Five tips for Choosing The Best Anti-Aging Cream

Does it water your skin?

Like a plant, it’s water first and fertiliser second.

One of the most important things when treating ageing is the amount you ‘water’ your skin.

I don’t just mean from the water we drink (most of this goes to the vital organs and the skin is left with very little), I mean the amount of hyaluronic acid that’s added to the surface of your skin. This ingredient helps skin look plump, dewy and healthy AND it helps active ingredients in your other products penetrate the skin.

We recommend: Hyaluronic Force Serum for daily hydration.

Look for quality ingredients

The next most important thing is the active ingredients themselves. Many skin care companies purchase their ingredients from biochemists. They don’t make them inhouse, so you are getting the same components in many skin care brands, and therefore getting the same result, no matter what you pay because it’s all the same.

I always suggest that you look for a skin care company that manufactures their own technology. Look for a large manufacturing company that speak about R & D or unique ingredients. This means that the active ingredients being used are ones that are unique or distinctly different.

Also look for different scientific studies or results from testing and product studies. Some of the “off the shelf” ingredients come with these but it’s more common to see this when the company makes their own ingredients.

For example Zinc Glycine Complex, found in Germaine De Capuccini’s Timexpert SRNS range, is an ingredient developed by the brand. It is included in the range to help improve the look of sun-damaged skin.

We recommend: SRNS Pro 60+ Cream

How’s the texture - and how does it feel on the skin?

Many products are not made for the Australian climate, which means they can feel heavy and thick, and the base of the cream can even cause clogging and dullness to the skin. On the other hand it can be so light that it evaporates quickly and leaves the skin without water.

My suggestion? Look for a light treatment cream that gives the right amount of skin protection. It needs to protect enough to lock in moisture but not be so heavy it causes clogging and reduces oxygenation of the surface cells. Most of our ranges offer a light and rich so you can easily find the “perfect fit” for your skin

Unsure what you need? Book a free Skin Chat with one of our skin therapists

SPF: yes or no?

I get asked a lot if treatment creams should have an SPF. This really depends what concern you are trying to address. Generally speaking, the SPF ingredients added to moisturisers can interfere with the effectiveness of other active ingredients such as peptides, so you won’t get the full benefit of your anti-ageing cream.

The one exception to this is if you are treating pigmentation, where SPF in the treatment creams works with the other ingredients to help even the look of skin tone.

I always suggest that you wear sunscreen, as UV rays damage the skin and cause the skin to age. And remember, it’s treatment cream first and SPF on top.

We recommend: Excel O2 CC Cream as it gives a foundation like finish or Golden Caresse Face Anti-Age SPF 50 if you don’t want tined

Natural verses Cosmeceutical

Unfortunately, you can’t have both.

Products classed as ‘natural’ or low in artificial ingredients can offer visible results but generally they are only topical products which care for ageing skin with hydration or by calming the skin.

Cosmeceutical products are higher in active ingredients and are more often backed by testing data on how well they work.

That’s not to say cosmeceuticals don’t contain extracts from plants and flowers which have some amazing cosmetic properties. Our Hydracure range contains Lily of the Valley, which has water retention properties and helps with skin hydration. Jasmine, which is in our Tx Lift range, has skin firming qualities, an our new TRides Supreme Cream includes Edelweiss, a plant extract with antioxidant properties that helps skin look more vital and even in tone.

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