When it comes to anti-aging skincare, the question is the right timing: When should you start using these products? In your 30s? 40s? When wrinkles start to show?
Experts say signs of premature aging like wrinkles and sagging skin may begin to appear as early as in our mid-20s. This can be frightening for some who are not yet ready to welcome these changes.
But it is natural. “Aging is a part of life, but it should not be bad. It’s not supposed to be something that we fear or something that we dread as we age,” opined L’Oreal luxe division manager Cary Co-Choa.
“What we are really encouraging everyone is to embrace aging,” she added.
Start from the inside out
During the launch of one of L’Oreal’s brands’ new product, Manila Standard had a chance to sit with experts who offered tips on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Celebrity diet coach Nadine Tengco emphasized the role food plays in our overall health. She recommended eating more healthy, home-cooked food and avoiding processed and salty foods. Unhealthy eating habits without physical activity are the cause of weight gain, she warned.
Speaking of physical activity, Name, a sports scientist from the Physiare Physical Therapy Center, advised taking regular breaks from working to stretch, walk around, and do a bit of exercise to ease tight muscles and prevent backaches.
Dr. Mara Evangelista-Huber of Levana Dermatology Clinic said to treat the skin with great care because it protects the body from external stressors that may harm it.
Dealing with signs of aging
Kiehl’s new Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum is formulated to combat the signs of aging and provide youthful glow without irritation and other uncomfortable side effects from traditional retinol formulas.
Lerizze Tan, Kiehl’s online brand manager, said retinol was considered the gold standard ingredient in treating signs of aging because it accelerates skin cell turnover.
She said it “helps shed dead skin cells, actively brings in fresh new cells in the surface of the skin, and stimulates collagen production which slows down with age and is affected by sun exposure”.
However, retinol causes irritation and discomfort such as dullness, redness, dryness, and pain, especially for people with sensitive skin, according to Tan.
Kiehl’s came up with a dermatologist solution. The Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum was developed through a breakthrough approach called “micro-dosing” to strengthen the skin barrier and increase skin’s tolerance to retinol from the first application.
In addition to pure retinol, it has peptides and ceramides that Tan said, “complement elastin reserves that help in aging” and “build retinol tolerance”.
Power without pain
A clinical study Kiehl’s conducted revealed Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum reduced visible wrinkles by 100 percent, improved firmness by 90 percent, and refined texture by 94 percent within 12 weeks.
Another test showed reduced wrinkles after four weeks of use and firmer skin after eight weeks.
For starters who want an ageless skin routine, Kiehl’s recommends using the retinol serum after toner, followed by moisturizer and sunscreen for better protection.
The product can be applied on the areas where signs of aging may appear, such as around the eye, neck, décolletage, and back of the hand. It can be used daily, day or night, without adjustment period necessary. It is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
Tan said users could also combine Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution with the Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen to combat dark spots and dry skin.
To fight skin aging, she advised pairing the new serum with Kiehl’s Line-Reducing Vitamin C Eye Serum, Super Multi-Corrective Cream, and sunscreen.
Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum is now available in stores and online at the brand’s LazMall for P4,950.