2023-08-24 09:33:07
Antioxidants, retinol, peptides… Facial skin care creams offer different ingredients that seek to slow down the traces of time. “The perfect cream does not exist,” says dermatologist Natalia Jiménez in her book “Put yourself in your skin” that we resume on the eve of World Skin Care Day.
Facial treatment. EPA/KIYOSHI OTA
“The perfect cream does not exist: the ideal is to use several products throughout the day with the aim of covering the different needs of our skin”, points out the specialist from the Dermatology Service of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid, who recalls that each skin has its own characteristics in each stage of life and even in each season of the year.
The ingredients
In her book, the dermatologist states: “There are really few ingredients that have been scientifically proven to reduce dark spots and wrinkles”, but some of them are part of the creams and the doctor explains their benefits.
Antioxidants for radiance
The cream or serum with antioxidants “is capable of counteracting” the oxidation of the skin that causes the aging process. Most used topical antioxidants: vitamin C; Vitamin E; ferulic acid; resveratrol; idebenone. Vitamin C is one of the most popular and effective. Fruits and vegetables are the main sources in the diet. To prevent and treat the signs of skin aging, the topical use of the cream is effective. Benefits of antioxidants: they brighten and even out the skin as they manage to attenuate blemishes. They can be used during the day, which is the most common, but also at night and throughout the year. Precautions: if this is the first time you are using a product with vitamin C, avoid starting with L-ascorbic acid and use other milder ones such as ascorbyl palm hearts and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.
Retinol, el rey antiaging
Retinoids are molecules derived from beta-carotene, a natural source of vitamin A, present in foods such as carrots, pumpkins, spinach or broccoli.
“Retinol is the king of any antiaging routine. It is difficult to conceive of improving wrinkled skin if we do not use retinol or some of its derivatives”, says the specialist in the book “Put on your skin”.
Bbenefits: refines skin texture; reduces the depth of wrinkles and the size of the pores; fades spots; improves acne scars and stretch marks; and decreases skin flaccidity by forming collagen and elastin.
Precautions: It can irritate the skin, so it is convenient to have medical supervision and go from less to more. The application of sun cream should be 30 minutes before exposure to the sun’s rays. EFE/Migeul Villagran
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to renew the skin
The action of AHAs consists of exfoliating the superficial layers of the skin, allowing its renewal. The best known is glycolic acid. The benefits of glycolic acid consist of giving luminosity to the skin, improving its texture and quality; in high concentrations it is effective against flaccidity; and lightens the tone of the spots. Precautions: at first it can cause flaking and irritation and its gradual use is recommended, in addition to not combining it with retinol.
Peptides against flaccidity
Peptides are small fragments of proteins that are present in our body and that when applied to the skin stimulate it to produce collagen and elastin against flaccidity. It is one of the fashionable ingredients in cosmetics to slow down skin aging.
The dermatologist points out that they are a good option as a companion to other more effective active ingredients, such as retinol, but not as a single product. In addition, they have a good tolerance and it is not necessary to adopt special measures of use.
Hyaluronic acid: the ideal moisturizer
Hyaluronic acid is a skin molecule whose production begins to decrease after the age of 25 and, especially, after the age of 40.
The value of this acid is that it becomes an ideal moisturizer, although the one that is put directly on the skin in the form of a cream or serum is not capable of filling deep wrinkles as such, which is better injected (so-called fillers), but the fine ones do improve the hydration of the upper layers of the skin.
But, in addition, it promotes the creation of collagen and elastin, attacking flaccidity; It has antioxidant capacity and promotes skin healing.
Given the signs of aging, Dr. Natalia Jiménez recommends a care routine in which hyaluronic acid is combined with other active ingredients such as vitamin C and retinol.
Not without sun cream
“We repeat it over and over again that sunscreen is the best anti-aging cream, but… Why is it so difficult for the population to accept this message?” the dermatologist wonders in her book.
The sun is one of the main causes of aging and skin cancer, which is why we must protect ourselves throughout the year, not only when we are exposed to direct sunlight, something that does not quite take hold in the population.
We also believe that all sun creams are greasy or leave our face white, but today there are different formulations that adapt to our needs, in addition to, normally, falling short in the application and frequency of the cream.
Recommendations against the sun dermatologist Natalia Jimenez in the framework of World Skin Care Day, on August 25.
Choose the product that provides the greatest protection, even if we are already tanned. It doesn’t make sense to use a 50 protection factor cream at first and then change it to another 30 to get more tanned. If the bottle has been open for more than a year, it must be changed. Inside the car: The windows of the vehicle do not filter all the radiation that comes from the sun and cause spots and aging, even if it does not burn us. Photoprotection against blue light from screens: it is not dangerous against skin cancer but it can worsen skin spots and cause dehydration.
#search #perfect #face #cream #skin