As time goes by, our skin loses firmness and elasticity, wrinkles start to appear and sun exposure, smoking and an unhealthy lifestyle all contribute to speed up the process, making us age faster. Hoping to turn back the hands of time, lots of women are willing to spends hundreds of dollars every year on anti-aging creams and serums (those don’t usually come cheap!) promising to erase wrinkles, smooth and firm skin and generally make us look 10 years younger. But do these products really work?
The short answer is, they help and to an extent, they work but sadly, not in the way we hope. There’s only so much anti-aging creams can do and if you want smooth, wrinkle-free skin, you’ll have to undergo some nip and tuck. As for creams, here’s what they can do:
Hydrated skin looks younger
Anti-ageing creams contain moisturizing ingredients that hydrate skin. And when skin is hydrated, it looks plumper, fuller and the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines is reduced, making you look younger. But these results are only temporary and when the moistuzing effects are over or you stop using the cream, your skin will go back to the way it was, wrinkles and all.
AHAs & BHA smooth skin
Alpha Hydroxy Acids, like Glycol Acid or Lactic Acid, and BHA (Salicylic Acid) have exfoliant properties. They remove the dead skin cells on the surface, thus revealing the brighter and healthier skin underneath. This smooths out skin and helps reduce wrinkles, especially those around the eyes and mouth.
Antioxidants help prevent damage
Antioxidants, like Vitamins C and E, Green Tea, Grapeseed Extract and Coenzyme Q10 to name a few, fight and neutralize free radicals, the main cause of ageing. However, while antioxidants can help further damage ie. new wrinkles from forming, they can’t get rid of wrinkles that already exist. Still, they are a precious ally in the fight against ageing.
Vitamin A can help reduce wrinkles (but don’t expect miracles!)
Lots of ingredients are touted to help reduce wrinkles but like mentioned above, they can only reduce their appearance or prevent them from forming. The only exception is Vitamin A (Retinoids). Vitamin A can prevent free radical damage, exfoliate skin, reduce the depletion of collagen that occurs over time and even boosting its production. And it is the only ingredient that has the science to back up its reducing wrinkles claims. Of course, that doesn’t mean that if you start using Retinoids, you will look 10 years younger in a week. You need to use it regularly to see the results and even then, you’ll have to wait a while before you start to see a slight improvement.
The Bottom Line
Anti-ageing creams aren’t miracle products that can reverse the signs of time. What they do is simply plump up skin so the wrinkles appear, but aren’t, reduced and, if they contain high enough concentrations of antioxidants, they can prevent new ones from forming. Retinoids are the anti-aging superstars as they can reduce wrinkles but only if the concentrations aren’t too small. And even then, it’ll take a while to see the first results. And they certainly don’t work as well as Botox, no cream or ingredient does. If they did, we’d all have smooth, wrinkle-free skin. If that’s what you’re expecting, you’re bound to be left disappointed.
What do you think of anti-aging creams? Do you use them?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I do believe prevention is better than cure. I have tried several anti-aging creams. While I don’t have wrinkles except for the habitual frown lines on my forehead, I do have fine lines here and there, and after using these creams, the depth of the lines has definitely reduced. And my naso-labial folds did show some signs of sagging, but now seems slightly more lifted.
Tried Estee Lauder Time Zone. Really works! Had reviewed it last year.
Now trying Lancome Renergie Morpholift R.A.R.E. for the past month. Quite promising. The eye serum and eye cream from this range work quite effectively, as my eye bags have significantly lessened. Now only using the eye cream, using both the serum and cream is rather steep in terms of the price.
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Vonvon, I agree. The only way to completely remove wrinkles completely once they’re formed is with botox or other fillers, so preventing new wrinkles from forming by using the right skincare products full of antioxidants, sunscreen and living a healthy lifestyle is the best thing to do.
I’m so glad to hear those products are working for you, especially since they are so expensive. I’ve heard good things about the Estee Lauder Time Zone range, I just wish it wasn’t so expensive. I’ve been using a sample of their new Advanced Night Repeair Serum and so far it performs just ok. I haven’t seen much of a different to be honest, but I guess that’s because I don’t really have any deep wrinkles, just some fine lines.
I prefer serums over creams as they lighter in texture and absorb quicker on my skin. So far, all the anti-aging creams I’ve tried kind of just sit on my skin and don’t absorb well. Is there one you would recommend me to try Gio?
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Dee, I know what you mean. I hate when creams don’t seem to absorb well but if they contain good ingredients then they will provide benefits. The thing is that they work by preventing damage rather than reducing it so that’s why it seems like they aren’t doing anything, cos it takes years to see the results. Since you like serums, have you tried Estee Lauder Perfectionist Wrinkle Lifting Serum? It’s expensive but it’s packed with efficient antioxidants. A drugstore version of the serum Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum. They contain pretty much the same ingredients and work the same way, the main difference is the price.
