Now that you’ve got the basics of a good skincare routine down, let’s take a look at specific ingredients to take that routine from good to great - especially when it comes to anti-ageing. Here’s the thing: you and I both know there’s no turning back the clock, or beating gravity. When it comes to ageing gracefully, a combination of prevention and correction is the right way to go - and that’s with a splash of injectables if you like. 

There’s an entire world of skincare ingredients out there - here are some of our faves for preventing time from catching up with us (at least for a little while):

• Retinol
• Resveratrol
• Peptides
• Vitamin C

Four Skincare Ingredients for Ageing Gracefully

Retinol: An Anti-Ageing Heavyweight

We’re starting this list super strong with Retinol - a Vitamin A derivative. Retinol (and all its cousins) are probably the most researched of all skincare ingredients out there. A recent 2019 study asserts that “Vitamin A and its derivatives are among the most effective substances slowing the ageing process.” 

In case you’re wondering - yes, retinol is included in that group of derivatives. Woohoo! How does this work, you ask? Two words: collagen formation. Retinol (and almost all retinoids) are incredibly effective at turning on the switch for collagen production. 

Resveratrol: A Powerful Plant-Based Antioxidant

Other than retinol, one of the absolute best ingredients that you can include in your skincare routine for ageing gracefully is a potent antioxidant (or two). Antioxidants have a laundry list of benefits for skin - but one of the best is that they protect the skin against free radicals. 

Free radicals can spur on premature signs of ageing in the skin, such as wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Antioxidants prevent them from doing so, and can even provide a touch of sun protection (but that doesn’t mean you can skip your SPF. 

This grape-derived polyphenol has a major benefit of its own: it’s able to contribute to the production of all three types of collagen in the skin. Increased collagen production = fewer, less deep wrinkles over time. Supporting collagen production is crucial as naturally, our collagen levels decrease over time, leading to loss of facial volume that can make you look older. 

Peptides: Reprogram Your Skin Cells

Much like Vitamin A, Peptides encompass a wide family of ingredients - there are a lot of peptides out there! Peptides are technically groups of amino acids, which are the founding structures of proteins - including collagen.

Studies have found that peptides (in this specific case, hexapeptides) were able to soften and reduce the look of fine lines in 75% of test subjects. There are several categories of peptides, today I’ll only touch on signal peptides - these are peptides that ‘signal’ to skin cells how they should behave. 

These signals include (for the most part) encouraging collagen production for skin that’s bouncier and younger-looking than it would be without. 

Vitamin C: Probably the Best Antioxidant Out There

Vitamin C is one of the best (if not *the* best) antioxidant ingredients that you can get for your skin - it has a cult following, and for good reason. Like, really good reason. I’ve already touched on the key benefit of antioxidants (defence against free radicals), but Vitamin C has two other tricks up its sleeve.

First off, Vitamin C is great at tackling photodamage. Photodamage is just a fancy term for sun damage - and that includes wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Vitamin C is what’s called a ‘depigmenting agent’ - that means that it can tackle uneven skin tone caused by sun damage, including melasma and regular hyperpigmentation.

Secondly, Vitamin C can also influence the skin to increase collagen levels - a key theme between all these ingredients, just in case you haven’t noticed. With these two major benefits, your skin isn’t only going to be a little bouncier - it’s going to be much more radiant, too!

These fantastic four ingredients are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes for ageing gracefully. They’re the perfect addition to any skincare routine to help fight off Father Time, at least for a little bit.

Don’t forget to check out the latest additions to our range of anti-ageing skincare to get your beauty affairs in order! Plus, you can always take a look at our retinol, peptide, and antioxidant categories for the newest products.

Need some help putting together the best skincare routine for your skin type? Try our skin quiz!