Anti Aging Products: When is it the right time to start using them?

Overview of main health effects on humans from...Image via Wikipedia
A discussion with a friend triggered this thought yesterday. She saw me pick up my regular Ponds Tinted Moisturizer (which is from the Age miracle Line) and made a face. She felt that using anti-aging products at 27 years (which we both are) is overkill. Frankly until now I never thought about it. I get the Ponds Tinted Moisturizer simply because I love it. (I have to thank Cynthia for this recommendation. Read her blog here and my review here)

So I came back and did a bit of reading up. Below are my two cents on the subject

1. Anti – aging is an oxymoron. You cannot anti – age your skin. What we know as aging is actually the physical manifestation of skin cells that are damaged, and when this damage accumulates over time.

2. Aging begins long before we actually see its physical manifestation in the form of sun spots, patchy skin and wrinkles.

3. Indian women have much thicker skin than their western counterparts so they don’t get fine lines and wrinkles well until they hit their 40s & 50s. Signs of skin damage in Indian women are dry, patchy discolored skin and dark circles. They also suffer from sagging of muscle and underlying tissues.

4. The sun, pollution, smoking, excessive drinking are the most damaging to the skin. And this damage accumulates below the skin as free radicals generated by the above damage collagen and elastin fibers weaking the skin structure.

5. So I feel that it’s better to use anti aging creams ‘before’ you start noticing signs of wrinkles. Before you even ‘think’ about wrinkles as a matter of fact. You can start your own skin care regimen while at a younger age keeping the wrinkles from forming for a longer period of time. You should also use SPF 15 on your face because the sun is a major cause of wrinkles.

6. Research has proven that up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun, and that about 23% of sun damage has already occurred to the skin by the time we are 18 and a total of 50% by the time we are 40 (read it here.) These are figures for America, now think about the kind of sunny, hot weather we have throughout the year in India and the extremely low usage of sunscreen, the figures can only be worse.

7. In your 20’s is the best time to begin using anti-aging products in order to prevent future wrinkles and damage. You should also incorporate a toner that has Vitamin C (you can make this at home very easily – read about it here) that helps renew the skin and a high quality moisturizer. Use products with SPF protection and choose according to your skin type. You just want to give your skin the proper moisture, especially around the eye area.

8. Also get a good pair of sun glasses. Investing in a good pair will prevent you from squinting in the sun and forming lines around your eyes

9. Beauty experts and dermatologists unanimously recommend liberal usage of moisturizer, sunscreen, and, of course, minimizing sun exposure for people in twenties to prevent skin damage.

10. If you live in a polluted city like me and spend a lot of your time in an air – conditioned environment then you have to take extra precautions and here is why:

a. Air conditioned environments are very low on humidity. As a result they sap moisture out of your skin. Spending a lot of time in air conditioned environments can sap your skin of moisture making it very vulnerable to fine lines. Use a very good quality moisturizer to combat this.

b. Pollutants in our air, water generate free radicals and damage our skin. They block our pores, make skin look duller. In fact it had been scientifically proven in addition to being a target organ and site of cancer and contact allergens, the skin is the site of significant absorption of environmental pollutants (Read study here).
These pollutants damage the skin structure significantly and it is similar to the damage caused by smoking

11. Before you hit the age of 30 you should try to expand your facial care regimen.. You should start using an eye cream right about this age. You should also consider starting using a mask or peel every one or two weeks.

Those were my two cents (or rather 11 cents) on the entire issue of skin damage prevention. After I did this research last night I have become an even more form believer in taking good preventive measures. I am glad I found the Ponds Tinted Moisturizer as it also has an spf of 15. I hate the oily sticky texture of sunscreens and never used them before. However since Ponds became a part of my daily routine I am glad that I have begun to take some kind of protective measure.

It is better to err on the side of caution when you are 27 rather than try in vain reverse the damage when you are 50.

