Coco Chanel once said, “You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible for the rest of your life.” There’s an abundance of truth to her words, especially with regards to your skin. According to Robin Ashinoff, MD, chief of dermatologic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, the key rests in one simple word -- prevention. Prevention is the best anti-aging skin medicine.1 By establishing good skin care habits, reliance on anti-aging creams and lotions are unnecessary.

The Cons of Anti-Aging Products

According to Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at New York’s Mt. Sinai Medical Center2:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not scrutinize anti-aging products through clinical studies because they are cosmetics.

Using these products at an early age, in your twenties, is irrelevant because your skin is efficient at producing collagen and self-repair.

Anti-aging products may irritate and thin your skin making you more sensitive to the sun. They have short-term results with long-term repercussions.

Establish Good Skin Care Habits

Avoid smoking – smoking hinders your body’s ability to make collagen, which leads to premature wrinkling.

Daily sunscreen – use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 that protects against UVA and UVB rays.

Use natural oils and creams that contain antioxidant vitamins E and C, natural retinol vitamin A, acne-fighting minerals like zinc, and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). Vitamin B-complex to hydrate skin, even out skin tone, and gives skin a healthy glow. Vitamin K to even skin tone and reduce wrinkles. Green tea for its antioxidant and anti-aging benefits.

Eat a diet rich in antioxidants like fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish.

Use natural products for your skin type. Don’t use products solely on the benefits they tout or marketing hype. Make sure the product really does what it claims and your skin needs that benefit. You could be doing more harm than good.

The take-away message here is to ‘keep it simple’. The harsh anti-aging products might give you short-term results, but at what long-term costs? Anti-aging begins and ends with prevention (reducing environmental stressors) and protection (sunscreen). As Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”