QuestionHi,
I'm 29 years old. My skin is oily, acne-prone, large pores around nose cheek area, and I was sun tanning alot throughout my 20's. Now i'm noticing my skin has wrinkles developing around the eyes, some crow's feet and it seems to be more saggy and less elastic. I was wondering is it safe for me to use products which are targeted towards 50+ to help prevent further sagging and wrinkles? It states on those products they are meant to help women with lifting their skin? I feel like my skin has very poor elasticity now will those products geared towards that age group be beneficial with my skin?
Thanks.
AnswerHi Joan!
I would not recommend that you go on a complete skin care regimen intended for aging skin. The reason for this is that although you may be having signs of premature aging, a number of anti-aging products may be too heavy for you. Many moisturizers and masks designed for aging skin are heavier in weight and have more emollients. Since you're experiencing trouble oil and breakouts, I wouldn't want you to spend a fortune on these products only to have them increase the oil on your skin and increase your breakout potential. There are some options though, so let's look at them.
You might want to consider one or two specialty serums that address fine lines/wrinkles and skin firmness. You can add in specialty treatments to your daily regimen without having to change every product. There are many, many products out there that will specifically address this issue without being formulated into a moisturizer.
For your daily routine, I would stick with a facial wash that addresses your concerns with oil and breakouts. Gentle exfoliation should be done once or twice a week - without the use of harsh scrubs. These are terrible for the skin and will lead to further breakdown of the skin tissues. You'll want to find a quality, professional daily treatment serum for fine lines/wrinkles and firming. These will come in a liquid rather than cream form. Look for ingredients such as vitamin C (L-Ascorbic acid), Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl palmitate, etc.) and peptides. The list goes on and on for ingredients that target aging. These are just a few of my favorites. Your daily moisturizer should be light and not increase the oil on your skin. An anti-aging toner or mist that boosts the anti-oxidant level in your skin would also be helpful.
I definitely suggest trying a professional brand (available from licensed skin care therapists). You will find that these products have much higher efficacy than many OTC brands as a result of their high content of bio-active ingredients.
So, to recap: Don't change your entire routine. Instead, keep a normal, quality regimen for your skin type (oily) - but add in a specialty product or two to work on the aging skin conditions - a serum, possibly a new exfoliant and toner depending on what you're currently working with.
Best of luck!
Casey Durrett, LEI
www.skinphd.com
skinhints.blogspot.com