What are your thoughts?
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Comments

  1. woohooo...genius

    u wanted product reco from body shop, right? i will post them in d upcomiing post! is tat ok, sweety? it might help others as well, just in case :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for the credit T. Pond's tinted moisturizer is amazing. It's my HG this winter. This is a very imp issue..just recently somebody from back home asked me the same question n my answer was "The sooner, the better" ~ Sooner meaning early 20s imo. I see a lot of regret in women I know who are over 40 coz they never bothered when they were younger.
    ♥XX♥

    ReplyDelete
  3. i am 20 years old and have very dry skin. i started taking EXTREME care of my skin since i was 18. thats coz i read somewhere that dry skin wrinkles faster. i agree that people need to start taking care of their skin right from their twenties. i drink lots of water, keep my skin well moisturized, use sunscreen and wear sunglasses and scarves to protect my face from sunlight.

    and heres something interesting i read in the newspaper a long time back. keeping a bowl of water in an air conditioned room prevents the air from drying. works for me!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice post!!I, as u know, don't apply a lot on my skin...for a long while it was necessary not 2..now I hav started gaining a little more confidence in using skin care products.
    But 4 sensitive skin u really need 2 spend dat extra time n go out there n figure out wat u want.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am also not fond of applying sunscreens but I do apply them for my skin's sake. Infact, I keep hunting for suncreens but yet to find something I really fall in love with.

    A lot of my friends only don't take much care of their skin. They still live with the notion of makeup=skin damage, skin products=more skin damage. Sigh!! don't know where such stuff has come from but I have heard the same thing among a lot of Indian women.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @ Divs: Thks so much for writing a post, yr a sweetheart!

    ReplyDelete
  7. @ CZ: Yr welcome Cyn. It is thks to you tht i discovered this gem of a prdt and I too have been using it since last September. I just love it. :D

    I agree, precaution is better than regret and cure both.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @ Rima: u're right, dry skin does age a little faster, but with all the gr8 care u r taking, i am sure you will have no such issues :D

    I too have read this tip. I try and do this at home at night. I am not sure how to do this in my bus and office w/o looking mad :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. @ Simran: Tht's right. People with sensitive skin do have trouble picking out prdts. I suggest you read the ingredient list carefully and always google a prdt before buying for reviews :).

    Tht will help you eliminate 'weeds'

    ReplyDelete
  10. @ Rati: I really feel applying a separate sunscreen in the hot humid weather of mumbai is not possible. It just melts off the face. It is better to use either a moisturizer with sunscreen or if you use make up - a foundation with sunscreen.

    This is exactly why i love Ponds so, so much. It is very moisturizing for my dry skin, is tinted to add a sheer touch of color and glow and has spf 15! (Ponds shd start paying me now for this free publicity)

    ReplyDelete
  11. That was such a useful information. i am on my late 20's and was wondering when to start using anti aging.
    Your post cleared all my doubts.
    thanks a lot dear.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great information to know several good information about anti aging skin products. Screening the symbols of aging can cause stress and anxiety. If people are concerned about how the skin is aging then they might be excited to try an anti aging skin products to protect against wrinkles and fine lines in an effort to get younger looking skin. These anti aging skin products gives a good result if used properly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hey,

    That was a nice post... I just hit 30 and am following a skin care regimen. But I have tried atleast 15-20 sunscreens and all of them give me pimples:(.I have extremley sensitive skin!
    But I do want to use sunscreen regularly...Please tell me which one won't cause pimples...

    Swati

    ReplyDelete
  14. forgot to mention that i do not have acne prone skin....never had itin my life even in teens...but most products..even moisturisers etc...make my skin break out. pls help!

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Swati: Sometimes when we hit our 30's, due to hormonal unheaval we get something known as Adult Acne. These adults will go through teens with clear skin but once they hit their 30's - bam! Acne!

    I will be doing a post on it soon, so look out for that. I hope that will help you.

    As for sunscreen tht won't give you acne, frankly Swati I cannot recommend one without even a look at yr skin. I suggest you look for oil-free sunscreens that clearly state that they are non-comedogenic.

    Or else visit a dermatologist. I am sorry but it is just plain difficult to give a suggestion when I haven't even examined yr skin even once.. :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. Its great if your using moisturizer when your putting make up to avoid the sticky and oily face especially this summer season and make sure to drink lots of water to avoid dry skin and if your 20's now make sure you use already moisturizer to prevent wrinkles.

    ReplyDelete
  17. @Eye Wrinkle Cream: Thks for the tips :-D

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Hey! Thank you for taking the time out to add your valuable comment. I will revert as soon as possible.

COMMENT MODERATION POLICY FOR ADDICTED TO BLUSH BLOG

I delete blatant self-promotion and comments where it is clear the post material was not carefully read. If you are not going to bother to engage with the post, I am not going to bother posting your comment.

I also delete ALL comments with links - even if the link is to your blog.

Don't be mean to other commentators - it serves no purpose other than showcase your own personality in a bad light.

Popular Posts