If you could start from your 20s what would you do?
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Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:56 pm

Hey I'm late 20s I've been using general skin care stuff such as sun screen, vit c, aha/bha and I'm doing alright I think.

However I'm getting a couple of lines on my forehead and very fine lines round my eyes. Nasolabial folds also very fine and faint but are slowly starting to show.

I'd like to start using technology along with serums and creams either to maintain what I have or even reduce/eliminate the lines I have.

The problem is there is so much info on here it's so hard to work out what to do, so that's why I'd like to know what you guys (the ones experienced in using this stuff) would do if you could start from a younger age, like what's your holy grail stuff?

I've been thinking derminator but then came across some 2nd hand Philips fraxel lasers, am I right in thinking they both essentially do the same thing (with regards to collagen production rather than product penetration)?

I've also noticed raves about the pico toner, I'm not quite sure what it does but seen a comment that it replicates facial excersises. Is this worth while for me to use or mainly beneficial for people who's face are starting to sag?

Even ignoring all the crap I wrote just letting me know what you would do in my situation would help. Thanks!

free skin care · Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:11 am

Which vit.c are you using? You want L-Ascorbic acid. Cosmetic Skin Solutions do a great vit c serum (nowhere near the price of Skinceuticals).

The vitamin C will help create collagen (amongst other things) but you also want to look out for your elastin, the glue that holds your face together. For this I use ingredients such as Phloretin (another one sold by Cosmetic Skin Solutions) - there's quite abit out there regarding this ingredient and its ability to save your elastin from degrading. Dill extract is another ingredient which shows promise in this area too- I'm still looking for a product with this in- the only one I can find is Prevage.

The best way to prevent elastin breakdown is a great spf all year round. Which sunscreen are you using? Have you checked the ingredients? I personally use a mix of chemical sunscreens (mexoryl or tinsorbs without fail) layered under a physical sunscreen. This with Vitamin C E Ferulic underneath is pretty great protection.

Other areas I focus on are proper moisturizing- I use NIA 24's Intensive Recovery Cream which is incredible. The Niacin extract coupled with fatty acids, wax esters and squalane oil really gets to work on trapping in moisture and reinforcing the skin barrier. Don't sleep on this one- it does great things for your skin's appearance.

Jojoba, macadamia nut oil and squalane oil are great choices for oils to hydrate and you could always add in some antioxidant rich oils, for instance pomegranate seed oil, red raspberry seed oil, rosehip, argan. I'm using Trilogy's rosehip seed oil at the moment which is mixed with tomato seed oil (rich in lycopene which protects skin from UVA rays, somewhat).

Are you using retinoids? Vitamin A is important- in fact, many people stick to an spf, vitamin c serum and a retinoid and call it day- because they all together pack quite a punch.

A low-carb, antioxidant rich diet is great for skin too.

Fri Apr 15, 2016 5:35 pm

Hey thanks for the reply, tbh I was looking more for advice on the technology side of things (at home lasers/light stim etc) but cosmetic skin solutions seems a promising brand that I've just discovered so thanks!

Anyway I have used Paula's choice vit c serum before and the popular Asian one called ost, they are both a pain to get hold of in uk though so I've been slipping when it comes to re ordering.

I have used retinoids before when I had a full regimen, I was using skinceuticals retinoid but my skin seemed to react to something I was using so I dropped everything.

Currently I only exfoliate with Paula's choice aha and use cerave am because of the sun screen and niacinemide it has. It also seems to be an excellent moisturiser for me, my face never feels dry or tight when I use it.

I'll have a look into the products you suggested but like I said I want to get into the home treatments and need advice on that area.

free skin care · Tue May 17, 2016 12:59 pm

Ok... I simply can't help myself. My Answer would be Facialbuilding... Hands down Very Happy

Hey Everybody!...how goes the war Wink

free skin care · Wed May 18, 2016 2:58 am

I get where you're coming from but in my opinion here's the deal...; at your age you're still producing collagen so too much aggression could rock the boat and create an unwanted side affect. Yes, it could happen.

I think Laser is too much for you at this point and the Pico is microcurrent (stimulate muscle & sagging) and definitely not what you need.

Outside of the things already mentioned (serums etc) you might try LED red light like the lightstim. It is suppose to stimulate collagen and induce healing and smooth fine lines..I don't know that you would actually see any visual benefit because the less improvement you need the less you are actually going to see... but I don't think that it could do any harm or create any negative effects and still could be working under the surface..

You mentioned the Derminator..Have you tried Dermarolling/microneedling yet? If you followed protocol this would also be something that induces collagen and could be beneficial but is safe if you follow directions..It won't change your appearance in an unwanted way.
The same for TCA peels as long as they weren't too high a % or done too frequently.

If I were you I wouldn't bother with laser, microcurrent or radio frequency gadgets at this time in your life..If you decide on other things like face exercises or massage you might want to not be too aggressive ....and do your research.

free skin care · Wed May 18, 2016 6:40 am

Okay at late 20s you are still a baby and so PREVENTION is 100 times better than cure and so Sunscreen, Vit C serums are the best things you have to maintain the collagen and elastin you have. Now aha/bha really depend on what your skin issues are but in your late 20s you are unlikely to be needing that kind of serious exfoliation. Especially as you are a guy as well you no doubt shave and that in itself is an exfoliation method too.

Now with the lines and nls they can be partly expression based so its worthwhile becoming aware if you are making expressions consistently that create these lines too. With lines good hydration of your skin is a must and so this is where adding things like HA to your C serum is great to do because it will hydrate and moisturize too.

