Anti-Aging Skincare Products: Why and What We Use
Does anyone else feel like “anti-aging” is kind of a misnomer when it comes to skincare? First of all, aging is a completely normal and natural process. The fine lines, dark spots, and wrinkles associated with aging are not a sign of unhealthy or imbalanced skin - we shouldn’t feel like these are skincare issues we have to address (but rather choose to). Second, the ingredients in anti-aging serums and creams have benefits - like hydration and exfoliation - anyone, regardless of their age, may be interested in.
So although we aren’t looking to reduce signs of aging (yet), we still love using anti-aging products. Below are 5 anti-aging serums and creams we’ve used and recommend.
DRUNK ELEPHANT A-PASSIONI RETINOL CREAM
As you can tell from the photo, this cream got a lot of use! It contains 1% vegan retinol, which accelerates your skin’s turnover process to shed skin cells more quickly. The anti-aging benefit to this to visibly reduce dark spots. However, we’ve found that it also helped to reduce the appearance of blemishes left from breakouts as well.
We didn’t have any skin irritation issues with this cream, which some people experience when using retinol. We gradually introduced this cream into our nightly routine, using it just once a week at first, working our way up to using it 3 times a week, max.
SOBEL SKIN RX 15% NIACINAMIDE GEL SERUM
This gel is lightweight but packed the highest percent of Niacinamide we’ve seen in a clean skincare product. Why is this ingredient important? There are so many claims we’ve read - firms, smooths, minimizes pores, brightens dark spots, stimulates collagen production. What we’ve personally experienced using the product is an increase in overall hydration and improvement in texture.
This is another product we have in our evening skincare routine. Because the ingredients are so powerful, we only use one pump every other night.
FARMACY HONEYMOON GLOW
Another nightly serum for ya! This one contains glycolic acid and lactic acid, both of which are chemical exfoliants. Meaning they dissolve the bonds between your skin cells as you sleep, to reveal softer smoother skin in the morning. We actually feel a slight tingling sensation for the first few seconds of application. It also contains hyaluronic acid to prevent your skin from drying out in the process.
This product has a similar purpose to the Drunk Elephant Retinol Cream, which we’re almost done with. So we likely won’t be getting another retinol cream and will just alternate between using the Niacinamide Gel and the Honeymoon Glow at night.
Overall, we want to be careful not to overdo it or mix any of these products together as the ingredients are quite powerful and could easily irritate our skin.
OSEA HYALURONIC SEA SERUM
Ugh, we are obsessed with this serum! Hyaluronic acid has been a part of our skincare routine for years. We have extremely dry skin and hyaluronic acid draws and holds water into it. This serum is particularly special because it includes seaweed rich in vitamins and minerals, and because it’s thicker than your average serum. You have to give it a few seconds to absorb, and then wow does our skin feel plump. Plump skin = smoother fine lines for those who are interested in the anti-aging benefits.
On the down side, we’re going through this product pretty quickly. You can see we’ve got like 1/4 of the bottle left. Which is kinda sad considering how expensive it is.
ANTIPODES KIWI SEED OIL EYE CREAM
Kiwifruit is rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that protects against free radical damage. Vitamin C works to brighten dark spots over time too, which is why we love having it in an eye cream.
This cream in particular is so great because it’s rich, hydrating, and made with natural ingredients.
SUPERGOOP! PLAY EVERYDAY LOTION SPF 50
Last but certainly not least, sunscreen. The original anti-aging cream. We’re all familiar with the damage UV rays can cause. But, if you’re using any AHA’s or BHA’s (like the Honeymoon Glow), your skin will become extra sensitive to the sun.
We like the Supergoop! Play sunscreen because it is light weight, water resistant, and doesn’t leave a white cast. It’s really all purpose. You can use it on your face or your body (we haven’t experienced any breakouts using this so far!). You can wear it in the water. And it’s reef safe!