I agree with a previous poster about prevention being key. Keep your skin hydrated and UV-free now and you’re better off later. Because, honestly, most of those anti-aging products don’t work.
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Trisha, I agree. Nothing can get rid of wrinkles once they are formed, all those creams do is hydrate skin so that it looks plumper and, if the concentration of antioxidants is high enough, fight free radical formation, which will prevent new wrinkles from forming. Well, some of them at least cos we are going to age in the end, it’s only natural.
I agree with the first commentor too that prevention is huge (but I didn’t start wearing sunscreen until 10 years ago and used to be really tan) so now I’m trying to make up for my mistakes with anti-aging products! I use retinoids (Renova), plus antioxidants, AHAs and BHAs sometimes, and I take a bunch of vitamins every day. I agree that nothing works that well, but it’s better than nothing. And if I had more money, I would jump at getting Botox again because in the last few months I’ve suddenly acquired permanent forehead wrinkles. Before they would go away after frowning, but now they are always there:(((((( And crow’s feet – I’ve had those for 5 years. UGH.
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Jeni, you’re using very good ingredients so I’m sure they’ll counteract part of the damage but yeah, sadly there’s only so little creams can do. Prevention is definitely the key when it comes to anti-ageing cos once wrinkles are formed the only way to completely remove them is Botox. I’m not too keen on it though, I’m too scared of needles!
Hi! I’d like to ask if you were able to try and review the Ageloc Transformation set made by Nu Skin? According to its distributors and in their company website, this latest set of products in their anti-aging line can target the “ultimate source of aging” by going beyond just minimizing the signs.
Lovely, no, I didn’t try the set because, even if their products are good, I don’t think they are that good to justify their price tag. The serum for instance has some antioxidant ingredients like glucosamine and hexapeptite, which has been shown to rebuild collagen and so reduce fine lines, but there’s no research saying they’re the best antioxidants ingredients out there. Same for the day moisturizer. I like that it contains broad-spectrum sunscreen and a couple of antioxidants, but it’s also full of silicones to make skin look and feel smoother. I think that, overall, the products in the set will benefit skin, but I’d rather go for cheaper but still valid alternatives.
Hmm.. do you think essential oils as anti-ageing “agents” ? Specifically, I’m having the olive leaf extract in mind.
Carina, some essential oils have antioxidant properties and yes, olive leaf extract is one of those.
After reading this, I’m really going to purchase a physical sunscreen and perhaps a antioxidant packed serum. Lately I’ve been more keen on buying anti ageing serums/creams. Now I know I’ve been focusing on the wrong thing. I have no wrinkles (yet) though I want to prevent them. I just had no direction on where to start preventing them (newbie to actual skincare though I’ve started the so called 3 step program when I was 13). Just didn’t take it seriously.
Beautifulwithbrains, do you know any good rich vitamin serums out there that is worth trying/buying?
Katrina, a broad spectrum sunscreen and a serum packed with antioxidants is definitely the way to go when it comes to prevent wrinkles. Anti-aging creams can be good too but you really need to know what ingredients to look for or you’ll just waste your money on products that won’t work as well as promised.
Clinique CX Antioxidant Rescue Serum, Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Mattifying Concentrate Serum, for Normal to Very Oily Skin and Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum, for Normal to Very Dry Skin are all good options.
Thanks so much for the suggestions and will try to get samples of these asap. Hoping for the best
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And sad thing is, with so many products out there in the market, it can be overwhelming for such a person to find a good product that will deliver :S. Retinal, peptides and amino acids should do the trick though hard to find products that won’t make you go broke.
Anyways I’ll focus on finding a good night cream once I find a good vitamin serum. Thanks again!!
Katrina, you’re welcome. I hope you’ll be able to get the samples soon. And you’re right, it’s not easy to find a good product these days. There are so many products out there and most of them make exaggerated claims that it’s hard to know which ones deliver an which ones don’t. And those that have effective concentrations are usually so expensive! So not fair.
Yes! It is a shame! They make me go nutz searching for good products with a good amount of ingredients, let alone containing the right amount of concentration of them.
The Clinique is only available around Europe and I tried going to the Canadian site of Clinique and the counters here (no luck, since I’m Canadian :’( ) and Paula’s Choice Serums are available online for me though
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Katrina, I agree. It shouldn’t be that hard to find well-formulated products. What a shame the Clinique serum isn’t available in Canada. But at least Paula’s Choice products are and they’re cheaper.
Serum yes yes I think my oily skin prefer serum more than moisturizer my fav serum is from PC
I would not say serum alone do wonders on skin but a combination of adequate sunscreen , exfloliant they work as a team
The Vitamin a is a tricky part need to try n be patience to find your match
Simonne, I don’t oily skin needs a moisturizer but a good antioxidant serum is a must. I agree with you that a combination of sunscreen, exfoliant and antioxidants works best at prevent aging and reduce some of the damage it causes to skin.