When it comes to mature skin, it's important to look for ingredients that combat signs of aging: fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, loss of elasticity, dark spots and drier skin. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the ingredients to look for to address these concerns.
Hyaluronic Acid
If you’re looking to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, the main ingredient to add to your routine is Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is naturally occurring in our skin and is responsible for binding water for maximum hydration. When skin is adequately hydrated, the water content produces a plumping effect that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by making the skin appear more soft and supple. Some effective HA infused products to incorporate into your routine are our Honest® Ageless Firm + Even Serum, Honest® Ageless Firm + Smooth Cream, Stay Hydrated Hyaluronic Acid + NMF Serum, Hydrogel Cream, Daily Green Juice Antioxidant Super Serum, Vitamin C Radiance Serum, and Honestly Pure Retinyl™ Serum.
Collagen + Elastin
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, after the age of 20, our collagen production starts to decline ~1% every year; even worse, women lose ~30% of their collagen production during menopause. Collagen is an extremely important building block to youthful-looking skin and is the most abundant type of protein in our body. When choosing a product with collagen, it's important to look for collagen peptides or polypeptides. Ingredients like “collagen” and “vegan collagen” are too large to penetrate the skin surface, meaning their efficacy is minimal to none. Collagen polypeptides, like Polypeptide-121 in our Honest® Ageless line are small enough to penetrate the skin surface. Incorporating collagen polypeptides into your skincare routine can help improve the look of firmness.
Youthful skin has that bounce back effect thanks to elastin – a protein in the skin that adds elasticity and flexibility. Elastin also plays a role in pore size and when combined with collagen, overall skin firmness. Age is not the only factor that contributes to elastin loss, UV light and pollution also lead to the decrease in elastin in the skin. Historically, there have not been many elastin-based ingredients, as “elastin” or “vegan elastin” are too large to penetrate the skin. Elastin polypeptides, like sh-Polypeptide-50 in our Honest® Ageless Line, are smaller than the full elastin protein. Using elastin polypeptides in your skincare routine can help improve the appearance of firm, bouncy skin.
For the perfect blend of Collagen and Elastin Polypeptides, add Honest® Ageless Firm + Even Serum and Honest® Ageless Firm + Smooth Cream both formulated with these powerhouse ingredients.
Retinoids
Retinoids come in many different forms and are often introduced under the prescription name “Tretinoin” which is prescribed by dermatologists for acne. However, it is also great for aging skin as both a preventative and active ingredient to target fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration. The Retinyl Linoleate, a retinol derivative, in our Honestly Pure Retinyl™ Serum helps to exfoliate leading to smoother, more even-looking skin. When adding retinoids into your routine, start slowly, using every few nights until skin has acclimated. It's extremely important to wear SPF during the day while using retinoids as they may increase sun sensitivity.
Vitamin C
Hyperpigmentation and melasma are a natural part of aging and are caused by hormone changes, UV damage, and even genetics. While it may be hard to completely avoid discoloration, Vitamin C is a great ingredient to help reduce the appearance of new dark spots. It’s also a great addition to your morning skincare routine as it helps improve the overall tone of your skin. Our Vitamin C Radiance Serum contains a blend of both Vitamin C and Diglucosyl Gallic Acid. For individuals who may not tolerate Vitamin C, our Honest® Ageless Firm + Even Serum uses Star Lily Flower Extract which helps improve the appearance of dark spots and is known to visibly brighten the skin, making it a good alternative for those sensitive to Vitamin C.
Oils and Emollients
An aspect of skin aging is chronic dryness. As skin ages, oil production declines, cell renewal declines, and there are hormonal changes - all which contribute to a weakened barrier and higher transepidermal water loss. This means skin becomes thinner and has a harder time holding water in the skin, therefore a moisturizer in an aging skincare routine needs to work hard.
When looking for a good moisturizer, look for Squalane. Supplementing with Squalane is a great way to combat age related dryness. Our Hydrogel Cream is packed with plant-derived Squalane and leaves skin feeling hydrated and looking dewy.
Skin repairs itself during sleep so going to bed with a heavy rich cream helps lock in all the moisture throughout the night. Our Honest® Ageless Firm + Smooth Cream contains a higher concentration of emollients than our standard moisturizers making it more suitable for dry or aging skin.
For the ultimate “slugging” routine (applying a heavy occlusive over a finished skin care routine to lock everything in), our Calm + Heal Melting Balm is a must. It contains a high level of Sunflower Seed Oil and Shea Butter to help deeply nourish the skin, Allantoin to help relieve dry and chapped skin, and its ultra rich texture is the perfect topper to lock in all of the active ingredients and moisture from your skincare routine.
The Most Important Part of an Aging Skin Care Routine: Prevention
Protecting the skin against environmental aggressors will minimize the effects of things like UV light, pollution, and stress on the skin’s aging journey. Prevention should start as early as possible with the most important skincare product - sunscreen. Broad spectrum sunscreen protects the skin from UVA and UVB damage which have been shown to cause premature aging and skin cancer. Wearing SPF 30 daily, helps prevent the breakdown of precious collagen and elastin which impact skin firmness and youthful bounceback. This is the most important part of any aging skincare routine. Our Honest Beauty CCC Tinted Moisturizer is SPF 30 and contains Vitamin C.
The last important preventative aging skincare ingredients are antioxidants. Free radical damage can occur from UV exposure, environmental pollution and stressors. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals and help to minimize their negative impact on the skin. Our Daily Green Juice Antioxidant Super Serum is the ultimate antioxidant serum, formulated with Goji Polypeptidoglycans, a Mushroom Complex, Carrot + Kale + Lemon extracts, and Green Tea Oil.
Having a mindfully formulated, effective skincare routine is essential for optimum skin health as you age. Shop our new Honest® Ageless products with clinically tested, complexion enhancing ingredients your mature skin will love.
We aim to provide you with the most honest and credible information possible. This article was reviewed for accuracy by The Honest Team and its internal technical experts.
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