IT’S HARD TO TRUDGE through the skin care marketing jargon that’s out there. Miracle creams promising a second coming for your face, fountain-of-youth serums and potions that will keep you eternally young. How are you supposed to know what’s right for you? We suggest familiarizing yourself with what your skin needs and go from there. There are a handful of time-tested anti-aging ingredients that work, and if you’re new to the whole scene, it’s your best bet to stick with those. We’ve compiled a short list of the top five anti-aging skin care ingredients that have been proven to work. Print this out and take it with you when you go shopping for anti-aging skin care. We’ve done the work so you wouldn’t have to worry one little wrinkle.

Retinol – We can’t sing enough praises of anti-aging front runner retinol. Derived from vitamin A, retinol does wonders at turning over dull surface skin to reveal your true inner beauty, hiding just beneath that top layer. This can fade sun and age spots, brighten dullness and even tone, and banish fine lines. It can also minimize the appearance of pores, smooth texture and improve clarity. Need we say more?

 

Peptides – Put a little pep in your skincare steps with peptides. Peptides are known for plumping, because they signal to your skin cells to start producing more collagen and elastin, the fibers that give skin its shape. This firms up the skin’s appearance, smooths out fine lines, fills in wrinkles and gives you an overall lifted look. And who couldn’t use a little pick-me-up?

 

Alpha Hydroxy Acids – Alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, include glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and malic acid, and are known in skin care as chemical exfoliants. Don’t be alarmed–all that means is they increase cell turnover by loosening dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. This is key in anti-aging, since cell turnover slows with every passing birthday. You’ve most likely heard of glycolic acid, as it’s one of the more commonly used AHAs. It’s small enough to penetrate into deeper layers of the skin, stimulating collagen and elastin production. Wrinkles, be gone! For more information on USA Made Peptides, check out the peptide profiles at the Loti Labs Blog.

 

Vitamin C – Vitamin C, the all-around anti-aging wonder ingredient, packs a powerful punch against a bevy of aging issues, including dullness, brown spots, slowed cell renewal, sagging and free-radical damage. It almost sounds too good to be true, but we wouldn’t lie to you. Incorporating skin care products that contain this antioxidant can help increase collagen production, brighten and even skin tone and improve overall skin health. All this brought to you by the letter “C.”

 

Hyaluronic Acid – Retaining water is never a good thing. Unless, of course, we’re talking skin care. Hyaluronic acid is a super hydrator that draws moisture to the skin and can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Just imagine what that can do for you skin. We’re talking filled-out lines, plumped-up wrinkles and an all-over healthier appearance. Not only does moisture leave your skin looking and feeling dewy and soft, it makes for a great prep for makeup, too.