Whether you’re firefighting recent changes to your skin that you may have noticed, or working on laying down good skincare habits for the years to come, if you’re serious about skin aging and anti-wrinkle skincare, there are a few important ingredients you need to know about. Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and peptides are all well-known active ingredients found in a host of anti-aging products, that will help you optimize your skincare regime and take targeted action. Here’s how to harness the power of each one, in the most effective way for your skin.

Using the right anti-wrinkle cream

Contrary to popular opinion, anti-aging isn’t only about moisturizing regularly and drinking a lot of water. Sun protection is a vital preventative measure and not smoking is a given if you want to improve the appearance of fine lines before they turn into wrinkles – or not develop them earlier than necessary. By looking for a few keywords in the ingredients, you can be sure you’re taking more targeted action on symptoms of aging like lines, loss of elasticity and lack of firmness. Here’s what you want to see on the label of your anti-wrinkle cream:

Vitamin C for skin protection
As an antioxidant that protects against pollution, Vitamin C guards against UV damage and actively soothes the skin. It also reduces the appearance of the darker pigmentation patches that are often caused by sun exposure, and is a natural exfoliant that keeps skin bright and radiant.

Hyaluronic acid for super hydration
Hyaluronic acid is a hydrating super-ingredient that helps the skin lock in moisture,  to fight the appearance of lines and keep skin plump. It also strengthens the barrier function, making it more resistant.

Peptides for collagen
Peptides are protein fragments that can help improve different signs of aging depending on their make-up. Most importantly for anti-aging creams, some peptides even trigger the skin to make more collagen, increasing elasticity and tone and reinforcing the skin’s structure, making it more resistant to the aging process.

The anti-wrinkle serum
Applying a vitamin C concentrate serum to freshly cleansed skin, will allow this powerful active to penetrate. Tap on across the face and neck, to prep skin for the hydration to come and supercharge your usual moisturizer.

The anti-wrinkle cream
Follow your serum with a double-action anti-aging cream. A product that couples the power of peptides with vitamin C for example, will preserve the skin collagen, hydrate and fight oxidation. Anti-aging actives are especially important in night creams, for a little extra help during the nighttime renewal process, leaving skin feeling softer, firmer and plumper, with lines noticeably smoothed.

The anti-wrinkle mask
Once a week, aim for a skincare moisture hit with hyaluronic acid, to work on plumping and elasticity. Intense hydration will smooth wrinkles after regular use.