I have read about face creams etc but it’s very difficult to identify the truth from the marketing. From what I can tell, the whole industry is nonsense and preys mostly on insecure women. It seems like there is no way to prove it since if the results are less than expected, the reply would be “imagine how much worse it could have been.” Maybe too many questions but is there any correlation between cost and effectiveness?
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I’m a plastic surgeon and I explain it to patients like this. Our skin was designed to keep things out, it is our most protective organ. That being said, there are some things that work, even if most of it out there is garbage. .
The things we have evidence for: SPF is hands-down, the best anti-wrinkle cream. Use it every day. Use it if it’s cloudy. Use it if you work in an office. Use it if the only time you go outside is during your commute.
The next things that work include a retinol/retinal/retinoid.
collagen i’m not big on from a biochemistry standpoint but some patients anecdotally rave
There are definitely some products that are proven to have benefits. Take retinol for example. It is proven to increase skin cell production and to produce collagen, which will make your skin “plumper” and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. However it’s not a miracle cure and requires repeated use to generate noticeable results.
In general, it’s worth looking at the active ingredients and then googling if those ingredients do anything, and look only at answers from reliable sources.
My friend is a pharmacist and she told me they don’t work. Most are glorified sunscreens that don’t have enough spf to work anyways.
Now things like tretinoin do work.
A few things works, collagen isn’t one. Things that have been scientifically proven are SPF, topical retinol, vitamin C, and A/BHA.
Some of it definitely works (sunscreen, retinols, generic moisturisers), much of it *probably* works (AHAs, Vit C), and then you descend into the murky waters of *maybe*?
Keeping your skin in good condition consists of preventing UV damage (sunscreen), and keeping your skin clean and moisturised. You can supplement this with retinols – a form of Vit A that forces your skin to turnover new cells faster. This can be a bit of a devils bargain, as it can cause problems in other areas, but it definitely does what it purports to do – it will cause your skin to refresh itself faster, which clears blemishes and marks away faster.
Everything else is either a) assisting in keeping your skin either cleaned or moisturised in various ways, b) some sort of minor supplement, or c) probably snake oil.
I think this becomes an axis of proprietary blends and branding compared to their listed (and to what accuracy less known companies) active ingredient or compound which can be studied more independenly. Few of those do seem (retinol similar) a higher cost basis per volume compared to, lotion as a generic; I think the effectiveness really becomes one of your routine or regime with a few honorable mentions (moisture,uv blocking or basic astringent like witch hazel on occasion, personally over anti aging products)
So much of it becomes more of a question of, do you like the brand and its products effect or options? Or do you care more of the science of it’s active(s) and perhaps comparable costs (brand nonspecific chemistry backing) and thoughts of ethical sourcing compared to.. DIY blends perhaps? for costs.. sunscreen doesn’t always play well in mixing from my skin’s experiments.
Too Long don’t read:: In the specific, it seems advertising in sections of the market like these is a floating point of competing research and brand pandering for lack of better word puttings. But each has underlying definable kind of action, wether it’s spf protection or something a little skin tightening for the night out- the cost basis functions mostly on the branding with a few outliers that aren’t so easy to produce (retinol isn’t yet naturally occurring in our rain I hear)
Hydrolyzed collagen is used to blur small lines and wrinkles. It’s too big to sink into the skin, but it can act as a texturizer on top of the skin.
Some powerful humectants like hyaluronic acid and snow mushroom can cause the skin cells to plump up with water temporarily. Sometimes this can help with the appearance of wrinkles.
Somethings like AHAs / niacinamide / allantoin can increase exfoliation of dull outer skin, revealing the fresher, younger looking skin underneath.
There are also some peptides which can act as signaling agents to boost production of collagen and elastin, although I’ve always been a little skeptical of these
From what I recall most face creams for anti ageing contain proteins. They are in a semi liquid state when you put them onto the skin and then dry. When they dry, they contract slightly removing the traits of wrinkles and smoothing out the skin. However, overtime, your body’s heat and oils, make the proteins more elastic and then the effects were off again. Which is why they are only temporary.
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