At what age should you start using anti-aging products?
Quite a lot of you gals asked me this question when I posted Avon's latest serum. It seems that there's some confusion about the proper age for starting an anti-aging regimen, but that's the thing: there's no standard recommended age! Even anti-aging ads don't drop exact numbers as to when you should start using the products, if you've noticed. It's very vague. Here's why.
Your skin is unique due to genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Some women can look incredibly young for their age, while others are prone to premature wrinkles and sallowness. If you're lucky to have fabulous genes then good for you. But even so, excessive drinking (of alcohol), sun exposure, stress, or lack of sleep can hasten the aging process. Your skin won't be able to regenerate as quickly or as thoroughly if you don't do basic maintenance.
In other words, you should drink lots of water, wear sunscreen everyday, avoid alcohol and sleep as much as possible. I know it sounds trite but this is advice you can bet your life on! You will age slower if you religiously do all of the above - with or without a knockout anti-aging serum.
Anti-aging beauty products won't stop the hands of time. The best that they can do is brighten skin, fill in wrinkles and even re-inflate them a little over time, and plump up sunken areas of the face. These changes are cosmetic and do not in any way change the course of aging in our body. We wil age no matter what we do, but we can at least trick our skin into thinking we are less old than we should be.
I recommend that you start on anti-aging products the moment you notice age creeping up on you. The first signs would be wrinkles where we stretch our face the most - that would be the corners of the mouth and eyes. This would usually start manifesting by your mid to late 20s. If you're lucky, this would happen well into your 30s.
Start investing in a good eye cream and a heavier moisturizer at night to improve the elasticity of your skin. The wrinkles are likely wont to disappear but at least you're giving your skin more moisture and a fighting chance of not developing worse wrinkles.
Should you be using preventive anti-aging products? If you're in your teens and early 20s, all you need is sunscreen everyday and all the other good natural stuff I recommended above. ;) No need to rub on all sorts of unneccesary products on your young skin! It won't make any sense.
The best eye cream I've tried is La Mer The Eye Balm Intense, but that's, well, La Mer. If you can afford it then by all means grab a jar and laugh in the face of time! I also like the Estee Lauder Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator (although this isn't anti-aging per se, it's better for younger girls). For more intense treatment, the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye is the brand's best seller.
I don't currently use anti-aging serums or creams on my face (I'm 25, I don't feel I need them yet), but these are some well-recommended ones I've come across for your reference:
Avon Anew Clinical Pro Line Corrector with A-F33
Avon Anew Genics Treatment Concentrate
The Anew Reversalist Day and Night creams (Avon is dead serious about anti-aging products)
L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Serum
Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Cream (the most expensive beauty product I've been gifted. It's P20,000 a pop!)
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Night Anti-aging Restorative Cream (this is Elizabeth Arden's flagship anti-aging cream - my mom and aunt super love this!)
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate (great serum!)
I'm not a derma so these are just my opinions, okay. If you're truly concerned about skin aging you must visit a professional soon so she can recommend products and treatments most suited to your condition. ;)
So there you go! Do you use anti-aging products now? What are your favorites? What age did you start? Would love to hear about it. :D
