We all love sensations, but often they turn out to be one-day butterflies. Most of the "hasty" discoveries do not pass the test of time and, having played a loud premiere, making a little noise, encouraging and, in the end, deceiving expectations, safely go into oblivion. The appearance of snake venom or snail mucus does not mean that they should completely replace time-tested ingredients.
“An old friend is better than two new ones”, “measure seven times - cut one” ─ all of this is directly related to the active ingredients in cosmetology. Here are 6 "star" ingredients, from glowing retinol to collagen vitamin C, that experts agree to actually work. Their presence in a cream or serum guarantee (without any exaggeration) the effectiveness of the product.
Most Valuable Vitamin: Niacinamide
The relationship between vitamin B3 and skin dates back to the early 1900s, when dietary deficiency of this vitamin was observed to lead, among other things, to severe skin irritation. After that, there was an impressive body of scientific research, and niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3) is now considered a unique multifaceted fighter against age-related skin changes.
“We originally used niacinamide for its protective and moisturizing properties, but today we know that it is a precursor to coenzymes that control basic cell metabolism,” says University of Massachusetts professor Frauke Neuser Olay. This means that when you add niacinamide to older skin cells with a cream, they raise their energy levels and produce more collagen, working the way they did when they were young. " Moreover, it has recently been proven that niacinamide improves microcirculation in the skin, as well as increases tissue elasticity, quite successfully prevents hyperpigmentation and neutralizes redness, having an anti-inflammatory effect.
Our choice:
Day cream with superfruit extracts My Payot Jour, Payot
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Hydrohero: Squalane
Until 2011, when Amyris discovered an eco-friendly version of squalane derived from sugar cane, developers killed sharks and ripped off olive trees to extract this ultra-moisturizing ingredient. Sugarcane squalane is a derivative of squalene, which is also a natural component of human skin.
“Squalene is what we were born with,” says Caroline Hadfield, senior vice president of personal hygiene at Amyris., a company that now supplies "material" to over 400 cosmetic brands. It is found in and around the second layer of our dermis, in and around sebum, which is why young children and babies have such hydrated, soft and radiant skin. But its amount decreases over time. In fact, much of it disappears by the age of twenty. Squalane's ability to replenish this internal hydration is one of its hallmarks. Another talent is the ability to transport active substances wherever we need them. Squalane is readily accepted by the skin due to its resemblance to sebum, which creates an ideal delivery base: you put all the beneficial ingredients in it, and it transports them into the deep layers of the skin. Like most oils, it can be used anywhere from hair to cuticles,”says Hadfield.
Our choice:
Moisturizing concentrate The Revitalizer, Biossance
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The Key to Collagen: Vitamin C
“I think vitamin C is the number one anti-aging ingredient of all time,” says London-based dermatologist Dennis Gross. It is the only ingredient that both stimulates fibrocyte cells to reproduce collagen and protects the collagen you already have by acting as an antioxidant. That's already enough to enjoy the fame it deserves, but vitamin C is also a champion in whitening, thanks to its ability to break down melanin. Despite such outstanding characteristics, it was not so easy to "negotiate" with him. Our hero easily loses activity when exposed to light and air, and its most common form, ascorbic acid, is water-soluble (it is rejected by the components of the lipid layer of the skin). The newest rosters have overcome all of these problems, including the last one. Creams and serums now use an oil-based form of vitamin C. This technology forces him to enter the lipid phase, which he could not initially enter.
Dermatologist Nicholas Perricon, M. D., who has been researching vitamin C since the late 1980s, says that with fat-soluble vitamin C, we can get to all parts of our cells, including its most vulnerable part, the plasma membrane. We can also inject much higher levels of vitamin C into the skin, which makes it possible to quickly reduce inflammation and activate the processes of building collagen and elastin.” Today scientists have discovered another important and useful thing: even the most advanced vitamin C preparations can deteriorate from the sun. So the jar or bottle in which it is located must be matte or tinted, and also have an air restrictor (distributed with a pipette or pump).
Our choice:
Hyaluronic essence Вright Now Vitamin C, Lumene
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Essential antioxidant: green tea
Under the influence of air, the skin experiences oxidative stress: stable bonds are destroyed and the aging process begins. Green tea leaves contain many antioxidant polyphenols, making the plant a powerhouse that protects against sun damage and blocks the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin. The magic of green tea does not end there: it also inhibits excess production of sebum, kills in the bud inflammation and bacterial growth on skin damaged by acne. More recently, its "long-lasting" effect has been proven.
“Scientists have found that green tea contains something similar to pro-oxidants, which in some way trick the cell into thinking that it is already under oxidative stress,” says Perricon. This switches a gene that is involved in internal defense, and it causes cells to release protective enzymes. It turns out such a small local factory of self-rejuvenation."
Our choice:
Serum perfecting skin Pre: Empt Series Skin Perfecting Serum, Perricone MD
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Glow Harvester: Retinol
How many times have you heard that retinol is the "gold anti-aging standard" of dermatologists? It's true. There is good reason for such a claim. “A vitamin A derivative - both retinoic acid and its less potent version of OTC, which the body converts to retinoic acid - works through receptors on the cell surface to help speed up cell cycle turnover,” says Michel Noel, a renowned French dermatologist. As a result, skin texture is improved, hyperpigmentation and pore size are reduced. Retinol is the master of skin surface renewal. But because it can irritate tissues, cosmetic brands are still inventing ever softer ways to use this unique ingredient: using new oil formulations, studying its interaction with moisturizing lipids and soothing botanicals."
Dr. Denis Gross, for example, recently introduced his "smoothing peel": a completely new concept that combines retinol with the anti-inflammatory antioxidant ferulic acid, all to stimulate cell renewal twice a week.
Our choice:
Vitamin serum Power Treatment Drops, Zelens
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Unrivaled sealant: hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is an amazing "shock-absorbing" substance found throughout the body to keep joints flexible and skin firm. Like many other things, it inevitably decreases over time. “It's basically like the sister of collagen,” says Denis Gross. But while collagen production can be stimulated, the production of its own hyaluronic acid cannot be established. The only way out is to regularly replenish its stocks from outside."
Dermatologists love hyaluronic acid because it helps tissues retain water, which means it guarantees deep hydration and good tissue filling (it works like an injectable filler, but in different doses and forms). Until recently, it was considered a serious drawback of hyaluronic acid that it was too large a molecule and, accordingly, could not penetrate anywhere except the surface layer of the skin. Shine, smoothness - please. But there is no way to seal the tissues from the inside, only with the help of injections.
Scientists, fortunately, figured out the size and shape of the molecules. The new formulas go much deeper and last longer than before. Dr. Gross uses encapsulated molecules that "descend into the lower dermis and then spread the moisturizing content throughout the thickness of the skin." Thus, the serum HA5 (SkinMedica) contains five molecules of hyaluronic acid of different weight, which slowly dissolve in the skin, maintaining an optimal level of hydration for 8 hours. Despite the fact that everything is so beautiful, you should not forget that hyaluronic acid is such an exceptional water magnet that it can act in the opposite direction - to draw moisture out of the skin if you are in a very dry environment. To avoid any nuisance, apply any hyaluronic acid product with wet fingertips and spray thermal water on your face (especially in super dry air on a plane).
Our choice:
Cream gel for the eye area Hydro Boost, Neutrogen
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Photo: Getty Images, press archives
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