Your beauty products are only as good as the ingredients inside them, so make sure you’re using the right ones. Here is a simple guide to help you make the very most of your beauty products just by reading the label.

Sun Protection: The sun is the main culprit for wrinkles, so make sure you wear broad-spectrum sunscreen! Chemical blocks sink into skin and absorb UV rays while physical blocks sit on top of the skin like a shield to deflect UV rays. Be sure to look for either Mexoryl or Helioplex (chemical blocks) or zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (physical blocks) in the list of ingredients before choosing a sunscreen.

Moisturizer: Hyaluronic acid  is natural moisturizer found in our skin, that helps skin stay smooth and plump, but moisture levels start to diminish in our early twenties (depressing, right?). However, things are looking up because lots of skin care brands are incorporating it into their beauty products!

Anti-Aging: Your best bet for fighting the visible signs of age? Vitamin A-derivatives! They are often in the form of retrinal, retinol and retinyl palmitate. Their anti-aging benefits are endless—they improve wrinkles, roughness, tone and overall aging severity. Not to mention, they work miracles in the treatment of acne.  Does it all sound too good to be true? It’s not. This topical treatment has actually been proven to regenerate collagen!

Antioxidants: Their goal is to protect your skin cells from free radical damage caused by environmental stressors like UV rays, pollution and smoking that cause wrinkles and dullness. So make sure to protect your skin with a strong antioxidant. Don’t just buy the newest antioxidant on the market because it is getting a lot of buzz, make sure you choose based on efficacy. Legit antioxidants: CoffeeBerry extract, idebenone, and vitamins C and E.

Acne: Salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide is a great way to spot treat zits and prevent future breakouts.

Brown Spots: Look for a cream or gel with hydroquinone to help fade sun spots.

Tags: beauty products, Moisturizer, sunscreen

This entry was posted on Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 10:01 am and is filed under Skincare. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.