The Basics of Anti-Aging Skin Care

By Sue Dolan

The very first question most people have when exploring the realm of anti-aging skin care is, “What skin rejuvenation products have been proven to be effective”? Accurate information regarding the multitude of anti-aging treatments flooding the marketplace is the best way to make informed decisions for developing your own skin rejuvenation regime which incorporates the anti-aging skin care techniques, strategies and treatments that best address your personal aging skin issues.

The basics of effective skin rejuvenation begin with the facts on anti-aging skin care treatments. There are several active ingredients that have been clinically proven to be effective skin rejuvenators. One of the most effective treatments is vitamin A derivatives such a retinol or retinyl palmitate.

The Retin A or Renova vitamin A treatments are the strongest although the most irritating treatments of the vitamin A options and are only available by prescription. If your skin needs major rejuvenation attention, ask your Doctor if you are a candidate for the prescription vitamin A treatment of Retin A or Renova.

If not, including one of the other retinol alternatives in your skin care routine is an excellent strategy. The concentration of over-the-counter retinol products can range up to 1%. The basic rule of thumb is, the higher the concentration, the stronger the treatment. Be forewarned though, read the directions carefully because the stronger retinol products can be quite irritating to the skin. Starting slow and gradually working your way up to higher concentrations will allow you skin to adjust to the treatments better. The vitamin A derivative, Retinyl Palmitate, is the less irritating of the Vitamin A options and is considered to have quite effective rejuvenating qualities.

The next most beneficial anti-aging skin rejuvenation treatment is a chemical exfoliant such as an alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) or beta hydroxyl acid (BHA) product. The most popular of these acids is an AHA glycolic acid. Glycolic acid should be use in concentrations of 8% to 15% depending on your skin’s sensitivity. Start out with a lower concentration and gradually move up to a 10% then 15% concentration depending on your skin’s tolerance in order to avoid irritation.

The last consideration is including an antioxidant to contain the skin damaging free radicals as well as to encourage overall skin repair. Products containing Vitamin C Ester, Spin Trap, or CoQ10 are all good options to explore. Then, of course, there are other viable anti-aging treatments which can be incorporated into your regime depending on your particular skin rejuvenation needs which include DMAE, Kinerase or Kinetin, and GHK Copper Peptides. Finally, the most critical and essential aspect to any successful skin rejuvenation regime is sunscreen, at least once a day, each and every day!

Sue Dolan is a researcher and instructor for the http://www.skincareresourcecenter.com which is a Skin Care e-Learning and Resource Center that provides education on anti-aging skin care while focusing on skin rejuvenation strategies, techniques, treatment options, and resources for aging skin care issues.