If you’re feeling like you’re doing too much for your skin and you’re not getting enough back in return, the problem isn’t you: it’s the myriad products you’re using that are ineffective. You could spend a million dollars on skincare, but that doesn’t mean your skin will be flawless or look more hydrated and youthful. The key factor in ensuring your skincare routine works well for you is to make mindful choices about what you’re using, when you’re using it, and which products are better left on the cutting room floor.
According to skincare experts, you really only need a few ingredients — including these two — that can lock in moisture, repair your skin, and provide the preventative care you’re looking for to help keep signs of aging at bay.
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1. Vitamin C
Let’s start with your morning serum: many experts, including Lilian Alishaev, R.N., and Family Nurse Practitioner at Manhattan Laser Spa, recommend a quality vitamin C serum that helps create healthy new collagen, neutralizes free radicals that damage cells, and protects skin from damaging UV light exposure.
“We all know sun is what causes our skin to age quicker,” Alishaev said. “You develop pigmentation, sun spots, wrinkles, etc, after being exposed to too much sun. Therefore, using vitamin C and sunblock helps to prevent all of that.”
We realize we’re cheating a bit here — you will technically need three ingredients to make sure your skin looks and feels its best because sunscreen is always recommended. But a good vitamin C serum can provide skin brightening benefits.
2. Hyaluronic Acid
A skincare cream’s job is never to eliminate wrinkles and fine lines — no cream should be expected to complete such as mammoth task. But creams can be extremely helpful when it comes to helping boost collagen (as in the case of vitamin C or retinol), protect against UV exposure (as sunscreen does), and increase the levels of hydration in your skin for a smoother, softer complexion. Hyaluronic acid is an excellent ingredient for helping to achieve that latter goal. HA retains moisture so that your skin looks plumper and more dewy. Dr. Anna Chacon, MD, board-certified dermatologist and writer at My Psoriasis Team, says applying a hyaluronic acid serum to clean skin at night can “replenish and lock in moisture to the skin.”
If you’re also applying a prescription or OTL retinol, which can be drying to the skin, combatting this with an HA serum is a fantastic idea.
