What Should a 20-Something Do About Aging?
Jessica’s asking about aging: It seems to me that the best way to keep my skin looking great and wrinkle-free would be to prevent as much aging as possible, as opposed to trying to reverse the process when I’m older. Other than sunscreen, what kinds of products should I be using at this point (I’m 25) to keep my skin looking young?
The Left Brain’s rejuvenating reply:
This is a great beauty question and one that we see asked more and more. The proliferation of anti-aging products has gotten so extensive, you’d think cosmetic marketers want us all to revert to 3-year olds. And with some of the claims made, they certainly treat us like that is the age of our intelligence.
The Anti-Aging Secrets for your Skin
You want to know what’s been proven to work? Here it is…
Sun Protection
First, protect your skin from the sun. This is the number one environmental cause of skin aging. Do this by minimizing your sun exposure and using sunscreen.
Eat Well
Next, eat a balanced diet. While everyone is different, this meta-review study on skin health and diet concluded that people who had higher intake of Vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates had younger looking skin. You get linoleic acid by eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and seeds.
Exercise
Finally, exercise. Nothing keeps you looking and feeling young like regular exercise. Thousands of studies have shown that physical exercise is a highly effective way to treat all all signs of aging.
Anti-aging Treatments
Most scientists are skeptical of anti-aging treatments. This is because there is little published evidence from controlled clinical trials to show most anti-aging products have any benefit. You could say this is because private companies don’t want to make their research public, but if they did have meaningful, positive results you can be sure the PR arm of the company would crow about this where ever they could.
We’ve seen previously that price is not indicative of the effectiveness of an anti-aging skin treatment. The conclusion was that none of the products were as effective as claimed.
Does any treatment work?
The only thing that scientists and reputable dermatologists agree on is that application of topical retinoids can repair sun damaged skin and prevent future collagen damage. Oh yeah, and they all say using sunscreen is a good thing.
Beyond that, forget about it. Yes, that includes the $95 Perricone Restorative Cream
Lasers for your skin?
Recently, lasers and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) have been shown to effectively rejuvenate photoaged skin. Cosmetic surgeons have been making lots of money from these treatments and the big cosmetic manufacturers like P&G and L’Oreal are trying to bring you this same treatment at home. But the technology isn’t quite ready. Products you can buy right now like the Beurer Softlaser will likely disappoint.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Scientists in the anti-aging field (who are not trying to sell you products) agree, anti-aging products are over-priced and under-deliver. For a 20-something, the best thing you can do is eat right, exercise and avoid long sun exposure. If you’re a bit older, start using skin products that contain vitamin A derivatives. They’re the only thing that has yet been proven to be effective.
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anastasia Says:
Fabulous post! I think my generation is essentially terrified of aging and as a result we are as much a target for these anti-aging snake oil sellers as our mothers and grandmothers who are trying to reverse the process. It can be hard to remember that just taking really good care of what you’ve got can help it stay around longer (in the respect, perhaps skin/beauty is similar to a good car).
Judy Says:
Great topic. When asked this question my response is “ALWAYS wear sunscreen”. So simple, so inexpensive, but soooo worth it!!
Pam Says:
I wish I had learned this information when I was in my twenties. Regarding sunscreen, Paula Begoun says that to prevent sun damage you need to wear not just any sunscreen, but one that 1) is at least SPF 15, and 2) has ingredients that protect effectively against UVA rays. I believe that those are azobenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. I would add to your answer, sun damage to your lips can make them wrinkly and roughened, so use lip sunscreen as well. A few more things that make your face more wrinkled: smoking, drinking through straws (makes lines around your mouth), and sleeping on your side so that your face is smooshed against the pillow all night. One more thing that i would do: wear sufficiently large sunglasses whenever your’re in the sun to prevent you from squinting (causes wrinkles) and to get more UV protection for your eyes.
Gina Thompson Says:
As a skin care specialist for a plastic surgery center, I agree that healthy living and sunscreen are your best bets to avoid premature aging. I would say that hyperpigmentation or sun spots is the #1 concern of the majority of my clients. Once you reach your late 30’s and beyond, you may have to start fighting the aging process. Fortunatetly, when it’s time to fight back, there are unlimited products and Aesthetic treatments available to keep you looking and feeling young.
Tonya Says:
As an older reader (55) I’m always looking for products that help reverse time! I haven’t found one yet. I love the out of doors and use sun screen and a wide brimmed hat. But time does march on. I just hope to slow it down a bit.
The best ways to age... - MakeupTalk Says:
[...] best ways to age… From the Beauty Brains: What Should a 20-Something Do About Aging? Jessica?s asking about aging: It seems to me that the best way to keep my skin looking great and [...]
Lynnette Says:
I am curious since I am considering laser on two wrinkles I have, but they are not from sun damage.
Will the lasers work on them? You stated that lasers and led work on sun damaged/photo aged skin. Since my wrinkles are “my mothers!!!,” I want them GONE!
Work or not?
buenos dias,
Lynnette
Gina Thompson Says:
Lynette,
1st of all, LED can be quite effective in treating sun damage and broken capillaries (red and brown) and maybe a bit of skin tightening. Laser resurfacing (fraxel, pixel, erbium and CO2 tends to work best on smoothing fine lines around the eyes (periorbital, around the mouth (perioral) and in the cheek and forehead areas. If you have just a couple of deep wrinkles, you should consider Botox for the upper face (frown and forehead lines) or dermal fillers (like Restylane and Juvederm) for the lower face (nasolabial folds and marrionette lines). Or you can just take really great care of your skin. With a healthy glow, no one probably notices those 2 wrinkles, but you. Good luck.
lauren Says:
there are many peer reviewed studies that show L-ascorbic acid at the proper pH (and only that particular form of vitamin C) is effective in preventing and repairing sundamage, which is a huge part of skin aging. So vitamin C applied topically is useful, although it has to be “L-ascorbic”, which, in water solutions is unstable and oxidizes quickly, but in, say, a silicone base, remains stable (skinmedica makes one with lots of research backing it)
thebeautybrains Says:
Alright, you’re right there are some studies showing an improvement of skin treated with Vitamin C (eg. this one) when delivered from a silicone base. The Perricone product above is a water based product. There are studies like this one that show water-based vitamin C treatments don’t have any effect.
I’m intrigued by the Skinmedica. I’ll have to do a bit more research. Thanks.
Left Brain
Lindsay Says:
Thanks so much for this very helpful string of questions and answers! I’m also a 20-something trying my best to be (and look!) healthy while juggling contradictory advice on the topic. How refreshing to find a solution that is simple - both to understand and to apply.