Saturday, April 4, 2020
Bad skincare habits are hard to beat. Maybe you were careless in your teens and 20s, regularly forgoing sunscreen, skipping washing your face at night or frequenting tanning beds despite your mother’s warnings. Now, the results of your choices are slowly showing up on your skin, taking the form of fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots and other signs of aging.
Unfortunately, you can’t turn back time, but you can take action to undo some of the damage—and prevent wrinkles from settling in deeper—by turning to proven products to restore your skin to its more youthful days (without losing all of the wisdom you’ve acquired along the way). In an effort to track down the best anti-aging products that dermatologists swear by, we asked some of the top board-certified pros out there to share their skincare secrets. While the following creams, serums, and sunscreens don’t exactly boast magical powers, they’re about as close as you can get to a genie in a bottle.
Seeing as there are new antiaging skin-care products on the market each day, it’s important to know what to look for to address your top concerns. “Self-educating about ingredients, speaking to your board-certified dermatologist and other non-physician skin professionals, and trial and error are all going to be part of figuring out what’s most helpful for you,” Jessica Krant, M.D., dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York and Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, tells SELF. So we spoke to dermatologists about which products they personally use and rely on for antiaging benefits. See their top recommendations below.
1. Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment
Whether you use an over-the-counter or prescription strength option, retinoids like adapalene are a key ingredient in the fight against visible signs of aging. “They increase collagen production and the rate of skin cell turnover, and are highly effective at improving the texture of skin and giving it a glow, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, evening out skin tone and even decreasing pore size,” Dr. Marchbein says. The best of the best over-the-counter brand in her opinion is Differin 0.1% gel, which she recommends using at night. “Apply a small pea-sized amount to the entire face 30 minutes after washing your face.”
2. SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF
This is Dr. Marchbein’s favorite antioxidant serum to help protect against free radical damage, a key step in her daily skincare routine. “Formulated with Phloretin, 10 percent L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and ferulic acid, this antioxidant serum is meant to be used every morning under moisturizer with sunscreen and is good for all skin types, although I especially love using this for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin since this formula won’t make you break out,” she says. “It can help reduce the appearance of brown spots, evens skin tone and protects from further sun damage.”
3. Neostrata Foaming Glycolic Facial Cleanser
This cleanser is a crowd pleaser for brightening and exfoliating the skin in a gentler fashion, according to Sapna Palep, M.D., dermatologist, founder of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City and Clinical Instructor at Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Dermatology. It contains higher concentrations of glycolic acid, so it’s like doing a mini chemical peel. It can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding when many things cannot be used. Start out using a couple of times a week and slowly increase to daily.
4. Care Skincare Tireless Retinoid Night Serum
This retinol-containing serum “renews and repairs the skin overnight to reduce fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation for a visibly brighter, smoother complexion,” Deanne Mraz Robinson, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital and co-creator Pure BioDerm, tells SELF.
5. Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar
"The TriHex technology targets damaged collagen and elastin in the dermis and helps take it away, which makes room for the new [cells]," says Dr. Waldorf. "I've been having my patients use it before and after resurfacing procedures like Fraxel Dual to improve their results, but it can also then be used as a maintenance."
6. TIZO Photoceutical AM Replenish
“This is a great option for someone who wants to keep their morning skin care routine simple,” says Vivian Bucay, MD, FAAD, dermatologist at Bucay Center for Dermatology and Aesthetics in San Antonio. “The formulation is oil-, paraben-, dye- and fragrance-free, and I like TiZO sunscreens because they are mineral-only sunscreens, which are less sensitizing and more stable than their chemical sunscreen counterparts.” With an SPF of 40, this one fights UV rays while feeling light on your skin and giving you a healthy glow. It contains cermides to maintain the skin’s lipid barrier (i.e., keep moisture in), and vitamins C and E to help neutralize free radicals, says Dr. Bucay.
7. Skinceuticals C E Ferulic
A darling product among dermatologists for years, this serum, while pricey, proves that a little goes a long way. The small, dark bottle is packed with 15-percent pure vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps with DNA repair—that in turn brightens the skin and improves brown spots and fine lines, says Dr. Garshick. “Because some formulations of vitamin C are unstable, not all vitamin C products are created equal,” she says. “This one is formulated in a way that maintains its stability, giving way to great results.” Once absorbed, vitamin C can remain effective for a minimum of 72 hours, so you don’t need to use this serum every day.
8. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream
Hyaluronic acid is an impressive hydrating ingredient, as it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. When your skin is properly hydrated it’s less likely to emphasize signs of aging such as dull or sagging skin. Even wrinkles appear smoother when the skin is adequately moist. That’s why this is Dr. Krant’s go-to daily moisturizer.
“It’s fragrance-free, absorbs in without a greasy feeling, and also hydrates with a silky feel that sticks around,” she says. “It layers well under anything and helps other antiaging products absorb better.”
9. Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules
“Ceramides help to bind skin cells together, which not only restores the skin barrier and locks in moisture, but acts like a buffer to prevent any irritation from retinol,” Dr. Engelman says. This product, which contains both ceramides and retinol, “is incredibly effective at restoring skin cell turnover while keeping the skin firm and hydrated.”