When Should You Start Using Anti-Aging Products?

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably wondering if it’s the right time to start using anti-aging products—you smart cookie! Women in their 20s and 30s are more aware of anti-aging skin care than ever before. A recent survey revealed that more than 30% of women under 35 regularly use anti-aging skin care products.

Firstly let’s be clear—we’re not here to give aging a bad rap. Getting older is a natural part of life, and we’re privileged to experience it, but taking care of your skin is a little favour you can do for yourself now that will pay off later. Choosing to care for your skin and finding your ideal anti-aging skin care routine will ensure your skin is healthy and glowing at any age.

We all know that prevention is easier (and cheaper!) than cosmetic procedures, so let’s take a look at what causes skin aging, the signs of aging skin, factors that contribute to aging skin and when to start using anti-aging products.

What causes skin aging?

Until we discover the magical elixir of eternal youth, the skin aging process is a natural and inevitable part of life. No matter how amazing your genetics (we’re looking at you, Peter Pan) or how great your skin care regime is, some signs of aging will inevitably appear over time. So, let’s take a closer look at this process.

WHAT does hyaluronic acid do?

Loss of collagen

The leading cause of skin aging is collagen breakdown. Collagen represents most of the skin’s dry weight, and as we get older, the amount of collagen in your skin reduces. This means it loses that youthful elasticity and glow your mum always raves about when admiring your skin.

Sun exposure

We’re sorry to break it to you if you love tanning, but exposure to UV from the sun is another huge cause of skin aging. The sun is harmful to the skin as it breaks down collagen, impairs new collagen synthesis, and attacks our skin’s elastin. Over time, sun-damaged skin becomes loose, wrinkled, and leathery much earlier if consistently unprotected from sunlight. So, self-tanning is your new best friend. Our favourite self-tanning product is the Eco Tanning Mousse by Eco Tan Australia.

Inflammation

Inflammation is also another cause of aging. This happens when the skin attacks bacteria, viruses, and everyday chemicals and pollutants. Inflammation may be useful in the short term, but it creates skin sensitivity, redness, and irritation over time.

What are the signs of aging skin?

You might be wondering if your skin is already showing some signs of aging, and safe to say, the answer is yes—it begins the day you’re born! However, the more noticeable signs of aging skin don’t start until a little later on.

Signs of aging to look out for include:

• Dark circles under the eyes
• Loss of glow or radiance
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Less elasticity
• Dark spots
• Dullness
• Uneven pigmentation
• Dryness
• Greater sensitivity
• Deeper lines and wrinkles as you continue to age

Factors that contribute to aging skin

If you’re hoping to reduce the signs of aging, these are some of the things you should be looking out for:

Sun exposure
Exposure to UV rays from the sun is stronger than genetic factors when it comes to aging skin. The sun is responsible for most visible signs of ageing, such as wrinkles and dark spots.

Pollution
Another culprit when it comes to aging skin is pollution. The dirt in polluted air exacerbates the skin ageing process by causing premature wrinkles and spots.

Smoking
Smoking has several negative impacts on our health, including our skin. Smoking speeds up the skin aging process as it deteriorates skin health, resulting in dullness, premature and deeper wrinkles.

Poor skin care
Not looking after your skin as you get older can speed up the signs of aging. Ensure you have an anti-ageing skin care routine that includes clinically proven ingredients and quality formulations—this will keep your skin looking healthier for longer.

Face movements
The way we move our face does affect our skin. Things like smiling, frowning, squinting and laughing can result in fine lines and wrinkles. But let’s be clear—we are not the fun police—laughing has so many health benefits, from relieving pain to increasing happiness and boosting immunity! Our philosophy is: Laugh a lot, use great anti-aging skin care.

When to start using anti-aging products

Anti-aging is all about taking positive steps to care for your skin to keep it healthy for as long as possible, rather than attempting to turn around nature’s natural path.

We recommend you start using anti-aging products in your early 20s—the earlier you begin to take care of your skin, the better! When you hit your late 20s, your skin cell turnover and natural collagen production start to decrease. This is when you can expect to experience noticeable signs your skin is aging.

The best preventative anti-aging products to get you started are those containing hyaluronic acid and SPF sunscreen.

Start your anti-aging journey today

The good news is—getting on top of an anti-aging skin care routine in your 20s will help prevent aging even more than your genetic makeup! Look for products like our All-in-one Day Cream and Serum that contain clinically proven, active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, which reduces the appearance of wrinkles, boosts luminosity and reduces redness. Aging is a natural, beautiful part of life, and when it comes to our skin, prevention will keep it healthy and happy at any age.