Though getting older is inevitable, the effects of aging on your skin don't have to be. Choosing the right anti-aging facial products can help reduce wrinkles, brighten skin tone and moisturize your skin so that you look younger. The key to most anti-aging treatments is consistency: you may need to use them for a few weeks or months before you see results, and their good effects will often last only as long as you're using them.
Sunscreen
Sun damage is the main cause of much of the blotchiness, roughness and wrinkling people associate with aging skin, so a good facial sunscreen is the No. 1 ingredient in your anti-aging regimen. "O, The Oprah Magazine" recommends opting for a moisturizer with an SPF 15 or higher--look for one with chemical sun blockers, like avobenzone or Mexoryl, or physical sun blockers such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
Retinoids
If wrinkles are your biggest aging concern, retinoids are the best line of defense--and as a bonus, using them will improve your skin tone and texture, too, says Richard Glogau, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, in "Good Housekeeping" magazine. Retinoids stimulate collagen production and speed up the process of cell turnover, making your skin smoother and more resilient.
Chemical Peels
Adding a weekly at-home chemical peel to your beauty regimen helps keep aging skin from looking dull and crepey, according to "Allure" magazine. As you get older, cell turnover slows down, leaving dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. A chemical peel rubs the dead cells evenly away, revealing younger, brighter skin beneath. "Allure" recommends using a glycolic acid or other alpha hydroxy acid peel or one with salicylic acid as the main ingredient for best results.
Alistin
Most people know that consuming lots of sugar can affect your waistline, but it can also cause your skin's elastin fibers to harden, making your skin less flexible and more prone to developing wrinkles--a process known as glycation, explains New York- and Miami-based dermatologist Fredric Brandt in "Harper's Bazaar." Alistin, an anti-inflammatory agent, helps prevent glycation so your skin maintains its natural elasticity.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants--like pomegranate, idebenone, soy, green tea, coenzyme Q10, niacinamide and vitamins C and E--protect your skin against pollution, smoking, sun damage and other environmental hazards by fighting off the free radicals that cause wrinkles and discoloration, explains Ranella Hirsch, dermatologist at Boston University Medical Center, in "Good Housekeeping."
Hydroquinone
If you have dark spots, patches or blotches on your skin, hydroquinone is the best product to use, says Amy Wechsler, assistant clinical professor in dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City, in "Allure" magazine. These dark patches and spots, officially known as hyperpigmentation, are usually caused by an overproduction of melanin in response to sun damage. Hydroquinone bleaches dark areas of skin so they're less noticeable.
Moisturizer
As you get older, you skin loses its ability to retain moisture--making it susceptible to wrinkles and dullness. Look for a moisturizer that contains two kinds of ingredients: those that absorb moisture from the environment into your skin, like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, and those that seal your skin to hold that moisture in place, like petrolatum and lanolin, recommends "Good Housekeeping."
Peptides
Over time, your skin gets thinner and the stores of fat and collagen beneath the surface start to disappear, causing blood vessels and muscles to show through the thin skin. For many people, this gives the appearance of permanent dark circles around the eyes, explains "Allure." Peptides stimulate collagen production and thicken skin so veins and muscles are less visible and dark circles less noticeable.
Salicylic Acid
If you're still getting breakouts while you're dealing with the signs of aging, salicylic acid is your best bet for clearing up your skin, according to Joshua Wieder, a Los Angeles-based dermatologist, in "Harper's Bazaar." Wieder says a 2-percent or less concentration of salicylic acid is less likely to cause skin irritation than the same concentration of benzoyl peroxide.
Moisturizing Cleanser
As your skin loses its natural oils, your old cleanser may become too harsh for you. In "Allure," Wechsler recommends making the switch to a moisturizing cleanser--look for words like "milk," "creamy" or "hydrating" on the label to identify good options.
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