Best Ingredients for Anti-Aging

Start with protection

Broad-spectrum sunscreen is the foundation of any anti-ageing routine. Sun exposure breaks down collagen and causes pigmentation, so protecting your skin every day, including on cloudy days, does more than any single active product. Apply it every morning as the last step of your routine.

The ingredients worth knowing

• Retinoids (such as retinol). Speed up skin renewal and support collagen, softening fine lines and uneven texture over time. Use in the evening, start two or three nights a week, and build up slowly. They make skin more sensitive to the sun.
• Vitamin C. An antioxidant that helps protect against environmental damage and brightens dull, uneven tone. Usually used in the morning, under sunscreen.
• Peptides. Support firmness and are gentle enough for most skin types, which makes them useful if retinoids irritate you.
• Hyaluronic acid and ceramides. Hydrate and support the skin barrier. They do not reverse ageing, but hydrated skin shows fine lines less and tolerates actives better.
• Exfoliating acids (AHAs). Help with dullness and texture. Use a few times a week, not every day, and not on the same night as a retinoid.

Building a routine

• Morning: gentle cleanser, vitamin C, moisturiser, sunscreen.
• Evening: cleanser, retinoid (or an exfoliating acid on other nights), moisturiser.

Add one new active at a time and give it six to eight weeks before judging results. If your skin stings or flakes, reduce how often you use the active rather than stopping everything.

Ingredients to be careful with

Avoid using retinoids and strong acids on the same night, and stop actives a few days before waxing or a professional peel. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor before using retinoids.

When professional treatment helps

Products work gradually. If you want faster progress on firmness or texture, Dermalogica Pro Firm, the QMS Collagen Facial or a course of Pro Microneedling can complement your home routine.