If you believe everything you read on the internet, you may think that dry skin causes wrinkles. Yet, research has shown that there is no cause and effect relationship between the two.
Wrinkles are caused by a range of factors including sun damage, muscle movement, hormone loss and fat loss. Despite this, you’ll find ads claiming that fixing your dry skin will banish your wrinkles. Yes, dry skin looks more wrinkled than well moisturized skin so it makes sense that applying a moisturizer will help to alleviate the dryness that makes skin appear older. However, the dryness isn’t the cause of the wrinkles, it just makes them more noticeable. Oily skin may look less wrinkled because it has a built-in moisturizer, which helps skin appear smoother, but it isn’t necessarily any less wrinkled. Moisturizers (like oils in skin) minimize the appearance of wrinkles, but won’t help to repair the damage that caused the wrinkles in the first place.
Without a doubt, the main cause of wrinkles is sun damage. Look no further than your own skin for the proof. If you’re older than 35, compare parts of your body that are exposed to UV light daily with parts that are covered up most of the time. You’ll notice that your inner arms, inner thighs and abdomen display minimal signs of aging – they’ll be firmer, more elastic and display an evenly toned color. It’s a sure bet that your face, décolleté, and outer arms which get regular sun exposure, won’t share the same fate.
Beyond using a moisturizer, what can you do to minimize wrinkles? Your first step should be to find and use an effective UVA and UVB blocking sunscreen every day. Boring – yes, but because sun damage is the biggest contributor to skin aging, this one treatment should form the basis for your anti-aging skin care regimen.
Beyond sunscreen, other ingredients have been proven to deliver skin benefits:
- Antioxidants. Antioxidants decrease free radical damage and can reduce inflammation, which leads to the breakdown of collagen and contributes to wrinkles. Applied in conjunction with your sunscreen, they can help to boost its effectiveness. Check out Apothekari Brilliant C Serum or Apothekari Undercover Agent Serum.
- Cell-communicating Ingredients. Retinoids (Vitamin A derivatives such as retinaldehyde, retinol or retinoic acid) and peptides (Matrixyl for example), help skin cells mimic the behavior of healthy, young skin cells. They can help boost collagen production and increase skin cell turnover, which improves the look of skin. Try Apothekari A is for Anti-Aging Retinal Serum, Green Cream or Neostrata Wrinkle Repair.
Great skin doesn’t take miracles, just baby steps that you must follow every day!
