Anti-aging treatments: all you need to know
When you notice little lines appearing, it’s time to take action! Expert Florence Benech, Pharmacist and L’Oréal Cosmetic active Director for Skincare Development, gives us a comprehensive guide to the latest in anti-aging technology.
If you’ve started to notice little lines appearing under your eyes or the first signs of sagging around your jawline, it’s time to take action! Ready to take your skin’s aging into your own hands but curious about whether anti-wrinkle creams are really effective? What about skin-boosting serums? Here are some common misconceptions about skin aging and advice to help things along.
“Anti-wrinkle” and “anti-aging” creams are basically the same.
False. “As the name suggests, ‘anti-wrinkle’ creams are only designed to treat wrinkles,” explains Florence Benech. “But ‘anti-aging’ treatments offer a broader approach, targeting all the factors associated with skin aging, such as loss of firmness, dark spots, a sagging jawline and dulling complexions.”
Moisturizers are vital to treat the signs of aging.
True. “Without proper hydration, the skin’s cells can’t regenerate – and it shows!” says Florence Benech. Tell-tale signs include under-eye wrinkles and expression lines. “Constant hydration is vital to stop the skin from drying out, and it’s also important to protect it from environmental aggressors such as UV rays and free radicals,” advises our expert.
Anti-aging treatments exist for each age range.
False. Although some signs of aging tend to be fairly universal – wrinkles, loss of firmness and sagging, “all women have their own unique genetic makeup (je ne comprends pas pourquoi on parle de makeup),” explains Florence Benech. “They have different lifestyles and live in different environments, which is why the early signs of aging can differ from one woman to the next.” Each person is different, with factors such as age and living conditions to take into account. That’s why it’s so important to choose the most suitable product for your skin.
Serums are more effective than anti-aging creams.
True and false. Serums have a higher concentration of active ingredients than ordinary creams. Their fluid, light texture makes it easier for the skin to absorb these active ingredients, often leading to better results. But serums can’t replace day and/or night creams, which give your skin the comfort and nutritional benefits it needs, and are a vital part of any daily skincare routine. So why not use both? Start with the serum, then apply your anti-aging cream – it’s a win-win.
Anti-aging creams can also be used for the eye and lip contour areas.
True and false. It all depends on the active ingredients in your product. Some ingredients such as rhamnose are great for these fragile areas, but AHAs (also known as fruit acids) can cause irritation. Always make sure that your product has been ophthalmologically tested. “Specific eye and lip contour treatments are specially formulated with active ingredients that respect the needs of these fragile skin areas, with tensors for the lips, and anti-puffiness and anti-dark circle ingredients for the eyes,” explains Florence Benech. “And for the highly sensitive areas around your lips and eyelashes, always use specially designed products to make sure you avoid irritation.”
You only need to use one anti-aging treatment for day and night.
False. The skin’s needs change – during the day it needs to protect itself from environmental aggressors, while at night it focuses on cell regeneration. While you sleep, skin becomes more permeable, absorbing more active ingredients but also losing more water. Night creams are richer in active ingredients, replenishing your skin’s nutrients to make sure it looks gorgeous when you wake up!
Editorial Board