What Anti-Aging Skincare Should I Be Using?

The ESK blog

What Anti-Aging Skincare Should I Be Using?

22 July 2021

Dana Raffoul

I’m in the second half-century of my life and it makes me wonder… What I would advise my younger self (or my kids – if they would listen) to do, to have their best skin later in life.

So, of course, I headed to the scientific literature to find out what the evidence says about preventing skin aging and found… almost nothing. Almost all of the research centres on what to do, once the signs of aging have started to appear. And even then, most of these studies have been conducted over relatively short periods. So, the evidence for what to do at a young age is sparse. But evidence hasn’t left us entirely in the dark.

Luckily, we now have some emerging evidence for effective preventative anti aging skincare ingredients. Using this evidence, ESK products have made a big difference to reverse some of my premature skin aging.

WHERE PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE: SUN DAMAGE

UV exposure (particularly UVA) is not only responsible for 80% of skin aging but also for accelerating skin aging that’s already started. Sun damage builds up over years and it’s happening even if your skin doesn’t actually burn. 

Thanks to an Australian study which followed 900 Queenslanders aged 25 – 55 for 4.5 years, we now have evidence that daily application of a broad-spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen significantly reduces skin aging. In fact, the group that used sunscreen daily showed no detectable sign of skin aging over the trial period!

Dermatologists all agree that to reduce skin aging, broad spectrum sunscreen (like ESK’s Zinc Shade) should be worn every day to prevent skin ageing quite apart from preventing skin cancers.

sunscreen with zinc

Zinc Shade

Zinc Shade – UV Protection Skincare Product

Zinc Shade based daily cream providing you with the protection you need from both UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays. (Sunscreen with zinc)

  • Protects from the sun's UVA and UVB rays
  • Can be used under make-up
  • Rated SPF15

Anti-aging ingredients that you may have reason to use at an earlier age: 

Vitamin A (Retinal)

If you were like most teens and had acne, you may have been introduced to Vitamin A in your teens. Vitamin A is still the frontline treatment for acne. It is also the ingredient with the best evidence for managing the signs of aging. But both the older ineffective form, retinol and prescription Vitamin A can irritate sensitive skin.

Luckily there are effective and better tolerated forms than the one you might have used years ago (like Retinal in ESK’s Ultimate A+). But whether it keeps making sense to use it after your acne goes and before the signs of aging set in… we don’t have any studies, so we don’t really know.

Ultimate A+

Ultimate A+

A Vitamin A (Retinal – 0.1%), B3 (Niacinamide – 4%) and AHA (Glycolic Acid – 2%) based night cream. Vitamin A is the ingredient with the strongest anti-ageing evidence and Retinal is the most effective and least irritating form of Vitamin A. 

Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) 

Vitamin B3 (in ESK’s B Calm) has good evidence for reducing wrinkles, improving skin barrier function (helping retain moisture in the skin) and reducing hyperpigmentation. So, using it before the signs of aging appear, may help delay the inevitable.

B Calm

B Calm

Calm sensitive, oily or acne prone skin with this light-weight vitamin B3 and Salicylic Acid moisturising cream that glides on like silk.

  • Improve skin's barrier function
  • Manage the skin's oil production
  • Improve acne and rosacea symptoms.

New formula: We added 2% Salicylic Acid making it more light-weight, hydrating and more effective in managing acne and red and sensitive skin. 

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23732711/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0923181116308167

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14615068/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6769024/

https://www.skintherapyletter.com/family-practice/cosmeceuticals-anti-aging-fp/

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