Q: I’ve noticed my fine lines becoming deeper and more pronounced. Are there any natural products that can help?
Licensed esthetician Catie Wiggy responds:
I have worked with several clients who say their biggest skincare challenge is deepening lines and wrinkles.
At times it can feel like you wake up looking 10 years older, overnight. One thing’s for certain: you’re not alone. We all age, and with the passing years come wrinkles, lines and a visible loss of firmness in our skin. The sun’s UV rays, environmental pollutants and hormones are just a few factors that contribute to aging skin. With all that our skin endures, preventative measures are a great way to slow down the process.
Look for skin care products containing the following top three anti-aging ingredients:
- Peptides
Peptides are long or short chains of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein (collagen) within the skin. They function as moisture-binding agents and assist in skin repair. One tactic to repair winkles and keep your skin looking young is to replace lost collagen content. When collagen deteriorates, you can use peptides to act as a signal to tell your skin it was damaged and needs to produce new collagen. Since peptides are small, they are able to penetrate the skin’s top protective barriers and work to get into the deeper layers of the skin.
Flood your skin with a potent punch of peptides us Peptide and Anti-Wrinkle Serum. Powerful antioxidants and a unique multi-peptide blend improve skin texture while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Matrixyl® synthe’6™ reduces wrinkle volume by 21% and wrinkle depth by 19% in 8 weeks. Thymulen® 4 stimulates epidermis regeneration reflecting a youthful appearance. Syn®-Tacks Peptide stimulates collagen formation and minimizes wrinkle depth.This must-have anti-aging serum will reduce the look of aging with a comprehensive, nourishing approach to firm, hydrate and smooth the skin. This is one topical product that you will feel and see a difference with.
- Plant Stem Cells
Plant Stems Cells are a revolutionary breakthrough in skin care and they work to slow chronological aging. Plant stem cells are the first topical ingredient to protect human skin stem cells and delay the natural aging process by maintaining the activity of skin stem cells. They work to trigger the skin’s cell potential for infinite regeneration while reducing wrinkle depth. WOW Mother Nature, impressive stuff.
We have been leading the way to employ the power of plant stem cell technology in skin care, including that of buddleja, Edelweiss and gotu kola plants. One plant stem cell-based item that benefits all skin types is the MyChelle Fabulous Eye Cream, which works wonders on those pesky wrinkles around the delicate eye area. Leontopodium alpinum meristem (Edelweiss plant) stem cell culture exhibits anti-aging properties that include firming and reduction of fine lines, plus antioxidant activity. Edelweiss naturally contains cytoprotective (ability to protect cells) properties. This active ingredient has been clinically proven to reduce eye contour area wrinkle depth by 15% after only 20 days of treatment. Oh, and did I mention, you can use the Fabulous Eye Cream as a spot treatment on the fine lines around the mouth? Yes, you can! Bye-bye fine lines and wrinkles.
- Vitamin A
Vitamin A is considered a go-to ingredient for healthy skin, and is, in fact, one of only two topicals recognized by the FDA to have anti-aging properties. Various forms of retinoids (vitamin A) have been explored and tested for the treatment of aging and many of them have shown histological and clinical improvement. There are a variety of retinoids widely used in topical skin care medicines, products and cosmetics, mainly due to the way they regulate healthy epidermal cell growth.
Give your skin a daily dose of vitamin A with the MyChelle Vitamin A Plus Serum containing skin-refining vitamin A-retinol and nourishing antioxidants to improve the texture and smoothness of rough, dull and congested skin. Retinol is a fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin used in the treatment of blemishes due to its ability to separate dead skin cells from live skin cells, thus expediting the removal of pore-clogging debris. Retinol is also effective in resurfacing skin texture and promoting collagen formation to reduce wrinkles. The MyChelle Vitamin A Plus Serum combines retinol and naturally-derived Vit-A-Like™ to resurface skin, clearing pore blockage and minimizing the appearance of lines. Argan oil, naturally high in Vitamin E and Essential Fatty Acids, works to balance sebum production.
At MyChelle we believe there’s beauty in aging, and we’re all about embracing it—even if you have to wrangle with a wrinkle or two along the way. Just remember no matter what topical products you’re using, the truth is, the leading cause of aging in the skin is sun damage.
With that being said, use sun protection daily to keep your skin healthy and safe; it really is the most important anti-aging product you can use. MyChelle has an array of non-toxic, natural sun protectants that will guard against both UVA and UVB rays. A fan favorite this time of year is the Coconut Sunshield which smells like the beach but protects your skin from the sun’s damaging rays.