5 best anti-aging products for women over 50, according to a plastic surgeon
A Toronto plastic surgeon shares five products that women 50+ should use for firmer, brighter and healthier skin.
It's no secret that skin undergoes rapid changes as we approach the fabulous 50s. By this time, many women are either in peri- or full menopause, and as a result, formerly luminous skin feels dull, thin and dry. That said, there are so many anti-aging products on the market that it can be hard to decipher which ones are worth buying. As someone on the verge of 50, I was eager to find out what anti-aging products are worth their (sometimes steep) price tag, so I turned to Dr. Philip Solomon of Solomon Facial Plastics in Toronto.
"[The] more obvious signs of aging really hit in the early 50s," Solomon told Yahoo Canada. "Years of sun exposure become more obvious."
"Menopause can affect skin health," he said. "A lack of collagen production has now been taking its toll on skin quality," resulting in "more prominent fine lines and wrinkles, thinner skin and sagging skin."
To help combat the signs of aging and keep your skin looking firmer, brighter, and plumper for longer, Solomon recommends that people over 50 incorporate these five products into their daily skincare regime.
At the top of Solomon's list is vitamin C serum. "This product is very important to fight off environmental free radicals that damage skin," he said.
To use, apply your vitamin C serum to freshly cleansed skin and follow it up with a moisturizer and SPF. This "Amazon's Choice" ANA Vitamin C serum is a great option as it contains hyaluronic acid for extra hydration. Just a few drops a day keep the free radicals away!
For travelling and convenience, Neutrogena's Vitamin C Serum Capsules are another great option. These 20 per cent vitamin C capsules are fragrance-free, and each little bead is the perfect amount, so you avoid using too much.
As someone who suffered from cystic acne well into her 20s, topical retinol has been a big part of my life. Solomon stresses the importance of this ingredient as we get older. Retinol, which is actually a form of vitamin A, has a significant impact on improving skin texture and reducing fine lines.
"These products are critical for skin renewal and cellular turnover," Solomon told Yahoo Canada. When you use retinol, it's essential to apply your sunscreen with a heavy hand, as your skin is much more sensitive to the sun.
Cerave's Skin Renewing Cream Serum contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which give your skin an added boost of hydration and help prevent retinol's famous side effects of skin dryness.
During the winter months, you might want to incorporate Cerave's Resurfacing Retinol Serum into your skin routine. It's a little more potent and better to use when spending more time indoors and out of the sun.
SSolomon said sunscreen is the one product you should absolutely never skip. "There's really no better line of defence to protect the skin from UV damage than a sunscreen with a minimum 40 SPF (sun protection factor)," he said.
A few years back, I had a skin cancer scare, and since then, I have been vigilant about sunscreen. That time you forgot to wear sunscreen in your 20s on a trip to the Caribbean will catch up with you in your 40s and 50s when sunspots and skin cancers start appearing.
I've been hooked on this Aveeno sunscreen ever since my mom gifted it to me. It's lightweight and has extra hydration, absorbing well into my fair skin. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 50 is another great option for acne-prone skin.
I'll be honest: when Solomon included growth factor serum on his list, I wasn't altogether sure what he was talking about.
Younger skin has a rich supply of a protein called growth factor that helps with skin regeneration. As we age, we have less growth factor, leading to fine lines and thin skin. Growth factors can be derived from plants or animals, and adding a growth factor serum into your daily routine can help slow the aging process.
The final product on Solomon's trapped-on-a-desert-island-and-can-only-take-5-products list is exfoliating polish. Solomon said an exfoliating polish will help all the other products work better — just be careful about overdoing it.
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