used to gradually improve skin condition, or as express care if you need to fix your face before an event.
Masks can be produced as creams, gels, self-thinning powders, and prepared pieces of cloth soaked in healing compounds. The latter variety is often used for instant skin refresh.
The purpose of the mask may also be different. For mature skin, nourishing, moisturizing, toning, tightening and brightening products are best suited. It is best to choose a specific mask together with a cosmetologist.
Doctor's comment:
Pay attention to alginate masks, they are sold for home use, and there are also professional ones. They have unique properties and are ideal for any type of skin. Their healing properties are explained by the fact that they are derived from brown algae. They have a super clear lymphatic drainage effect and are a powerful anti-aging prevention.
From theory to practice: choosing cosmetics
A general understanding of the ingredients useful in rejuvenation will help you choose personal care products.
Day cream to prolong youth
The main function of a day cream is to moisturize and protect the skin. Hyaluronic acid and other hydrating ingredients help to achieve the first goal. In addition, the day cream should improve the quality of the skin, protecting it from the negative effects of free radicals. Become more resistant to the effects of - aggressive molecules that provoke aging. For this, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are used.
Vitamin C is usually called the vitamin of youth, and it is no coincidence: ascorbic acid stimulates the production of collagen by fibrocytes and destroys melanin, eliminating unnecessary pigmentation.
When choosing creams, you should give preference to the so-called cosmeceuticals, that is, cosmetics that are sold in pharmacies. These varieties differ from mass creams in the higher content of active substances. Accordingly, greater efficiency. And cosmetic procedures withThe best results can be achieved by combining the use of creams, for example, mesotherapy and biorevitalization.
anti aging night cream
Night time is the best time to nourish the skin. Although modern night creams do not necessarily have a heavy, oily texture, they always contain lipids and fat-soluble substances. These are fatty acids, shea butter or wheat germ, May contain cholesterol and other ingredients. Also contains moisturizing components.
The task of such products is to restore the skin, as well as stimulate the production of substances necessary to improve its structure - hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin.
When nourishing the skin, it is important not to overdo it - not to overload it with lipids. This effect is possible if you choose the wrong night cream: the skin acquires an oily sheen, pores become clogged, Comedones and rashes appear. Such phenomena indicate that the night cream is poorly selected or used incorrectly.
It is important to remember that thick, oily products are intended primarily for dehydrated, flaky rough skin. In other cases, it is better to choose a light, melting texture. In addition, the cream should be matched to your skin type and age. Should eat: For anti-aging care, it is better to use cosmetics labeled anti-age.
As far as use is concerned, the main mistake here is too much application. Night cream should be applied in a thin layer on slightly damp skin after applying toner. After 15 minutes, you can remove the excess with a napkin thatIs not absorbed into the epidermis.
Do not forget that products should be applied not only to the face, but also to the neck and décolleté!
Doctor's comment: Modern high-quality creams purchased at the pharmacy eliminate the need to use toner. It is important to choose your night cream and apply it half an hour before bedtime. Subtly, avoiding contact with the eyes. Light pattingSuch actions.
Serums, peels and masks: secret weapons in the battle for youth
When choosing a "special purpose" product, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
- Active substances in the composition;
- their concentration;
- Potential allergens and irritants.
When choosing a cream, it is advisable to give preference to serums and masks containing antioxidant, moisturizing and nourishing elements. But the presence of SPF is no longer necessary - the day cream will take care of protection from the sun.
Anti-aging serums may contain retinol, vitamin C, ceramides, peptides, collagen, and acids. Masks also often contain a variety of oils that soften the top layer of the epidermis. Modern effective peels rarely do without adding acids. Are completed.
In addition to masks and peels, it is advisable to purchase anti-aging serums. These are very concentrated products, and literally a few drops are enough for the transformation. As a rule, serums are non-greasy, they are instantly absorbedAnd significantly regenerate the skin. This is not surprising: after all, they contain shock doses of vitamins, amino acids, microelements, peptides and other substances that moisturize, nourish, glow and tone the skin.
When choosing such products, you should pay attention not so much to your skin type, but to what problems need to be solved. What is pigmentation? Serums that even out skin tone will come to the rescue. Is the oval of the face "swimming"? This means that you should choose an option with a lifting effect. Increased dryness of the epidermis? The problem will be solved faster if you use a serum with hyaluronic acid in addition to the regular cream.
personal perspective
Choosing anti-aging cosmetics yourself is not as easy as it seems. The ideal option is to entrust this choice to a cosmetologist. An experienced doctor will easily identify "weak spots" that require maximum attentionAnd will help you choose the appropriate treatment.
It is much more difficult to recognize the signs of aging on their own: we become accustomed to our appearance and cannot track the changes that occur over time. The result is the wrong selection of anti-aging products, and, accordingly, aging of the skin. There is ineffective prevention and treatment of. So it would be better if you spend an hour consulting a doctor to immediately select the products you need for your skin.
And, undoubtedly, the best addition to regular home care will be professional cosmetic procedures in the clinic. We will tell you about these next time.