Skin care ingredients are important.

Ingredients

Peptides

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that can be synthesized in an infinite order of different combinations. Fatty ends are added to enhance their penetration into the skin (lipo-peptides). Not all peptides are created equal however. These peptides "signal" or "communicate" with fibroblasts and skin cells and either exert a positive anti-ageing influence, no influence at all, or a negative influence!

Various peptides can:

·        Stimulate collagen production by dermal fibroblasts

·        Down regulate or up regulate fibroblast collagenase production (breaks down collagen)

·        Stimulate growth factors

·        Stimulate antioxidant enzymes

·        Enhance matrix proteins

·        Enhance wound healing and cell repair

·        Modulate pigmentation

·        Provide antimicrobial activity

A valuable high performing peptide can be simulative and proliferative and offer many or all of the anti-ageing benefits listed above. This translates to more rapid turnover of skin cells and healthier looking skin!

Eminence Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream

Retinol

Retinol continues to be a critical benchmark for promoting skin renewal. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that acts on DNA to promote healthy keratinocytes. Administration causes epidermal thickening (dose related), increases production of collagen and elastin, and decreases UV induced collagenase. Retinol is great for photo damaged skin for treatment of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyper pigmentation.

Skinceutical 0.3/0.5 Retinol

Antioxidants:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the most plentiful antioxidant in our skin to neutralize free radicals! It is necessary for stimulation and effective cross linking during collagen synthesis. Vitamin C exerts photo protective effects and works synergistically with Vitamin E on cells. Topical Vitamin C improves fine lines and skin wrinkling, improves smoothness, tone, laxity and can lighten hyper pigmentation.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the predominant antioxidant at the skin barrier (Stratum Corneum). As noted above, Vitamin E works synergistically with Vitamin C to help protect the skin barrier and upper dermis from the oxidative damage from UV exposure. Topical administration of Vitamin E before UV exposure can reduce skin responses such as erythema, oedema, and sunburn cell formation.

Skinceutical C & E Ferulic.

Sunscreen:

Sunscreen is perhaps the most important anti-ageing product to have. Although modest amounts of UV exposure is healthy and promotes Vitamin D production, too much is detrimental. UV light creates free radicals and depletes our skin of antioxidants.

The skins fibroblasts become chronically injured and decrease the production of collagen and elastin. UV light also stimulates an increase in the production of mmp1 collagenase which breaks down our tissue matrix. This results in skin which is less dense, robust, and elastic, and with more wrinkles and pigmentation! It is critical to find a sunscreen that is protective of UVA and UVB and is photo stable. UVB rays cause short term sunburn and skin cancer. UVA rays are responsible for wrinkling as well as a playing a role in skin cancer too.

Skinceutical Skin brightening high Spf 30

Advanced Glycation End-products (AGE)

A connection has been made between glycation and disease and aging. Glycation is an abnormal process of non enzymatic joining of sugars to fats and proteins in our body which advances slowly over a lifetime and influences cellular metabolism. The sugars bind to these proteins such as collagen, elastin, and cell membranes. This creates damage to cellular structures, free radicals, and formation of Advanced Glycation End-products.

This may further contribute to advanced cellular ageing and diminished repair capabilities. Some skin care products like AGE from Skinceutical promote the ability to help protect the skins natural collagen from this.

A.G.E Cream from Skinceutical