The Science and Stages of Facial Aging: What Skincare Can & Can’t Do
As we age, our faces undergo a series of natural changes that affect our appearance, often leading to wrinkles, sagging
Have you ever purchased a skincare product with a lot of hype behind it, only to try it out and be underwhelmed with the results? You’re not alone. If a product does not seem to “work” for you, there are a few possible reasons why.
Number One: You haven’t used it long enough to see the effects. The majority of active ingredients need time to work, as most do not produce an instant change in the skin. Most skincare products that contain active ingredients that target specific skin concerns are used on many test subjects during the research and development phase before the product goes to the retail market. Most of these trial periods will last anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks where the subjects use the product consistently during that time. So as a rule, give it time to work before you decide if you have achieved a good result or not. In particular, for anti-aging skincare products that are intended to help your skin produce collagen or improve hyperpigmentation (like Vitamin C serums such as our Morning Glory Vitamin C & E Serum, retinoids, retinol or bio retinols- like our Beauty Sleep night cream) these products do require a good 12 weeks of regular use to see a difference, as your skin takes time to upregulate its skin cell turnover and collagen production, alter its melanin production, etc.
Number Two: The active ingredients in the products you’re using are not at a high enough or clinically significant concentration. Because some ingredients might be regulated by the FDA above certain concentrations, some skincare manufacturers will purposely use a lower concentration of the ingredient in order to avoid being classified as a pharmaceutical (either OTC or prescription, which can add new headaches and regulations for the brand). A good example of this is salicylic acid. This ingredient can be helpful in some cases of acne. But the sweet spot for concentration of salicylic acid is around 2 percent. If the product has a lower concentration than this, it may not deliver the anti-acne results you’re hoping for. Likewise, if a product does contain an effective concentration of an active ingredient, but it’s not getting sufficient contact time with the skin, it will not work as well. So if you’re using a cleanser that contains active ingredients to help your skin exfoliate (like lactic acid as found in our Rose’ All Day foaming cleanser, or others like glycolic acid), or to combat acne (like salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide), it’s helpful to leave the cleanser on your skin for at least one or two minutes before rinsing it off. For a vitamin C serum, most products on the market contain a concentration of Vitamin C between 10 to 15 percent. RX Youth Morning Glory Vitamin C & E Serum contains 20 percent L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) plus additional ingredients to boost its effects and stabilize the vitamin C to extend the shelf life of the product.
Number Three: You’re not using products that address your specific skin concerns. Before beginning to use a new skincare product or routine, you want to consider your skin type (“normal”, dry, oily, acne-prone, combination, mature) and any particular skin concerns you have (wrinkles or anti-aging, blemishes, uneven skin tone or hyperpigmentation, dullness, etc.). Even if a product has 5-star reviews online, it does not mean that it’s what you need for your skin type or skin concerns. Mature skin has different needs than adolescent skin, and dry skin has different needs than oily and acne-prone skin. That said, the biggest game changer in our opinion, is treating your skin in the most gentle way, to encourage a healthy skin barrier, reducing inflammation, etc. Your skin barrier health is a huge part of your skin health in general. Using too many irritating ingredients like fragrances, alcohol, very hot or very cold water, and over-exfoliating, all can add up to a disrupted skin barrier and more skin problems over the long term. Use a gentle cleanser (like Rose’ All Day gentle foaming cleanser, avoid products that can overstrip your skin and lead to dryness and irritation) and don’t rub or scrub your skin. Be gentle to her, take care of her and she will take care of you.
At the end of the day, doing something is better than doing nothing. That is why we believe simple is better. Developing good skincare habits and being consistent with them is what will lead to great results. So keep calm, and skincare on. 🙂
As we age, our faces undergo a series of natural changes that affect our appearance, often leading to wrinkles, sagging