Despite a booming beauty industry, there are very few ingredients that are proven to improve the signs of aging—and many aren’t great for you. Want results without harsh chemicals or skin irritation? Here are our favourite natural skincare ingredients that really work!
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and it boosts collagen production when applied topically. Unfortunately, drinking OJ won’t give you firmer skin. It also reduces the appearance of pigmentation and inflammation. Although effective and often found in natural skincare products, vitamin C is difficult to package and keep stable. It often breaks down before you’ve made your way through a bottle of serum. So be choosy about the vitamin C products you buy.
Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Alpha hydroxy acids chemically exfoliate, like a gentle peel. Glycolic acid comes from sugar cane. Lactic acid is usually milk-derived (so not vegan), but can also be synthetic, so read labels carefully. Other popular exfoliating acids include malic, from apples, tartaric, from grapes and citric, from citrus fruit.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another antioxidant. As you probably know, antioxidants protect you from skin damaging free radicals. These free radicals can cause premature aging, like wrinkles and loss of collagen. While it’s naturally occurring in the skin like collagen, vitamin E levels drop with age and exposure to environmental stressors. Applying vitamin E topically can protect the skin from those same stressors: sun damage and pollution.
Hyaluronic Acid
Also naturally occurring in our bodies, hyaluronic acid helps our skin stay hydrated. But, like some of the ingredients above, it can be depleted over time. Not all hyaluronic acid in skincare products is found in nature. Natural hyaluronic acid is obtained through wheat fermentation, but synthetic versions of the ingredient are considered safe and just as effective.
SPF
If you protect your skin from the sun, you won’t need as many of the ingredients above. As we recently posted, while there are lots of sunscreen ingredients to choose from, the only two that are proven to be safe are zinc and titanium dioxide. Choose a great sunscreen and wear it daily to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and sagging skin.
Want to see real skincare results? Visit us for a FREEZE facial You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the difference you see after just one session.
Recent Comments