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December 17, 2022
mbg Assistant Beauty Editor
mbg Assistant Beauty Editor
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
Image by FreshSplash / iStock
December 17, 2022
The term “anti-aging” gets splattered across all sorts of topical treatments and marketing materials these days—but why are we trying to reverse what comes so naturally? You absolutely do not need to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles; these etchings reflect signs of a life well lived.
That being said, these aesthetic changes do often reflect your skin’s internal health; so it’s important to approach skin aging by strengthening the skin’s integrity.
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But you don’t need to subject your skin to harsh and invasive treatments for healthy skin aging to take place—instead, opt for gentle TLC and commit to your practice. Here are three of the best tips, all approved by skin experts:
Rather than using an intense retinol treatment every day, try to space it out within a nourishing routine. If you want a specific schedule to follow, opt for skin cycling—a term coined by board-certified dermatologist and mbg Collective member Whitney Bowe, M.D., FAAD.
With this method, you’ll use a chemical exfoliant one night, retinol the night after, then take a break from actives for the last two nights. (And repeat.) Working your retinol into a routine like this will help prevent excessive dryness, which can lead to even more fine lines.
To learn the ins and outs of skin cycling and shop the best products, check out our full guide here.
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Fine lines and wrinkles are caused by a lack of collagen and elastin in the skin, full stop. See, as you age (after your mid-20s or so), your collagen production begins to slow down, which is why you may start to see fine lines around this time.
To mitigate a significant lack of collagen production, you’ll have to replenish your internal bank. Enter, collagen supplements! When shopping for collagen powders, make sure you look for hydrolyzed collagen peptides, as this form has been shown to help promote the body’s natural production of collagen1 and other molecules that make up the skin, like elastin and fibrillin.
There are even more benefits to collagen supplementation for full-body aging, too—you can read about them here. And if you’re ready to invest, shop our curated list of the best collagen supplements, all backed by a nutrition Ph.D.
Think about a plumping lip gloss: Notice how it immediately makes your lips look fuller and more youthful? Well, you don’t have to stop there. In fact, you can use plumping serums for the face, too, without a sticky, tingling feeling.
Instead, plumping, humectant serums with hyaluronic acid keep the skin pillowy and taut by boosting hydration. The best part? It works immediately, making your skin look dewy in seconds.
Pro tip: Apply your hyaluronic acid serum to damp skin. The humectant properties pull water into the skin (that’s how it “plumps” your complexion), so leave your face a bit damp post-cleanse for maximum benefit.
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The takeaway.
You don’t need to treat your skin harshly in order to ease fine lines and wrinkles. To truly revive dull or aging skin, treat it kindly with these three tips. Remember to cycle your actives, invest in collagen supplements, and keep an HA serum on hand. Of course, this list only scratches the surface when it comes to smoothing fine lines and wrinkles; if you want a full routine for aging skin, this guide has you covered.