One of the most common skincare questions asked is, when to start using an anti aging regimen. By the time your mid 20’s roll around, collagen production has already started slowing down. Collagen is one of three structural proteins that our bodies produce. Elastin and Glycosaminoglycans are the other two, which we will get to. Collagen is responsible for providing tissue and organs strength. As we age collagen is produced less and tissue begins to disconnect thus creating wrinkles, dryness and sagging skin. Elastin also plays a big role in aging, although not as plentiful in the skin as collagen, it is still important. Elastin is responsible for stretching abilities and ‘snapping back’, think of the word ‘elastic’. Once elastin starts to diminish, skin will look saggy, sunken and limp. Glycosaminoglycans are responsible for keeping collagen and elastin supported in the cellular space. If you missed the mid 20’s starting mark, do not worry. The good news is it is never too late to start an anti-aging regimen!

The below is a roadmap by decades, however all products can be interchanged and used throughout any age. The three most important steps of a regimen at any age, are exfoliate, treat and protect.

Concerns by age + what to use:

The Twenties

During the twenties, collagen production stats to wane while hormone levels are still in full swing. You may be experiencing frequent breakouts along with oily skin. Hormonal issues can cause acne and breakouts and leave behind unsightly dark spots and scars. The good news is, twenty something skin stills appears plump and youthful looking. This is the ideal age to start the war against aging.

Thirties + Forties

The biggest concerns are loss of collagen (sagging + wrinkles), dull complexion, hormonal breakouts and hyper-pigmentation (uneven skin tone). By the time the early forties roll around, you may start to notice loss of elasticity and plumpness to the neck and chest areas. This is also caused by lack of collagen. As hormones change and drop, the skin can go into ‘crazy’ mode in which you may find yourself breaking out like a teenager or extremely dry.

Fifties plus

The fifties and up hopefully bring a little relief to breakouts, but you may be dealing with the sun damage from your younger years. The tans of your 20’s are back to haunt the skin causing dullness, dark spots and overall aging. Switching into a chemical exfoliant like Fresh A Peel, may be more gentle for delicate skin. Formulated with lactic acid, this peel was created to attack hyper-pigmentation. The eye and neck area are always topics of concern. Hydration is another area to pay particular attention to. Plant stem cells based products are not only hydrating but also active in turn back the hands of time. Anti-oxidants that reverse and correct DNA damage are effective too.

Exfoliation:

The process of exfoliation is a lot like peeling away the dry, outer skin of an onion to reveal the living layers beneath. Whether the exfoliation is done using mechanical abrasion or a controlled chemical reaction, removing dead and damaged skin cells on the surface allows the fresh new skin underneath to become visible. This newly exposed layer of skin feels much softer and smoother. Its surface reflects light better, making fine lines and other small imperfections harder to see. Age spots and other areas of unwanted pigmentation are less noticeable because the dead skin cells containing the pigment have been removed. Exfoliation unplugs clogged pores and allows for the release of natural skin oils. Regular exfoliation also helps to maintain open pores, decreases pore size, and minimizes many types of superficial scarring. In addition, removing the top layer of dead and damaged cells allows other health-promoting agents such as brightening serums, moisturizers, antioxidants, and collagen-boosting ingredients to better penetrate the skin and work more effectively. Our coveted exfoliator contains crystals that polish away dead surface cells, leaving skin brighter, clearer and younger-looking. Formulated with line-filling Hyaluronic Acid to deliver long-lasting hydration while nourishing Seaweed and Organic Red Tea Extract provide antioxidants.

Treat:

Look for products that treat dark spots and scarring if this is an issue for you. Vitamin C, Alpha Arbutin, Ferulic serums and brightening oils are the best products for this. Our Light Treatment serum was specifically created for this. Oil free and light weight enough for even acne-prone skin. Our Fleuressence Native Botanical Oil is extremely brightening and contains 5 active African oils

high in vitamin A, C, E and F! Stay tuned this Fall for our brand new Brightening Serum!

Protect:

Sun protection is crucial for healthy youthful skin. SPF should be worn at all times and ages. Sun damage and sunburns from childhood will show for the rest of your life as damage, dark spots and even possibly cancer. In addition to SPF, protective hats, clothing and glasses should be worn when outdoors. The sun is the #1 ager! While a tan may look nice on young skin, the price to be paid later in life is not worth it. There are many wonderful fake tan products available now that do not smell, contain natural ingredients and look real.

