Fine lines and wrinkles are part of the natural aging process; however, there are ways to diminish them.
Use a night cream with retinol and vitamin B3, such as Retin-A or Vitamin C-rich serums like those from Clinique that contains these active ingredients, to reduce surface skin cell turnover, smooth fine lines, and improve uneven pigmentation. Furthermore, be sure to eat a diet rich in antioxidants like blueberries and tomatoes as well as vitamin C-rich food products like milk.
Moisturizers
Moisturizers are skin care products such as lotions, cream emulsions, ointments and balms that contain oil-based ingredients (emollients) to keep the skin hydrated and soften lines and wrinkles around the face and neck area.
Products designed to increase skin water content by decreasing transepidermal water loss (TEWL), an essential aspect of proper skin physiology and barrier function, include humectants that enhance moisture absorption or occlusive agents such as petrolatum that form an occlusive film on your skin to impede its evaporation.
Some moisturizers contain keratolytic agents to exfoliate dead skin cells, improving the look and feel of dry skin. Others may contain antioxidants that provide UV damage protection, yet moisturizers cannot stop wrinkle formation or deepening; they merely temporarily mask them through plumping effects. Moisturizers can also be used therapeutically against certain dermatologic conditions such as ichthyosis and atopic dermatitis.
Retinol
Retinol is one of the best-studied anti-ageing skin care ingredients. As a form of vitamin A, Retinol works to smooth fine lines, fade actinic keratosis spots and even out skin tone by reducing hyperpigmentation. Furthermore, Retinol also works against acne by unclogging pores and improving breakouts.
Retinol typically takes two or three months to start working on skin, with results steadily improving as you continue taking it. To minimize irritation, start with low concentration retinol – around 0.05 percent – and apply once every few days; slowly increasing frequency as your body adapts.
Retinol can be found in many different products, such as serums, gels and creams. To maximize results it’s best used after cleansing and drying the face for direct skin contact; moisturizers or sunscreen may then be applied if necessary. For even faster results consult your dermatologist about prescription retinoids with higher strength that reduce side effects like irritation.
Eye Cream
Eye creams contain powerful ingredients designed specifically for this sensitive area, from retinol to reduce fine lines and wrinkles to hyaluronic acid for plumping up and smoothing skin, vitamin C for brightening dark circles, peptides to support the structure around eyes, as well as retinol to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and vitamin E as an antioxidant to firm the delicate eye area. They may even serve as replacement moisturizers; though for best results use one such as Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream or Clinique Even Better Dark Circle Corrector when replacing face moisturizers are designed specifically designed for eye area treatment.
As this area is thin and delicate, its skin may show signs of aging more rapidly than other parts of the face. Furthermore, facial expressions, blinking, squinting, and the constant movement of your skin over time may aggravate this area’s delicate nature and contribute to signs of premature aging more readily than elsewhere on your face.
To address these concerns, it’s recommended to apply an eye cream with hydrating and brightening ingredients either morning or evening after cleansing and serum application. When applying, use your ring finger to pat–never tug!–the cream around this delicate area.
Lip Cream
Lip wrinkles can be an inevitable consequence of age, but there are numerous treatments available to combat them. Neuromodulators like Botox can relax muscle tension and soften lines while laser resurfacing or peels can improve skin tone around the mouth area and decrease pigmentation.
If you’re searching for an over-the-counter product to treat lines, look for something with peptides in it. Kellie Reed, MD suggests Erasa’s Xep 30 Extreme Line Lifting and Rejuvenation Concentrate as it contains neuropeptides similar to Botox that work by communicating with tight facial muscles to relax them and induce relaxation.
Another treatment option for lip lines is lip balm with ingredients to plump and soften their appearance, such as products containing hyaluronic acid, ceramides and other wrinkle-smoothing nutrients such as SPF. Sun damage accelerates fine line development. Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen when protecting delicate lip areas against UV rays which can degrade collagen leading to more visible lines.
