Can you prevent your skin from aging? Here are four ways to cut the damage

As a dermatologist and researcher, I am always searching for the latest advancements in anti-aging skin care. While there are many new products regularly entering the market, I still stand by three traditional anti-aging ingredients with robust research and real-world evidence of their effectiveness. My newest favorite anti-aging serum contains some of the most advanced ingredients in anti-aging and has already shown exciting results that I’ve seen in my own patients.

SPF

SPF, or sun protection factor, is still the single-best anti-aging product you can put on your skin. UV damage from the sun accounts for as much as 90% of all visible signs of skin aging! So, if you can be diligent about sun protection and wear sunscreen every day, you can significantly reduce sun damage and the signs of aging that come with it.

Retinoids

Retinoids are vitamin-A derivatives with much evidence-backed research to support their use for lines, wrinkles and loose skin. These ingredients have been used since the 1980s, and emerging evidence continues to tout them as some of the best ingredients for anti-aging. Additionally, I prescribe retinoids to at least 80% of my patients and have seen excellent results.

Retinoids can cause dryness and flaking, but this can be minimized or even prevented altogether when gradually introduced to the skin, starting with lower concentrations.

Vitamin C

In addition to sunscreen and retinoids, I also personally use a vitamin C serum at least three times a week. Vitamin C is not only a strong antioxidant that can combat oxidative stress, but it is also needed in order to make collagen. So, adding a vitamin C serum to your regular skin care routine and eating fruits and vegetables that are rich in this vitamin can help your skin to produce more collagen to repair damage related to aging skin.

Exosomes

Platelet-derived exosomes are some of the most advanced and exciting anti-aging ingredients in skin care right now. Not only is there promising clinical evidence of their ability to improve the appearance of aged skin, but I have also seen these results first-hand.

You can find exosomes in anti-aging products like Plated Skin Science INTENSE Serum. I have interviewed the doctors and researchers behind this new line of products and they explained how these exosomes work at the cellular level to reduce cellular senescence, stimulate collagen and enhance skin repair. In my practice, patients using this serum have noticed significant improvements in visible signs of aging as a result.

Bottom line

Sunscreen, retinoids and vitamin C still remain anti-aging staples – but I would now also add platelet-derived exosomes to this list of top anti-aging skin care ingredients. Even better still, all of these ingredients can be good matches for nearly all skin types, provided they are formulated properly for your type.

I’m still on sabbatical and no longer run Baumann Cosmetic Institute, so please follow @SkinTypeSolutions on social media, or visit LeslieBaumannMD.com if you have questions.