Fine Lines and Wrinkles

How to slow down fine lines and wrinkles
with skincare that (actually) work

With age comes wisdom. And a few wrinkles. There’s no shame in seeing your skin doing its natural thing, but if fine lines are getting you down, there are ways to slow the process. As it’s ironic to spend a lot of time researching beauty products to reverse the effects of… time, we’ve summed up everything you need to know right here.

What’s the difference between fine lines and wrinkles? +-
So what causes proper wrinkles? +-

The Best Skincare Routine
to try

There are a lot of products out there that claim to lift and firm, but to make the cut in our regime, ingredients need to actually do something, like active ingredients. Actives like vitamin A or hyaluronic acid, are proven to make a change to the skin in some way, from increasing its hydration levels or encouraging cells to renew. So, while they can’t reverse the effects of time (wouldn’t that be glorious?) they can – and do – do something.

When it comes to choosing products that aren’t just bluffing, but actually make a visible difference to aging skin, here’s what we’d suggest:

Cleanser

Cleansing oils are a good choice for older skin. While their main job is gently removing makeup, they work to nourish the skin at the same time, especially if formulated with essential oils (like Rosehip). Sensitive skin is well-suited to an oil cleanser because it won’t strip the necessary sebum produced naturally by our cells.

The product to try: Pai Light Work Rosehip Cleansing Oil

100ml, £33

Serum

Lipids describe the skin’s natural fats and are essential in maintaining a strong, protective skin barrier (hydration in, impurities out). Protection from external aggressors, and supporting the skin’s natural repair processes, make lipids a VIP in any skincare formulation. We’re big into plant lipids, and think that the best way to layer them onto the skin is in a serum.

The product to try: Juice Beauty Signal Peptides Firming Serum

30ml, £110

Eye cream

As we age, and our collagen production levels decline, our skin gradually loses its plump and juicy texture. To reverse this process (or certainly slow it down), try marine actives in your skincare routine. Plankton extract, sea buckthorn, seaweed amino acids – they work a lot like a natural botox, kickstarting the skin’s youth proteins, which boosts elasticity and fills out fine lines. Eating more fish helps with that too. Lunch?

The product to try: Kypris Ad Asta Eye Cream Emulsion

14ml, £173

Face cream

Yes, radiant and youthful sounds good written on swanky-looking bottles, but how can you be sure that they’re legit?

Look for antioxidant-rich formulas that will help to slow down free-radical damage (and act like cell-boosting supplements for your skin), or formulas with vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids to increase your body’s collagen production. Try creams with emollient-like properties that will maintain a healthy, hydrated skin barrier while soothing dryness. (Though dry skin doesn’t cause wrinkles, it can make the grooves look more pronounced). Prioritise hydration and choose ingredients that top up our body’s own production of moisture-binding substances like hyaluronic acid.

Nice smells are a bonus, but don’t do much other than boost your mood (unless the scent is created with natural, nourishing essential oils). If you’re big into calming scents, try products containing jojoba oil.

The product(s) to try:

Tata Harper Creme Riche Velvet Moisturising Cream

50ml, £170

Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Firming Cashmere Cream

50ml, £42

Face oil

Last on the list (and on your face, FYI) is a facial oil. Aside from feeling super hydrating and providing a pre-sleep glow, face oil is a winning product for restoring balance to skin. Choose a concentrated formula that’s packed with antioxidants like vitamins A, B, C, D, and E to protect your skin from environmental aggressors and deeply moisturise.

The product to try: Tata Harper Retinoic Nutrient Face Oil

30ml, £115

SOME INSIDER TIPS JUST FOR YOU

✓ As a general rule, after cleansing, apply your skincare from lightest to heaviest formula. That means toner, then serum, then eye cream, then moisturiser, then face oil.

If you’re thinking ‘but oil feels thinner?’, here’s the thing – oils do the work on the top layers of your skin, while water thrives inside your skin. As you (absolutely, 100%) remember from GCSE science, oil and water don’t mix. Apply water-based products, like creams and moisturisers first, then lock in your skincare with a final topping of face oil. It’ll work through the night to hydrate your skin and gradually nourish.

Say it with us: oil comes last.

✓ It’s okay to layer up on skincare products, so long as the actives are working together: combining certain active ingredients can lessen the effect of each, or cause skin irritation. Make sure to look-up your actives before going in.

✓ Be honest about what’s working for you. If you finally try that must-have product that everyone in the office is using, and your skin gets irritated or starts breaking out – stop using it. Don’t create a skin concern in solving another.

✓ Try facial massage. Invest in a gua sha or jade roller, or follow a Youtube tutorial on firming facial exercises, to massage your skin back a year or two. Repeated motions of kneading, pressing, and draining can have a noticeable effect of lifting your facial contours in just a few days.

✓ Apply, reapply, and keep applying SPF. Yes, it will prevent sun spots and wrinkles, but it’s also essential in protecting your skin from harmful UV rays. Whether you’re off to Costa del Sol, or straight-up popping to Costa coffee, layer up the factor 30 (minimum).

We’ll leave you with this – aging is a privilege, so don’t hate too much on your skin’s response to time passing. Instead, focus on products that make you feel good… and obviously show them off to us @naturisimo.

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