If you feel you’ve tried anti-ageing formulas before, don’t lose heart – the latest ones contain powerful new ingredients.
There’s a cocktail of ingredients in the latest batch of anti-aging creams, along with a whole host of cutting-edge technology. They won’t stop the clock, but they will certainly help slow it down.
Hero ingredient: Coenzyme Q10
Why our skin needs it: As well as being an antioxidant that protects our skin from free radicals, this peppy little enzyme is responsible for our cellular energy production, meaning it helps our skin to repair, regenerate and renew itself.
Coenzyme Q10 actually occurs naturally in every cell in our body, but declines as we get older. “We know that from around 30 years of age, the natural level of Q10 in the skin drops,” explains New Zealand Nivea skincare expert Robyn Hutch. “That makes skin more prone to stress and damage, which will eventually show up as fine lines and wrinkles.”
Find it in: Nivea Q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Replenishing Pearls, $29.99. Coenzyme Q10 isn’t a new discovery. In fact, Nivea started including it in their skincare as far back as 1998. What is new and exciting is that in this breakthrough formula, Q10 can be delivered into our skin in a much higher concentration by encapsulating the enzyme in a pearl. This keeps the enzyme fresh and therefore more potent until dispensed, where it mixes with hyaluronic acid to form a silky emulsion.
Hero ingredient: Retinol
Why our skin needs it: Retinol can help restore the structural integrity or “bounce factor” in our skin by stimulating collagen, and improving skin thickness and tone. Because it helps to increase the speed at which our skin cells renew, it can also improve the look of uneven skin tone as well as lighten up dark spots.
Find it in: Overnight Retinol Repair, $174. Despite the proven benefits of retinol as an effective anti-ageing ingredient, it’s not uncommon for it to irritate some people’s skin. That’s why we like this version, which comes with a buffer cream that can be used to customise the concentration while your skin acclimates.
Hero ingredient: Probiotics
Why our skin needs them: Natural microflora, made up of both healthy and unhealthy bacteria, live on the surface of our skin. Applied topically, these guys work just like they do in the gut – by preventing the overgrowth of bad bacteria. The idea behind them is that if the balance of good and bad bacteria is right, our skin can function at its healthiest level.
Find it in: Elizabeth Arden SuperStart Skin Renewal Booster, $106. This product works on getting skin to its healthiest state, enhancing the natural renewal process and strengthening its defences. By doing that, it “boosts” the results of any other skincare products you use, which is why it’s recommended that you apply it to cleansed skin before your serum and moisturiser.
Hero ingredient: Hyaluronic acid
Why our skin needs it: One of the hallmarks of youthful skin is a dewy look. Hyaluronic acid helps boost your skin’s moisture content because it can hold its own weight in water many times over. Creams containing hyaluronic acid are a brilliant way to help your skin look and feel softer and plumper, which in turn softens lines and wrinkles. Found naturally in our body, hyaluronic acid is also used in injectable fillers.
Find it in: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream, $69. A richer version of the original lotion, this ultra-hydrating cream is loaded with hyaluronic acid along with another proven moisture-binding and skin-repairing ingredient, glycerin. Together they help create a strong moisture barrier which is crucial for healthy skin to ward off premature ageing.
Hero ingredient: Peptides
Why our skin needs them: Known as the “cell-whisperers”, peptides are all about helping our cells work together to repair themselves and act like they used to when they were younger. A type of protein, they’re found naturally in our skin and are a primary ingredient for stimulating collagen and elastin production.
Find them in: Dr LeWinn’s Eternal Youth Day & Night Cream, $79.99. Hexapeptide is the version used in this youth-boosting cream. Along with luxe- sounding ingredients such as diamond and black pearl, vitamin A helps smooth the skin while a moisturising complex, known as PatchH20, ensures intense hydration.
