Allow me to make some recommendations so that you are more prepared for these types of choices. Below I've listed my top five must have ingredients that can be found in skincare and what they do for your skin. Keep in mind that a good bit of these ingredients will help in a lot of the same ways. The trick is to figure out which one works the best on your skin!
1. Alpha Lipoic Acid - Listed as Thioctic acid on skincare product ingredients, this little miracle helps to reverse the skin's aging process by increasing your skin's natural cell turnover exposing your newer skin cells faster than it would on its own. It is also an extremely powerful antioxidant that helps to protect your skin from the harmful free radicals that it comes in contact with on a daily basis. You can think of this as a one man defense system for your skin as it will resurface, minimize pores and imperfections, normalize sebum (oil) production, and helps with the overall texture of your skin.
**This can also be taken internally and can be found with the vitamin/supplements at any drugstore.
2. Vitamin C - Listed as absorbic acid on skincare product labels, Vitamin C is known as the "BLT" of skincare meaning that it will brighten, lighten, and tighten. As an antioxidant, it also helps to fight against free radical damage. One of its main benefits is that it helps to encourage the production of collagen and elastin promoting the firmness of your skin.
3. Vitamin A - Otherwise known as Retinol and will be listed as so on skincare product ingredients, vitamin A will help to repair the daily damage that is done to your skin that cause the breakdown of collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are proteins that help to keep your skin firm and taut. When these two proteins start to deteriorate, the result is wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamin A will also help to speed up your skin's natural cell turnover. This also helps to combat acne for those in search of a treatment.
**Retinol makes you extremely sensitive to the sun. Using this during the day requires the use of sunscreen. I recommend using this only at night before you go to bed.
4. Glycolic Acid - Listed as glycolic acid on skincare labels, this helps to increase your cell turnover by working to eat away at the sebum and surface grime that hold your dead skin cells in place exposing newer skin cells faster. This is one of the few products that will help with your "instant gratification" factor as it will typically show results after one day of use depending on the strength of it's formula. This is another ingredient that is very beneficial to those with acne prone skin.
**Glycolic Acid will also make your skin more sensitive to the sun's UV rays and requires the use of sunscreen. I recommend using this only at night before you go to bed.
5. DMAE - Listed as Dimethyl MEA on skincare product ingredients, DMAE helps with the overall muscle tone in your face by addressing the breakdown of the elasticity in your muscles. It is almost like your own personal gym working to keep those muscles lean and mean!
Please keep in mind that patience is the key when you decide to try a new product. Your skin will not start to show signs of repair until your newer skin cells start to emerge. This is referred to as your skin cell turnover, something that you have seen me reference several times in this article. For younger skin, this can start to happen as soon as 30 days. With older skin types, it can take up to 60 days.
I hope I've helped to ease some of the overwhelming feeling that you will inevitably feel when deciding on your next skincare purchase. Just remember that you are now armed with some information to make a more informed choice! Bookmark this article just for reference and as always, feel free to comment below with questions or concerns!
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