Is aging as awful as it’s portrayed by social media and the cosmeceutical industry? Do you have to choose between undergoing every possible treatment and using all creams under the sun to delay looking old or can you truly, happily, wholeheartedly accept aging—sagging, wrinkles, and all?
Charlotte Palermino, co-founder of Dieux, recently talked about the neutral approach to viewing aging. In one of her Instagram reels, we take away some key points (not verbatim): First, aging can’t be stopped. Second, the anti-aging industry is huge and profitable, although there is no single product that can halt the aging process. Last but not least, she herself has had multiple procedures done, ranging from microneedling to lasers. While she admits to second-guessing herself right before she gets whatever procedure done, she still goes with it and shares that she enjoys the result.
What exactly is aging and how does it happen?
Aging is an inevitable process experienced by everyone and it’s affected by internal and external factors. These factors contribute to progressive and cumulative cellular damage leading to the deterioration of the body’s structure and function, and subsequent death.
People, as a result of differences in their genes, amount of skin pigment, and their lifestyle habits, may experience aging at different rates. Interestingly, even the same person can experience faster aging in the sun-exposed areas of the body.
While everyone will eventually kick the bucket so to speak, the most immediate concern for a lot of millennials and Gen X-ers is how to slow down, reverse, or perhaps erase the visible effects of the proverbial clock.
When it comes to your skin, did you know there are two types of aging?
First is intrinsic or chronologic aging which refers to the gradual wearing down of the body due to the passage of time. It cannot be avoided nor stopped and it happens to all of us.
Meanwhile, extrinsic aging is the aging of the body that results from exposure to environmental factors. It is primarily caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays (photoaging, also known as sun damage), but can also be hastened by pollution, smoking, poor eating habits, and even strong facial muscles. In addition, extrinsic aging can happen earlier compared with the person’s chronologic age—making one look older than they actually are, such as in premature aging.
No matter the cause, the skin’s appearance is the first to be noticed and is also the most obvious indicator of how old a person might be. Sun damage leads to an aged look due to the formation of wrinkles, loss of the skin’s elasticity and plumpness, rough skin texture, and pigmentation changes. On a more serious note, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can trigger the development of both benign and cancerous skin tumors.
Is aging bad or were we taught to hate it?
Millennials will remember this particular scene in the hit 2004 film Mean Girls where all the Plastics are standing in front of the mirror individually pointing out their perceived physical flaws. If you’re a ‘90s baby getting closer to the big 4-0, you may have found yourself doing as they did—but instead of complaining about large pores and weird hairlines, you may find fault with your skin showing signs of early aging.
Social media literally filters out blemishes. Lots of cultures put a premium on looking young. And the booming sales of rejuvenating products indicate a strong and widespread desire to maintain youth. Looking old has gotten such a bad reputation even Sephora kids—kids and tweens excessively into skincare—are buying into the anti-aging hype!
Why, When, and What
Why start an anti-aging skincare routine?
Of course, the purpose of this article is not to scare you into buying anti-aging products. No, it’s far from it. The intention offers a different perspective that hopes to give you a more balanced view towards aging and to be able to choose and use products to help you look good at your age without feeling fear, shame, or disgust towards looking older.
It will also be beneficial to keep these three things in mind when you’ve decided you’re ready to start an anti-aging routine: First, aging is unavoidable, but can be viewed in a positive light; second, that skincare has limitations; and, third, having realistic, healthy expectations is key.
When do you start an anti-aging routine?
People picture an anti-aging routine as having multiple steps with lots of products. However, even using sunscreen consistently as early as you’re in your 20s is already doing a lot when it comes to protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
You can start incorporating anti-aging products as early as your 20s as well, as a form of preventive maintenance to minimize sun damage and to maintain youthful-looking skin.
All the same, you can also choose to start in your 30s and 40s. Around this time, your skin will already show some signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. Using an anti-aging routine during this period will help minimize any further sun damage and may also improve the overall appearance of the skin.
Anti-aging can be done even in those who are 50 years old and above. In this age group, skincare can still be used to smoothen, brighten, improve pigmentation, and protect the skin. Advanced procedures such as injectables, chemical peels, energy-based devices, and lasers are other options for greater rejuvenation and skin resurfacing.
What are the components of an anti-aging skincare routine?
The two approaches you can go for when it comes to skincare are either to have an ingredient-centric regimen where you will look for products containing the same active, or you can focus on a specific skin concern and then match products accordingly.
The routine can be as simple as having just the basics: a cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, and one treatment product. Or you can follow the K-Beauty routine which incorporates toners, serums, masks, and the like in as many as ten steps
Your success will depend on the products you choose and combine if they suit your preferences, and if these have the ingredients which will help you reach your skin goals.
The Stars of the Show: Active Ingredients
Active ingredients are components of a skincare product that allow it to deliver a specific result to your skin. When it comes to anti-aging, the superstars are sunscreens and retinoids, while the supporting cast is composed of alpha-hydroxy acids, anti-oxidants, and peptides.
Sunscreen
Given the sun’s UV rays are the major culprit of photoaging, it follows that sunscreens are an integral part of any anti-aging routine. There are inorganic or “mineral” sunscreens that contain zinc oxides and titanium dioxides, organic or “chemical” sunscreen filters like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, and the like, as well as hybrid sunscreens that contain both types.
