What are the ingredients in anti-aging skin care products?

At present, the core ingredients of skin care products that have been clinically verified and have clear anti-aging effects are mainly concentrated in vitamin A, peptides, Bose, and antioxidants. In addition, many of the "anti-aging ingredients of Internet celebrities" promoted by marketing are mostly based on IQ and their actual efficacy is questionable.

When I first started anti-aging, the first thing I tried was vitamin A. I saw a blogger saying that the higher the concentration, the better the effect. So I gritted my teeth and bought 0.5% unwrapped vitamin A from a niche overseas brand. I was complacent and had no reaction for the first three days when I applied it to my face. On the fourth day, my skin turned red and even applying moisturizer stung. It took me almost half a month to recover. Later, I learned that although A-alcohol is recognized in the industry as a "top student" in promoting collagen production, its irritation is not something to be boasted about. Tolerance must be gradually established from the sustained-release version with a concentration of 0.1% or even lower, and pregnant women and lactating mothers must not touch it. There are two voices in the circle now. One group says that long-term use of low-concentration alcohol is absolutely fine. The other group says that frequent use of A-alcohol will thin the stratum corneum of the skin, so sensitive skin should not be touched. I myself use low-concentration A-alcohol two or three times a week, and I don’t dare to use it every day.

I really can't stand the stimulation of alcohol, so I have mostly tried peptide products in the past two years. My best friend with dry and sensitive skin who gets red when the seasons change, spent a lot of money to buy a blue copper peptide essence from a big brand last year, and applied it for more than a month. She said that the dry smile lines at the corners of the eyes have indeed faded a bit, but it is true that this ingredient is delicate. The activity will disappear after two months after opening, and it must not be superimposed with acids such as alcohol and salicylic acid. Mixing them together will directly precipitate a blue precipitate, which is of no use. There is also Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, which everyone often hears about, which is mainly used to lighten dynamic lines. Many people say that it has no effect after using it, so it is most likely that it is used wrongly. It will certainly not work if you apply it all over the face. You have to focus on applying it on forehead lines and crow's feet, which are often squeezed out by expressions. It takes a month or two to see some effect of relaxing the lines. Of course, many ingredient parties say that the transdermal rate of this type of peptide is very low, and it is useless to apply it. This depends on personal experience.

When L'Oreal's Bose In patent expired, the entire Internet was promoting various Bose In replacements. I also followed the trend and grabbed a Bose In facial cream with a concentration of 30% claimed by a domestic product. It was quite moisturizing on the face and suitable for dry skin in winter. However, after using it for two months, I still didn't feel the "face-rejuvenating" effect that was advertised. Later, I asked friends who made formulas and found out that Bosein does not depend on the nominal concentration at all. The core is molecular configuration and penetration-promoting technology. Bosein made by many small factories cannot penetrate into the dermis layer at all. When applied to the face, it only has a moisturizing effect. Moreover, many dermatologists now also say that the main function of Bose is to promote the production of glycosaminoglycans and help the skin maintain a plump state. It is actually very limited in improving the deep static wrinkles that have been formed. Don’t hold on to the expectation that applying two bottles of cream will eliminate nasolabial folds in ten years.

In addition to those that directly replenish collagen and lighten wrinkles, antioxidant ingredients actually belong to "preventive anti-aging", which means to first remove the free radicals in the skin that are generated by ultraviolet rays and staying up late to prevent them from damaging your original collagen. For example, prototype VC, ergothioneine, ideben, and vitamin E all fall into this category. I now always apply Prototype VC Essence before going out in the morning, and apply enough sunscreen. After being exposed to the sun in summer, my face will not be dull and dull easily. There is a problem with Prototype VC, which is yellowing the collar. This year, I have thrown away two white T-shirts with yellowing collars. If you are afraid of irritation or dislike yellowing, you can choose VC derivatives, which are slower in effect and much gentler.

By the way, there are also "lady's anti-aging ingredients" such as sheep placenta extract and plant stem cells that have been very popular in the past two years. A friend of mine spent several thousand to buy imported plant stem cell essence. After using half a bottle, she felt nothing. Currently, there is not enough large-scale clinical data for these ingredients to prove that they can exert anti-aging effects after being transdermally applied. You really need to think carefully before buying. Anyway, my biggest feeling after playing with ingredients for so many years is that anti-aging is not just about applying skin care products. If you stay up until three or four o'clock every day, it will be useless even if you put gold on your face. Choose the right ingredients that suit you, sleep well, and wear sunscreen every day. It is better than any expensive essence.