Rejuvenating Products Which Prematurely Age the Skin?

Nu.nl recently reported that anti-wrinkle or rejuvenating creams age your skin. This news is very damning and I would now like to let you know the real story.

British investigation?

The report stated that the source of the statement was from a British investigation. Interesting! If it concerns cosmetic research, I’m always interested to know more. But a long search revealed that the source of the news was no investigation, but the views of two dermatologists about the use of skin care products and substances such as Vitamin A Acid and GlycolicAacid by younger women. The dermatologists do not disapprove of Vitamin A Acid and Glycolic Acid: in fact Dr. Nick Lowe has his own product label which contains these ingredients and Dr. Susan Mayou uses Vitamin A Acid herself. What they are warning about is that the mis-use of cosmetic products can lead to premature ageing of the skin. But is this true?

Cosmetic products which cause premature ageing of the skin?

Surprisingly enough cosmetic products which contain irritating ingredients can indeed cause premature ageing of the skin. My advice is to avoid long term use of irritating substances which have no beneficial use to the skin. Click here for a list of these substances.

Skin rejuvenating ingredients – avoid irritation

But what about irritating substances which have demonstrated that they can benefit the skin? There are some substances which are proven to have a rejuvenating effect on the skin. These are Glycolic Acid and Vitamin A Acid. This has been proven through many investigations over the years.

Vitamin A Acid and Glycolic Acid are wonderful substances but they can definitely irritate the skin! But really, if you use them in the right way you can avoid irritation and achieve an outstanding result. Always gradually build up their use and keep a close check to see if your skin reacts. If so, you can either reduce the use of the product or choose a lower concentration of the active substance. Because both substances remove the top layer of dead skin cells, the skin becomes more sensitive to sunlight so good protection is essential. Use a minimum of SPF 15 daily.

But what do Glycolic Acid and Vitamin A Acid do for the skin?

Both substances have a very positive effect on the skin. Glycolic Acid thins the stratum corneum (dead skin layer) and improves the production of new skin cells. This makes the skin less dull and more smooth. By using higher concentrations (25%) Glycolic Acid can stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. They can also reduce surface pigmentation spots. As if this isn’t enough, Glycolic Acid can also reduce the chances of getting skin cancer (abstract). Vitamin A Acid is only available on prescription. It improves the structure of the skin, fine lines and pigmentation and helps maintain “healthy” cell division. Here are two quotes from Dermatologist Goldberg (Light Years Younger): “AHA’s can perform wonders on photo aged skin” and “…by the late 1980’s Retin A had gained a widespread reputation as a miracle cure for aging skin”. In other words the substances improve and rejuvenate the skin.

Two messages

Keep a close check on how your skin reacts to the use of skin rejuvenating products. Does your skin become irritated? Then go back a step. And regarding the message on nu.nl: always be critical about what you read. It is crazy how things can be interpreted, and how ‘news’ can be incorrectly reported!

Regards Jetske

(Dr. Jetske Ultee-Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology)

You can read more about the skin ageing process,
how easy it is to make a claim from ‘research’ and
the self-tanner.