It’s no secret, we all want to look as good as possible to give off good first impressions and increase our self-confidence. The older we get, the more difficult it becomes to keep our skin looking young and beautiful. That’s why taking the steps necessary to implement a healthy skin care routine becomes very important. You can get the skincare you need through drug store products, prescribed products, or supplements, however it’s important to do your research so you know what products best suit you and your skin.
Why Is Having Clear Skin Important?
There’s no reason to beat around the bush, societal standards driven by social media, television, and movies say that we should have no marks on our skin. Skin is a marker of health and beauty. There are many skin conditions that are perfectly natural, yet because of our beliefs around skin and health, these can cause the sufferers extreme self-consciousness.
The importance of our skin extends beyond our self-confidence. Beauty can also signal high status. Those with ‘plain looks’ earn about 10% less than the people who are ‘average-looking’ who in turn earn around 5% less than people who are good-looking. While there are skin conditions we can’t control, doing what we can to take care of our skin can help improve both our appearance and our self-confidence.
Why Is Skin Care Important?
As you can imagine, the easiest way to ensure you have clear skin is by taking care of your skin. You should begin a routine that is easy for you to follow. Keep in mind, a skincare routine is a long-term investment. You can’t simply start a skincare routine and expect overnight results. However, short-term results may show up within a couple of days. Here are some reasons why skin care is important:
- Keeps your skin in good condition - you shed skin cells throughout the day so it’s important to keep your skin in good condition. Taking care of your skin can prevent acne, treat wrinkles, and keep your skin looking great.
- Look more youthful - We all want to decrease the negative effects of aging. A quality routine can help you remove dead skin cells so your body will replace them with new cells. This happens during the autophagy process.
- Prevention is easier than correction - Preventing skin problems can be easier and far less expensive than trying to fix them in the future.
- Boost self-confidence - We’ve already discussed the role our skin health plays on our self-confidence. You will feel better about yourself with a solid skin care routine.
One of the best skin care routines is a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet can reduce acne and can even reduce wrinkles. A sediment lifestyle can also play a role in the development of acne.
Do We Really Need Skin Care Products?
There are numerous researchers who believe skincare products aren’t as important as the industry makes them out to be. Skin care for some people can be as basic as sunscreen, antioxidant, and retinoid. However, while there are routines with no products, certain products can help you keep your skin healthy.
For example, many dermatologists recommend using retinol/retinoid to help reduce acne and smooth wrinkles. However, how you apply the product is incredibly important. Experts recommend using a retinol at night (start with very sparingly once a week, and you can work your way up to more often). Although not an absolute essential, retinol (or Vitamin A) is very effective at treating signs of aging, acne and is widely used and recommended by derms and skincare professionals. That being said, it is very irritating (it can cause redness and peeling), which is why it's best to ask your dermatologist about what kind of retinol is best for you and your skin needs.
Why Skin Care Products Are Important
Another reason why skin care products are important is that the skin acts as the largest barrier between us and infections. After all, the skin is the biggest organ on the body. When the skin gets dry or irritated by lackluster soaps, cracks can occur in the skin.
Think about cracks in your skin as a crack in the window of your car. Your window is there to protect the inside of your car from the elements. When it cracks, water, dust, and other elements can sneak into the car. The same goes for the skin. Cracks in the skin make it easier for viruses to sneak through, making you prone to infection. Your skin care products should have no scents or perfumes as these can be rough on the skin.
How to Choose Skin Care Products
Believe it or not, picking out products isn’t as easy as simply looking for the best drugstore skin care products on Google and buying the first one you see. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to different types of creams and lotions. That means that you need to take the necessary steps to choose the right product for your skin. Here are some things to consider before buying skincare products:
1. Know Your Skin Type
This is the most important step in determining what skincare product is best for you. Depending on your skin type, you may need to be cautious of different ingredients that go into skincare products. If you have oily skin, you are more flexible as oily skin can handle a wider range of ingredients that can oftentimes trigger a breakout. For dry skin, look for products that contain shea butter. For sensitive skin, look for products that contain aloe vera, oatmeal, and shea butter.
2. Don’t Believe Everything You See
It can be easy to fall into the hype when it comes to skin care products. However, packaging and popularity can be easy traps that we fall into. Do proper research on potential products, only buying the ones with doctor and dermatologist recommendations.
3. Natural Isn’t Always Better
Oftentimes, we’re drawn to the word ‘natural’ on product packaging. We figure since it’s natural it has to be good for us. However, certain natural products can actually be very harmful to the skin. It should also be noted that most of these products are not regulated so it’s entirely possible that seeing ‘natural ingredients’ on the label may just be a marketing trick.