Continuing to exfoliate is crucial for overall smooth and radiant skin. One of the main culprits in aging, other than the Sun is Glycation. –Dr. Goldfaden

Glycation is a destructive chemical process, which occurs, in the human body over the course of time that’s very similar to browning a piece of meat. This non-enzymatic reaction is a result of sugar molecules in your bloodstream attaching themselves to healthy proteins in your body’s tissues, then rearranging and damaging the existing cellular structure of those proteins to produce what scientists call advanced glycation end products or AGEs. AGE molecules are particularly destructive because they undergo extensive cross-linking with other neighboring proteins to form strong chemical bridges, thus spreading the destruction from cell to cell. Because collagen constitutes about one-third of your body’s proteins and has a very slow turnover rate, it’s highly vulnerable to attack from glycation. As you age, your once healthy collagen fibers gradually lose their elasticity, become rigid, and break. The end result is rough, sagging, wrinkled skin. Given the widespread popularity of fried and sugar-laden foods that are well-known producers of AGEs, routine topical protection against glycation can be an important step in maintaining a youthful appearance.

Actives + Anti-oxidants to look for:

Anti-oxidants, including, but not limited to, Organic Red Tea, White Tea Leaf Extract, Raspberry Leaf Extract, Green Tea, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E help to prevent oxidative DNA damage by fighting free radical cell damage caused by environmental stresses, pollution and UV damage.

Red Tea

Red tea contains some of the most potent natural antioxidants known for protecting your skin from the free radical damage that can cause aging. These include vitamins C, E and beta-carotene. Red tea is known to possess 50 times the antioxidant capacity of green tea due to a high concentration of a special enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD for short), a major scavenger of free radicals. The combination of these natural vitamins and enzymes found in red tea aids in promoting new skin health after the removal of dead and damaged cells, giving your skin a smoother, brighter, and healthier appearance. In addition, red tea also contains a number of powerful polyphenols and flavonoids that help heal and rejuvenate the skin. Red Tea is formulated in the majority of The Goldfaden MD range.

Vitamin C

The ability of Vitamin C to revitalize aging skin is largely due to its beneficial effects on collagen. Collagen is a tough, fibrous protein that is relatively inelastic and very strong. It supplies the basic framework that gives your skin its form, firmness, and strength, while elastin provides flexibility. Overall, the amount of new collagen that your skin produces declines with age, while the rate of its destruction increases. Fortunately, topical vitamin C has been scientifically proven to help stimulate collagen synthesis. Found in our Fleuresence Oil!

Retinol + Vitamin A

In the case of vitamin A, the answer will most likely be retinyl palmitate (although other forms such as retinol, retinyl acetate, and retinyl linoleate are sometimes used). Retinyl palmitate is an ester of retinol and palmitic acid that accounts for about 80% of the vitamin A found naturally in your skin. Due to its superb anti-aging, antioxidant and moisturizing abilities, retinyl palmitate is the form generally used in skin care products. Retinyl palmitate is also highly preferred because its chemical stability makes it easier to formulate and its greater skin-penetrating power gives it an obvious advantage over other vitamin A analogs like retinol.

Whatever its form, topical vitamin A plays a major role in maintaining the youth of your skin by boosting the process of cell regeneration. Vitamin A and its retinoid analogs stimulate skin cell renewal by increasing the rate of cell division.

In the Goldfaden MD range we use sweet potato to mimic retinol, as it is a natural alternative. Find it our Wake Up Call moisturizer. Baobob, Kalahari and Mongogo oil, all found in our Fleuressence Oil are extremely high in Vitamin A as well.

Plant Stem Cells

For example, Resveratrol, which is found in raspberry leaf stem cell extract, helps to decrease the shortening of telomere. Thereby slowing down the aging process. Naturally-derived stem cells have also been shown to contribute to DNA repair by protecting the skin cell from environmental damage (think of it like a super shield) which in turn allows the skin cells to reproduce, as per normal skin cell cycle, at a healthy speed without being compromised by external factors that can block and slow down healthy growth. The entire Plant Profusion range contains multiple plant stem cells and active natural anti-aging ingredients.

A healthy diet and life of exercise and positive thinking will also help in the war against aging.