What do anti-ageing products do?

With so many anti-ageing ingredients to choose from, it can be pretty mind-boggling trying to decide what’s best for your skin. As a general rule of thumb, look for ingredients that are already found in the skin, such as that clever ingredient we mentioned earlier: Q10. By choosing products that replicate your skin’s own defences, you can support your body’s natural ability to fight the signs of ageing.

Ingredients to look out for include:

Q10 is a naturally occurring coenzyme that’s found in every body cell. It’s a vital part of energy production and it helps your skin regenerate and repair. Your skin is usually the most exposed part of your body (especially come summer), and it’s often susceptible to all kinds of external nasties, like UV rays and pollution. Internal processes can also cause free radicals to be released, which puts more strain on your skin. Your body uses Q10 as an antioxidant to combat these stressors, nourishing your skin and supporting its ability to stay soft, smooth and beautiful.

Over time, Q10 production slows down in the body, which can make your skin more prone to signs of ageing. Including an anti-ageing product containing Q10 in your skincare routine can help bolster your skin’s natural Q10 levels. How goods’ that!

Hyaluronic Acid is one of our top anti-ageing ingredients. Your body produces Hyaluronic Acid naturally to help retain water and preserve the moisture levels in your tissues, mainly around your skin, eyes and connective tissue. When used in a topical cream or lotion, this potent ingredient gives your skin the ultimate moisture boost – and who doesn’t love a bit of hydration?

Hyaluronic Acid makes sure your skin has enough moisture and volume in the epidermis (the top layer), and it has an incredibly high water-binding capacity. In fact, just one gram of Hyaluronic Acid can retain up to six litres of water – that’s some seriously impressive plumping power!

Creatine is also naturally found in the body, specifically in muscle cells. Creatine is an awesome all-rounder that supports cellular production and increases cell hydration, boosts skin-firming fibres, stimulates collagen production, and activates your skin’s anti-ageing defences – phew! Combined with other genius ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Creatine is a fabulous tool for fighting the signs of ageing, as it reinforces your body’s own ability to repair.

Collagen is an absolute essential. It’s basically a building block for your skin that creates structure and provides a basis for your dermis (the middle layer) – kind of like taut ropes. Incredibly, up to 80 percent of the dry weight in the dermis is Collagen, which is why it’s so crucial for maintaining firm skin. Like Q10, Collagen production slows down as you age, which can cause fine lines and wrinkles. But, an anti-ageing product that boosts Collagen levels can improve the appearance of your skin and help preserve its firmness. That sounds like a pretty good ageing-buster to us!

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