Let’s Talk Wrinkles
Once formed, wrinkles can be tough to reduce. There are products in the market that temporarily smooth them out (i.e. Rejuvalift). These products contain a polypeptide that can temporarily reduce movement of the muscles so the clays they contain can penetrate and “rearrange” the water within the skin, depuffing eyes while plumping fine lines from within.
Just like in many other instances, wrinkles are best prevented. To do so, skin must be hydrated at all times. Collagen, which I call the compound of youthful elasticity, lives in water right below the epidermis, and maintains the skin supple, bouncy, and elastic. If the water is depleted, collagen starts to “crumble”, as it becomes brittle, and in turn more prone to “break”. And that is the initiation of a wrinkle.
Hydration needs to be obtained by the skin through certain ingredients that can penetrate through the skin (they are small enough and have similar chemistry to that of the skin), such as hyaluronic acid or urea. Sucrose can also help with hydration, but its metabolism may create side products that are not desirable for the skin. However, just hydration will not keep the skin plump. We also need a moisturizer that will help keep subepidermal water from transpiring (out of the skin).
As far as collagen (re)creation, I am still not convinced a product with peptides or polypeptides may help. Our bodies tend to generate tissue from within, from nutrients provided indirectly by food, but that doesn’t mean collagen can also be restored with building blocks coming from outside. In fact, one of the very few ingredients that has been demonstrated to help with collagen rebuilding is vitamin A, which does not provide peptides but catalyzes the building process when peptides are available, which could come from reabsorption of collagen ingested (for example in eggs). However, peptides can help hydration of the skin, so not to be discarded in your routine, no matter whether they help rebuild collagen or support newly formed collagen to “survive”. But hydration is only one thing you can do to prevent wrinkles.
It is also crucial to maintain external “(premature) aging causing” elements, including sun rays, atmosphere pollutants, etc. but also internal, such as metabolites (or side products) of natural occurring reactions in the human body. To achieve this protection, a product loaded with antioxidants must be used. Look for vitamins A, C and E. Others include bakuchiol, resveratrol, and hydroxyltyrosol.
I can’t recommend enough how very important it is to protect against the sun (mineral SPF desired) and all other environmental elements, such as wind, dry air, etc. Barrier ingredients such as Shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum, or lanolin alcohol are desired in a moisturizer.
