If you’re like me, you are bombarded with choices of anti-aging topicals, from face creams and serums to miracle creams for crepey skin on arms, thighs, and buttocks. I have gotten sucked into fad creams that offer unrealistic results and spent an inordinate amount of money on them. The draw of having youthful skin that has fewer wrinkles, more moisture, and fewer age spots from a cream that is applied topically sounds fantastic. A serum that could be applied at night and you could wake to a smoother, tighter face would be miraculous. But are there products on the market that meet these claims? Is there validity to products marketed as miracles for anti-aging skin? How safe are these products and what exactly is in them? Silver Chats did the research and here’s what we discovered.
There is little regulation on the ingredient claims in beauty products. The FDA regulates ingredients, labeling, and allergens. That being said, the products and ingredients of the beauty industry do not have to be approved by the FDA before they go on the market. Despite an industry estimated at $48 billion, the US government has no legal authority to control the health and safety of cosmetic products or ingredients on the market today.
As we age we all start to notice the changes in our skin, from our face to our feet. It is a natural part of aging caused by less fat and collagen in the deeper layers of our dermis. We produce less collagen and we lose elasticity. The loss of elastic tissue or elastin, causes our skin to hang loosely and develop wrinkles. Other factors contribute to our aging skin like sun exposure, air pollutants, smoking, stress, obesity, vitamin D deficiency, gravity, family history, and even the position you sleep.
So if it’s a natural part of aging and many causes of aging skin are environmental, are topical products futile? Is there anything we can do to mitigate or improve our aging skin? The answer is yes. There is no miracle cream, serum, or product on the market to reverse aging, but if we take a holistic approach to our bodies, our skin will show the results. What are the factors in a holistic aging approach to skincare? It encompasses diet, hydration, sun protection, AND skincare products. Let’s take a look:
- DIET
There is no single more important component to healthy skin than diet. A diet full of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and foods high in antioxidants can improve skin appearance and delay signs of aging. Limiting or avoiding alcohol and sugar can reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Alcohol dehydrates your skin and increases inflammation, and the sugar in cocktails and other alcoholic drinks causes cell damage, which leads to dull and sallow skin. The inflammation caused by both sugar and alcohol can break down collagen and sugar can harden it. Feeding our skin from the inside out is the number one way to combat aging skin and improve upon it.
- HYDRATION
The second most important component of healthy skin is hydration. Hydration helps the skin look younger and delays signs of aging by adding water to the skin, replenishing tissue, and increasing elasticity. Hydrated skin appears softer, smoother, and plumper, and can help prevent wrinkles and fine lines. Hydration can also improve the skin’s ability to heal. Drinking enough water is essential for maintaining skin moisture and delivering nutrients to skin cells. Well-hydrated skin also is less sensitive to irritants and germs. Drinking enough water ensures we get the oxygen we need to aid in cellular regeneration and collagen production. Milk, juices, soft drinks, coffee, beer, and alcoholic beverages are not a source of hydration. Consuming these products as a source of hydration contains empty calories, sugar, and caffeine and is not recommended.
- SUN PROTECTION
UVA and UVB rays from the sun can contribute to premature aging and sun damage. Using sun protection when outside is the 3rd most important factor in anti-aging skin care. I am not a proponent of using sunscreen. But, many people use it because the medical field recommends it. There are too many toxins in them and I choose not to put them on my skin. Sunscreen prevents sunburn by blocking UVB light which theoretically means sunscreen use lowers Vitamin D levels.
However, it is an option. When choosing a sunscreen, look at the ingredient list and avoid products that contain Homosalate, Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Oxybenzone, Parabens, or Retinyl palmitate. These ingredients are all harmful or toxic to the skin. Sunscreen sprays that contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide can also be harmful if ingested when applied and can damage the gastrointestinal tract.
I choose to wear a hat, never exposing my face to UV rays; I wear long-sleeved sunshade shirts long pants, and lightweight shoes that cover my feet. Whatever the choice of sun protection, it is needed to prevent cellular skin damage.
