One of the biggest beauty concerns women have — and rightly so — is maintaining smooth, glowing, healthy-looking skin. But with so much skin care information floating around, it’s tough to zero in on the best advice. That’s why SheKnows turned to top Chicago dermatologist and creator of Skinfo, Dr. Amy Taub, for her insight into how to turn back the clock for younger-looking, beautiful skin.
Anti-aging musts
Since wishing wrinkles away probably won’t work (sigh), we asked Taub what products we should be using every day to keep fine lines at bay and ensure skin looks its best.
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Sunscreen
Even though we’ve heard it before, Taub insists that sunscreen is the single most important thing we can put on our faces if we want younger-looking skin. She says that what’s in your makeup or day cream isn’t enough; you need the real deal. It’s your first line of defense against fine lines and wrinkles (not to mention skin cancer).
Antioxidants
“AOs are the police molecules of your skin. They track down bad molecules made by environmental pollutants and sun, and they try to get rid of them before they do harm,” explains Taub.
Exfoliants
Alpha hydroxyl acids, retinols and retinoids (among others) help your skin metabolize more quickly and increase the penetration (and skin-boosting ability) of your other skin care products.
Read our guide on choosing the best exfoliator for your skin type >>
Collagen boosters
Collagen stimulators, or biological stimulators, encourage cells to produce more collagen and elastin –resulting in smoother, younger-looking skin. They restore lost volume, making skin firmer and minimizing fine lines. Sounds great to us! Moisturizers such as Skinfo hydro-nutrients ($110) contain such collagen stimulators.
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Taub says that, ideally, you always use sunscreen and antioxidants; these are protective and preventative. She suggests adding the collagen stimulators and exfoliants when you see the first signs of aging, probably in your early to mid 30s. |
Choosing the right products
To help take some of the confusion out of skin care shopping, Taub started Skinfo (a combination of skin and information), where you can shop for products she has hand selected and stands behind. She says the best thing you can do when choosing anti-aging products is to learn about ingredients before buying — how much is in the product and what the ingredient does. Usually, products advertise certain ingredients as “active” or able to smooth fine lines or tone skin. “If the ingredient they are touting as ‘active’ is one of the last five ingredients listed, then it is usually just put in there for marketing purposes and doesn’t have enough active to do what it says,” she warns.
Trends to watch
Taub says she’s been seeing more items aimed at helping skin care products penetrate (such as massagers for face washes and eye creams). “Right now, there is a lot of work being done on increasing the penetration of the active molecules through the skin rather than new ingredients per se,” she says. But there are always new ingredients and products, such as the new lightening cream called Elure that does not contain hydroquinone, a potentially harmful chemical. She is also seeing more scientifically based ingredients and more high-tech devices such as lights and lasers for in-home use.
More skin care advice
6 Secrets to looking younger
Skin care tips for women in their 30s
Best products to fight wrinkles
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