Aging is a set of changes that appears in all of us. There are two types of aging. The first type is natural aging, which includes four main things that are happening to the skin. These include loss of elastin, loss of collagen, loss of fat, and bone loss. At the age of 35, the body starts to lose collagen and elastin more intensively, while new elastin and collagen production sharply drops. This leads to skin sagging and the appearance of deep wrinkles and fine lines.
The second type of aging is called intrinsic aging. This is a more complicated process than natural aging. Intrinsic aging is activated by the influence of environmental factors on your skin, like sunlight (photo-aging), foods you consume, and other lifestyle habits that might negatively affect our skin like smoking and alcohol abuse. These factors inhibit collagen and elastin production, which causes premature aging and contributes to the appearance of sunspots, and hyperpigmentation. Unfortunately, this type of aging isn’t 100 percent preventable, however, you still can control its effects.
Another annoying skin problem is acne. Although acne commonly occurs in teenagers, it can affect adults as well. Moreover, acne even occurs in women during menopause.
The good news is that many skincare ingredients that are used to fight signs of aging can also eliminate acne. So, adding them to your skin-care routine can make your skin look younger and healthier. Let’s look at the top four skincare ingredients that can help you reduce wrinkles, fine lines, and acne.
1. Glycolic acid
Glycolic acid is an acid derived from fruit and is ideal for all skin types. It can even be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Glycolic acid is effective in treating mild acne. This is due to its ability to help improve skin turnover and remove dead skin cells.
According to many studies, glycolic acid has been shown to have anti-aging properties by boosting skin tone and skin texture, enhancing collagen stimulation, and improving the overall skin appearance. Many creams and serums contain glycolic acid, therefore you have a wide variety of skincare products.
2. Azelaic acid
Azelaic acid is an acid that is contained in barley, rye, and grains. Azelaic acid has powerful antioxidant, antibacterial, and comedolytic properties. This means it can effectively prevent clogged pores and acne. Azelaic acid also has wonderful skin brightening properties and can be used for melasma (facial hyperpigmentation caused by hormone changes) and excessive sun damage since it’s able to brighten the abnormal skin, while not harming normal skin.
Since it has antioxidant properties, azelaic acid can prevent skin damage caused by free radicals and thus, resulting in wrinkles and fine lines. However, if you have any skin condition, talk to your dermatologist before using azelaic acid in treating your issue.
3. Retinols/retinoids
You’ve probably heard about retinol and retinoids. These amazing ingredients are considered a miracle for facial skin. Both retinoids and retinol boost skin cell turnover, enhance collagen production and help fight acne and hyperpigmentation. Adding these ingredients to your skin-care routine will help you reduce the occurrence of blackheads and whiteheads as well as wrinkles and fine lines.
4. Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is a very common acne-treating ingredient. Salicylic acid is drawn to the hair follicle, which is considered the starting location of pimples. This acid eliminates sticky cells in the hair follicle and cleans oil gland ducts that can contribute to acne. Salicylic acid has been shown to be effective in fighting post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation caused by acne. It also helps improve skin tone and combat discoloration and it can improve collagen production.