You can maximize your sun protection when you choose broad-spectrum sunscreens that filter both UVB (identified by the “SPF” rating) and UVA (look for UVA PF, UVA Boots star rating, or PA rating). Lastly, make sure to use around one-fourth teaspoon of the product for you to get the protection level on the label.
Shiseido The Perfect Protector
P3,450, LOOK At Me
Supergoop! Glowscreen
P1,390, Lazada
Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Mild Milk
P1,990, Lazada
Ellana SPF 30 Stay Flawless Maclura Leaf Oil Control Primer
P549, Lazada
Retinoids
These are compounds that are structurally or functionally similar to vitamin A (retinol). In the market, there are several options available ranging from over-the-counter products such as retinyl esters, retinol, and retinaldehyde, as well as prescription-requiring forms like tretinoin, adapalene, and trifarotene.
A common misconception is referring to all forms of retinoids as “retinol”. This is incorrect because the different retinol derivatives have varying strengths and uses. Retinol is estimated to be 20 times less potent than tretinoin, the gold standard in the family for anti-aging. This is because for retinol to exert its effects on the skin, it must first be converted to retinaldehyde and then to its active form: retinoic acid, also known as tretinoin.
Retinoids work their magic by protecting your skin’s existing collagen from being broken down by the sun’s UV rays. They help reduce fine lines, improve the skin’s texture, lessen pigmentation, and help stimulate the production of the skin’s own collagen and hyaluronic acid.
Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum
P7,650, Rustan’s
Drunk Elephant A Passioni Retinol Cream
P4,650, LOOK At Me
Kiehl’s Micro-Dose Anti-Aging Retinol Serum
P5,850, Lazada
Frankly Retinol 0.1% Wrinkle Repair Cream
P499, Lazada
Alpha-hydroxy acids
Mandelic acid and glycolic acid are some of the most popular AHAs on the market. They can be found in higher concentrations as chemical peels or in lower percentages as toners and serums.
AHAs improve the quality of the skin by increasing the skin’s moisture which then supports the skin’s natural shedding process. This results in a smoother skin surface which can reflect light better, leading to a beautiful, radiant glow. AHAs also support collagen production helping the skin stay plump and bouncy.
Guerlain Abeille Royale Double R Renew & Repair Advanced Serum
P14,450, Rustan’s
Mario Badescu AHA & Ceramide Moisturizer
P1,900, Rustan’s
Wishtrend Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water
P1,410, KBeauty Cafe
L’oreal Paris Glycolic-Bright 5% Glycolic Acid Toner
P799, Lazada
Antioxidants
One of the many ways the sun’s UV rays can damage the skin is via the formation of free radicals. Free radicals speed up the aging process by directly damaging the skin’s cellular structure by promoting the breakdown of the skin’s existing collagen and by hindering collagen production. These then lead to signs of aging such as wrinkles, sagginess, rough texture, uneven pigmentation, and even skin cancer.
Antioxidants help minimize the harmful effects of free radicals by neutralizing them or by promoting their breakdown. Common antioxidants you’ll encounter are vitamin C, vitamin E, and ubiquinone (coenzyme Q10). Vitamin C has been shown to improve pigmentation and increase the skin’s collagen production, vitamin E supports the sun-protecting effect of sunscreen and can help soothe the skin, while ubiquinone can minimize the appearance of fine lines.
Clinique Even Better Clinical Radical Dark Spot Correcter + Interrupter
P9,600, Rustan’s
Neal’s Yard Remedies
P1,450, Rustan’s
Jumiso All Day Vitamin Pure C 5.5 Glow Serum
US$24, Olive Young
Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel
P395, Lazada
Peptides
Peptides are short sequences of amino acids and have several functions in the skin. Peptides like palmitoyl-KTTKS and palmitoyl-KTTS act as signals that tell the skin to produce more collagen. Another peptide, acetyl hexapeptide-3, mimics the muscle-weakening effect of botulinum toxin or botox, albeit to a much weaker extent, and has been shown to improve fine lines around the eye area.
It’s important to highlight that while exfoliants, antioxidants, and peptides have shown promise in terms of reducing signs of aging, available studies are limited and cannot automatically be assumed to hold water across brands. Most products in the market hinge on the theoretical effect of the ingredient, but may not have clinical trials to back their claims.
Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Cream
P5,000, LOOK At Me
Dermalogica Awaken Peptide Depuffing Eye Gel
P3,700, Lazada
Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer
P1,999, Lazada
Cosrx The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum
P1,400, KBeauty Cafe
The Verdict
Skincare is a popular option for skin rejuvenation. It’s accessible, fairly affordable, pain-free, and claims to solve all your skincare problems. “Claims” is italicized because even if active ingredients are proven to work in clinical studies, this may not necessarily be true in real life due to differences in formulations, percentages, and ingredient combinations, and further worsened by overreaching claims of brands.
Your best bet is to use sunscreen correctly on a regular basis and to incorporate a retinoid in your routine. These two products have a proven track record when it comes to preventing or reversing the skin aging effects of the sun. If your patience and budget allow it, you can also add the nice-to-haves like antioxidants and peptides for support.
Lastly, make sure to temper your expectations. And if you do decide to start an anti-aging routine, hopefully, it’s motivated not by external pressure nor by negativity, but by self-care.
