4 Best Anti-Aging Ingredients for Glowing Skin

Using products with anti-aging ingredients can help take take your skin from dull to radiant.

The key is knowing which ingredients have anti-aging benefits and how to incorporate them effectively into your existing skin care routine. Let’s talk through some of the most effective anti-aging ingredients and how they impact your skin. 

Why choose anti-aging ingredients?

When looking for the best anti-aging ingredients, consider which visible signs of aging you want to address. Here are some of the most common concerns people have about aging skin:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Dark spots
• Loss of volume (especially around the cheekbones, jaw and under the eyes)
• Thin, crepey skin

Each of the skin care ingredients we'll cover today can address at least one of those issues, although they each offer their own unique benefits, too! 

Which ingredients can help you look younger?

While the best anti-aging ingredients are the ones that work most effectively for your skin, there are a few heavy hitters you’ll see most frequently on ingredient labels. Let’s look at each of them so you can see why they're included in many skin care products. 

1. Retinol

We have to start with the holy grail of age-defying ingredients — retinol. 

Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and belongs to the retinoid family. It penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin, past the epidermis (the top layer) and into the dermis (the middle layer). 

Once inside the skin, it can help neutralize free radicals. These are dangerously unstable molecules caused by environmental factors like sun damage or tobacco smoke.

Ordinarily, it takes an average of about 28 days for skin cells to be created and make their way up to the skin’s surface. As we age, this process takes longer and longer, making the skin appear dull and less radiant. Retinol helps renew and refresh the skin by exfoliating dead skin cell buildup that causes dullness.

Retinol also helps firm the skin to make it look more youthful. Along with this, it addresses areas of excess pigmentation, gradually fading the appearance of discoloration. 

So, when should you start using retinol? There are a few ways to approach it, and we recommend talking to your skin care provider about creating a personalized skin care plan. 

Ultimately, it’s never too early to start an anti-aging skin care routine — better to prevent issues than try to reverse them! However, people with more sensitive skin should incorporate retinol slowly, as it can lead to irritation. You should also avoid using chemical peels and other exfoliating active ingredients, like glycolic acid and lactic acid, in the same routine as your retinol.

2. Hyaluronic acid

Unlike other acids that appear in skin care products (like alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs), hyaluronic acid is an ingredient that is naturally produced by your own body. Hyaluronic acid is found in high amounts in the skin, eyes and joints, where it acts as a lubricating agent. 

When applied as a topical ingredient, hyaluronic acid is one of the best skin ingredients because of its ability to support hydration. That’s why it’s commonly found in many lotions, creams and moisturizers.

Our skin needs moisture to promote resiliency and elasticity and protect its crucial skin barrier — the top layer of the epidermis that keeps the bad things out and the good things in. When the skin is dry, it doesn't bounce back as quickly, meaning it'll show visible signs of aging much sooner than more hydrated skin. 

If you want to incorporate hyaluronic acid into your skin care routine, try our Youth Serum. In addition to multi-molecular weight hyaluronic acid, Youth Serum also includes a bioactive peptide, allantoin, honey extract and a vitamin blend to fight redness, soothe sensitivity and support the appearance of young, healthy skin.

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another ingredient you’ll want to have in your anti-aging routine, although it’s also an effective ingredient even if aging isn't your main concern. 

You may know vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) as a dietary nutrient, found in citrus fruits like lemons, limes and oranges. However, vitamin C is so much more than that — it’s also a powerful antioxidant that has amazing benefits for your skin. 

Vitamin C can do a lot of heavy lifting in skin care products. Among other ways it can help your skin look and feel its best, it can fade the appearance of dark spots or age spots, even out and brighten your skin texture and tone and boost the effectiveness of your sunscreen.

Vitamin C serums like Glow Factor are an easy way to incorporate this powerful ingredient into your skin care routine.

4. Sunscreen

While "sunscreen" isn’t an ingredient, we’d be remiss not to talk about possibly the best thing you can do to minimize visible signs of aging. Chronic sun exposure adds up, breaking down the delicate collagen and elastin that keeps your skin looking radiant and youthful. 

Wearing an effective sunscreen — one with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection, an SPF of 30+ and water resistance — is the most important step in your skin care routine, no matter how old you are. 

Sunscreens like Sheer Defense SPF meet all three criteria and offer other benefits, too. In addition to effectively protecting the skin, it's packed with nourishing ingredients like niacinamide (vitamin B3) and hyaluronic acid. It does more than offer sun protection — it also hydrates and smooths the skin so you look and feel your best. 

The bottom line...

From supporting a youthful glow to hydrating from within, the best anti-aging ingredients can make a huge difference for your skin. When you choose the right products to address your specific concerns, you can effectively prevent visible signs of aging and reveal fresh, youthful skin, no matter your age. 

SOURCES:

Antioxidants: In Depth | NCCIH

Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging | PMC

Vitamin C | NIH

Chronic Effects of Sunlight | Merck