- SKINCARE PRODUCTS
The meat of our discussion is skin care products. Do they work? Are they worth the price? What is in them and are they safe? Silver Chats researched the ingredients in the most expensive anti-aging serum on the market, $1800.00 per fluid oz, and the most popular anti-aging cream, $47.79. It’s the ingredient list that tells the real story of all the products available on the market and it’s that list that companies base their claims on effectiveness.
–The most expensive anti-aging serum has a very long list of essential oils. Chamomile, rose, Calendula, burdock, marshmallow root, jojoba, green tea, aloe etc, 35 of them. Now, as an essential oil connoisseur, I can tell you that there are no miracles here. I have been making my cream for almost 10 years and mine is full of essential oils too. It costs less than 10.00 to make, and my essential oil ingredients are very similar to the $1800.00 fluid-ounce product.
–The most popular anti-aging product contains retinol and an ingredient list full of chemicals. Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin in the vitamin A family found in food and used as a dietary supplement. This vitamin is needed for vision, cellular development, maintaining skin and mucous membranes, immune function, and reproduction processes. It is used as an ingredient in skin care products for reducing wrinkles, fine lines, and acne. In 2021 vitamin A was in the top 300 most commonly prescribed medications in the USA, with over 500,000 prescriptions written.
The retinol active compound used in skin products is synthesized from Vitamin A from retinal to retinol. Industrial production of retinol is done through a total synthesis of animal feed. 3 companies in the world control 96% of global vitamin A sales and, therefore, are the sources for all retinol used in anti-aging skin products. There are side effects when used in excess including liver toxicity, dry skin, hair loss, birth defects, and osteoporosis.
When used according to directions, Retinol increases skin cell production, helps unclog pores, exfoliates the skin, increases collagen production, and can reduce fine lines and wrinkles. You should not use retinol if you’re pregnant, nursing, or have sensitive, dry skin or rosacea.
As we age, we lose moisture in our skin, and oftentimes, it becomes dry and itchy. This is due to a few factors: decreased sebaceous oil production, sun damage, decreased cell renewal, hormone changes, and thinning skin. Retinol can cause dryness and irritation. I don’t recommend its use on aging skin. If you choose to use it, be aware of the side effects and follow directions on the package or from your provider.
List of ingredients to be avoided in all anti-aging creams, serums, and lotions:
-Parabens – a petroleum product that is an endocrine disruptor.
-Parabens listed as fragrances – synthetic fragrances that cause allergies, dizziness, rashes, skin irritation, pigmentation problems, and hyperactivity.
(labeled as DSMDM, hydration, quaternion-15, Bronopol, urea, Diazolidinyl, formalin, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.
-Coconut oil – Face masks and moisturizers formulated with coconut oil clog pores and irritate.
-Phthalates- are an endocrine disruptor that can cause hormonal and fertility issues and birth defects.
-Mineral oil – is a petroleum byproduct and is considered carcinogenic.
The choice of using an anti-aging skin product should be thoroughly researched before purchase and use. Marketing campaigns that expound on the use of topical skin products as the answer to aging skin should be viewed with caution. Ingredients should be referenced and checked to verify usage, possible side effects, and validity of marketing claims.
The takeaway from all the information on anti-aging skin products is that the best option for maintaining our skin and its youthful qualities is through a holistic approach. No one product is going to fix, maintain, or guarantee youthful skin through topical application.
A holistic approach to skincare from the inside out and the outside in is needed. The top factors in anti-aging skin care are diet, hydration, sun protection, and thoroughly researched skin care products. Adding a collagen supplement, hyaluronic acid (not topical), Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10 and green tea blends will round out an aging skincare routine.
Silver Chats hopes that this blog offers some insight into the multi-billion dollar anti-aging skin care market. I highly recommend proceeding with caution before spending money on products marketed as “the most effective” or “guaranteed results.”
Although we all will experience age-related skin issues, lifestyle, supplements, and carefully chosen skin care products can have positive effects on our skincare, not reversing us to our youth but allowing us to be our best.