How do you combat wrinkles in your 20s? Welcome to Dear Soko, a series dedicated to answering your biggest skin care questions with advice from Soko Glam’s skin experts. Whether you’re confused about specific ingredients or what you need to do to achieve healthier skin overall, these experts are here to guide you.
This week’s question comes from Linda who asked in our last Dear Soko: “I am only 25-years-old but I have very deep lines and wrinkles. I’ve been doing a 10-step skin care routine since April, but there is NO change. Please help me! I have deep lines like an 80-year-old!”
Here’s Soko Glam’s skin expert’s answer:
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Deep valleys are only considered a marvel when it’s part of the Grand Canyon, but even then, you’re only staring at it for only a few minutes before moving on.
I’m all for aging gracefully, but I would very much prefer to look younger than my actual age for much longer. Although you can’t stop time, you can evaluate your lifestyle and the products you’re currently using to make sure they’re right for you. It can be as simple as wearing SPF or changing sleep positions.
Let’s first understand the two types of wrinkles, “extrinsic” and “intrinsic.”
Extrinsic wrinkles are caused by external factors, like diet, sun exposure, smoking, pollution, etc.
Intrinsic wrinkles are caused by things happening inside of the body; i.e. collagen depletion, slowing of cell turnover, etc.
Extrinsic wrinkles are controllable and can be corrected with simple lifestyle changes. Sometimes, simply a double cleanse and applying SPF can help. Intrinsic wrinkles are influenced by genetics and is a little more difficult to correct. This is where applying the right products formulated with the right ingredients come to play.
Ingredients to look out for are retinols, vitamin C, black Tea Extract, niacinamide, adenosine, beta glucans, AHAs, and EGF.
Here is a little cheat sheet on what each ingredient does for aging skin:
Retinols help promote thicker skin and slow down the breakdown of collagen, and help fade hyperpigmentation.
Vitamin C strengthens our skin’s barrier and increases our skin’s ability to fight free radical. This protects your skin from cell damage and premature aging.
Black Tea Extract is loaded with antioxidants that help protect skin from UV damage and environmental pollutants. The higher content of caffeine means it’s an excellent ingredient for tightening and toning the skin.
Niacinamide promotes collagen production to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—it’s also great for fading out hyperpigmentation.
Adenosine is a soothing and skin-restoring agent that boosts collagen and elastin.
Beta glucans help maintain proper skin health by deeply moisturizing the epidermis and dermis, and prevent the increased appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
AHAs work to break down the top layer that holds dead skin cells together, smoothing and refining the outermost layer of skin, which means they work best for things like fine lines and light pigmentation issues.
EGF encourages cell growth and stimulates the division of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, which then synthesize fibrous proteins that improve skin elasticity such as collagen and elastin.
If your current routine is not working out for you, I would strongly advise to make sure to study the ingredients in your products and make sure some of the ingredients mentioned above are in the formulation. For some insights on how to optimize your routine, please read this Dear Soko post.
I hope you have enjoyed this little Sparknotes quick-read on how to best tackle your wrinkles. For a deeper dive, please read this article:
The Best Treatments for Different Types of Wrinkles
Have a great weekend!
Warmly,
Your Skin Expert
Let’s first understand the two types of wrinkles, “extrinsic” and “intrinsic.”
Extrinsic wrinkles are caused by external factors, like diet, sun exposure, smoking, pollution, etc.
Intrinsic wrinkles are caused by things happening inside of the body; i.e. collagen depletion, slowing of cell turnover, etc.
Extrinsic wrinkles are controllable and can be corrected with simple lifestyle changes. Sometimes, simply a double cleanse and applying SPF can help. Intrinsic wrinkles are influenced by genetics and is a little more difficult to correct. This is where applying the right products formulated with the right ingredients come to play.
Ingredients to look out for are retinols, vitamin C, black Tea Extract, niacinamide, adenosine, beta glucans, AHAs, and EGF.
Here is a little cheat sheet on what each ingredient does for aging skin:
Retinols help promote thicker skin and slow down the breakdown of collagen, and help fade hyperpigmentation.
Vitamin C strengthens our skin’s barrier and increases our skin’s ability to fight free radical. This protects your skin from cell damage and premature aging.
Black Tea Extract is loaded with antioxidants that help protect skin from UV damage and environmental pollutants. The higher content of caffeine means it’s an excellent ingredient for tightening and toning the skin.
Niacinamide promotes collagen production to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—it’s also great for fading out hyperpigmentation.
Adenosine is a soothing and skin-restoring agent that boosts collagen and elastin.
Beta glucans help maintain proper skin health by deeply moisturizing the epidermis and dermis, and prevent the increased appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
AHAs work to break down the top layer that holds dead skin cells together, smoothing and refining the outermost layer of skin, which means they work best for things like fine lines and light pigmentation issues.
EGF encourages cell growth and stimulates the division of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, which then synthesize fibrous proteins that improve skin elasticity such as collagen and elastin.
If your current routine is not working out for you, I would strongly advise to make sure to study the ingredients in your products and make sure some of the ingredients mentioned above are in the formulation. For some insights on how to optimize your routine, please read this Dear Soko post.
I hope you have enjoyed this little Sparknotes quick-read on how to best tackle your wrinkles. For a deeper dive, please read this article:
The Best Treatments for Different Types of Wrinkles
Have a great weekend!
Warmly,
Your Skin Expert