4. Notice the Order of the Ingredients
Dermatologists recommend looking at the first five ingredients of any skin care product as more often than not they will account for 80% of the product’s makeup. The ingredients will be listed in order of highest to lowest concentration. Therefore, if you have a problem with any of the first five ingredients, you should probably steer clear of the product altogether.
5. Don’t Run Away because of Long Ingredient Lists
When it comes to medical-grade, anti-aging skin products, ingredient lists can oftentimes run a little long. This shouldn’t turn you off on the product completely. Long ingredient lists can be common but be sure to do your research on the product before buying it.
6. Research
We’ve mentioned this several times already but it can’t be emphasized enough. It is incredibly important that you do your due diligence on any product you are planning on trying out. You want a product from a company that is reputable. The more reviews on a product the better, as it will give you a better gauge of what the product’s results are.
7. Patch Tests
If you buy your skin care products in-person at beauty stores, you can oftentimes do a patch test. These are a great way to find out if the product will cause an allergic reaction. Testing all the products before committing to a product can save you a lot of money and grief at the end of the day.
8. Avoid these Ingredients
Regardless of your skin type, you should avoid these ingredients at all cost:
- Fragrance/perfume
- Sulfates
- Parabens
- Formaldehyde
- Formaldehyde releasers
These products are oftentimes tied to breakouts and skin irritation. Unfortunately, these ingredients are all too common in skincare products. That’s why it’s so important to research products before buying them.
What Are the Top Skin Care Products?
The best skincare products for you is going to largely depend on what you’re looking for the product to do and the skin type that you have. Therefore, it’s hard to get a definitive ‘best skincare products’ list. However, there are some go-to skincare products that should be a mainstay in every person’s skin care routine:
- Cleanser - A cleanser will wash your face of any dirt or other particles collected throughout the day.
- Toner - A toner’s job is to refresh your skin without stripping it of its natural moisture. It won’t irritate your skin or cause excessive dryness.
- Moisturizer - Moisturizers can help prevent and treat dry skin. This product is even recommended for those who have oily skin.
- Sunscreen - It’s recommended that you put on sunscreen every day even if you don’t plan on being outside that long. This is because long, unprotected exposure to the sun can be harmful to the skin.
- Exfoliator - Exfoliation is the process of physically or chemically removing dead and dulling skin cells. It’s recommended that you only use this product once or twice a week.
- Serum - A serum can help address specific issues, such as redness.
- Spermidine - Research has found that spermidine can help reduce the effects of aging on the skin and may even reduce inflammation.
Even though these products are typically viewed as safe to use, you should still do your research. Make sure you are buying from a reputable company that frequently tests its products. Also, make sure that you read reviews as they can often provide helpful insights.
At What Age Should You Start Using Skin Care Products?
When you hit your 20’s, you begin to create more collagen than you degrade. This balance shifts and the amount of collagen that you create becomes less than the amount of collagen degraded. This shift can lead to accelerated symptoms of aging, including wrinkled and smile lines.
Because of this, most dermatologists recommend that you begin your anti-aging skin care routines between the ages of 24 and 28. Of course, the quality of your skin is going to play a factor when determining when the type is right. The biggest step in any anti-aging routine is finding products that work best with you and your skin.
What Face Products Do Dermatologists Recommend?
When looking at skin care product reviews by dermatologists you will notice one thing, they seem to always focus on the ingredients rather than the product itself. That’s because dermatologists are more focused on the right ingredients rather than the product. Here are some ingredients the experts recommend seeking out:
- Glycerin - the backbone of moisturizing products
- Ceramides - This is naturally found in the skin
- L-Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) - This is an antioxidant that works to reverse damage from UV radiation
- Tocopherol (Vitamin E) - This offers similar properties as Vitamin C. When combined they form a skin care power duo
- Retinol - An important ingredient for any nighttime skin care product
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) - Controls oil while also hydrating the skin
- Spermidine - Induces autophagy which is the body’s process of replacing old cells with new cells
Look for products with these ingredients and you should be golden. You can find these ingredients in skin care products or you can find some of these ingredients in supplements.
Supplements For Anti-Aging Skin Care Routine
There are several different supplements you can take to aid in the anti-aging process. For example, Vitamin C supplements can help reduce the effects of UV radiation. Another popular supplement for anti-aging is spermidine.
As mentioned earlier, spermidine helps induce autophagy throughout the body. The process can also be induced by fasting, reducing calorie counts, and reducing the number of nutrients you eat. By taking spermidine supplements, you can help ensure that the autophagy process is induced, helping reduce the unwanted effects of aging.
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