I agree that in your 20s lasers aren’t best choice because they will trigger reactions that can be uncomfortable. For me, I do think facial exercises are great to do to maintain what you got and undo any adverse things but they take time to learn. However I know if I had my time again I would start them up as early as possible.

I would actually stay away from Retin A at your age. Unless you are working with a qualified derm its easy to upset the ph balance of your skin and experience adverse reactions which wont help you long term.

Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:51 am

Please avoid Retin A. You are just 20!

free skin care · Tue Jan 31, 2017 11:34 pm

Avoid the sun, tanning and boys lol.

Thu Jun 08, 2017 3:59 am

Oh, I've been lurking on here for over a decade and finally registered just to join this conversation (amongst a few others). I just have to say I really enjoy the spirit of this board, and I deeply appreciate the intelligent, gracious members who have shared their experience and wisdom with me over the years, albeit unknowingly.

I'm 40 years old (just shy of 40, actually), and the few measures I have taken to stave off the aging process have managed to keep me passing for 28-30. That said, there are so many things I wish I had and hadn't done.

Don't smoke or drink heavily. It goes without saying, I know, but it really can't be said enough. I smoked for 20 years, luckily without all the tell tale physical manifestations of cigarette * spam alert *, except I'm fairly sure that sucking on 20 cigarettes a day resulted in some atrophy in my mid face. It sucks, no pun intended, as I am very self conscious of the hollows beneath my cheeks now.

Vitamin C is miraculous. I've used retin A off and on since I was 14, but I wish I had incorporated Vitamin C into my skincare regimen at a much earlier age.

LED light is probably the most amazing tool in my arsenal. It pretty much transforms my skin overnight. No one is too young to start reaping the benefits of LED therapy.

Tanning. Just don't. I didn't do much of this but on the rare summer I was determined to fry my skin until it turned brown, within months of the passing season I was able to see the toll it took on my skin. Especially my face.

Most of all, I simply wish I had been kinder to my skin. Avoided harsh ingredients, knew about things like the "moisture barrier" and understood why it was so important to protect it. I think the greatest damage done to my skin was the result of compromising the moisture barrier with too many acids and scrubby gizmos.

Avoid stress. This is virtually impossible, I realize, but do yoga, ignore your phone, break up with your crummy boyfriend, and try not to let your mother drive you crazy, because I swear stress will age you faster than anything.

And finally- tape your face at night. I wish I had started this much earlier. Taping the area between my brows to smooth out the faint hint of 11's seems to knock about five years off my appearance. It's cheap, it's easy, and I happen to prefer the results to Botox.

free skin care · Fri Jun 09, 2017 8:00 am

Eye cream, start even younger, in teens is even better. I am 62 and have minimal lines. Not saying I don't have multitudinous facial problems but the dreaded crows feet is not one of them.

The only other thing I can think of is to live where there is natural hydration almost 100% of the time, think Pacific Northwest and Ireland.

free skin care · Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:59 am

Everyone already said what I was going to. But just because it needs repeating: SUNSCREEN. EVERY DAY. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

free skin care · Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:29 am

As far as equipment goes - a Vitamix. Nutrition is really important and blending certain things (e.g, berries, leafy greens) really increases bioavailability of some substances. I actually use an Oster and it works well enough and is far less expensive. Having a berry smoothie (blueberries and lettuce or spinach plus other fruits) in the morning and green smoothie (kale, broccoli sprouts and other stuff) in the evening is really what I wish I had done all my life - that and avoid all the bad stuff previously mentioned (sun, second hand smoke, excess alcohol).

Here's a list of functional foods and active substances to look into: blueberries (Pterostilbene, anthocyanins, manganese), porcini mushrooms (ergothioneine), hibiscus tea (anthocyanins), broccoli sprouts (sulfurophanes), cold brewed white tea (elastase inhibitor). I learned a lot of this stuff from Joel Furhman, Michael Greger (NutritionFacts) and Rhonda Patrick. I use cronometer to track my nutrient intakes; when I first started, I was quite surprised by what I was getting and what I wasn't.

I wish we had known about nicotinamide riboside when I was young (pair with pterostilbene supplements if you aren't going to eat a lot of blueberries). NAG is another good supp.

In a addition to good nutrition I wish I had understood the importance of regular, vigorous exercise. People have mentioned facial muscle exercises and I think that would help with the forehead lines. I suspect they are due to loss of sensitivity in the neuromuscular junction and you can get that back with exercise. Exercising the rest of your body will also help both your skin and your brain - it releases lots of helpful growth factors.

I wish I had taken better care of my hands. Looking down and seeing old hands is... unsettling.

People have mentioned topical vitamin C - great stuff - you can mix up a cheap serum and put in a spray bottle and spray it all over after showering. Niacinamide is another great, cheap topical.

Clarisonic might be worth it - I've just started on it and I think it has helped firm things up a bit. I think the vibration is the thing and it might not be at the best frequency, see:
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=54512

Hope this helps.

free skin care · Thu Jul 06, 2017 2:28 am

cd33 wrote:

As far as equipment goes - a Vitamix. Nutrition is really important and blending certain things (e.g, berries, leafy greens) really increases bioavailability of some substances. I actually use an Oster and it works well enough and is far less expensive. Having a berry smoothie (blueberries and lettuce or spinach plus other fruits) in the morning and green smoothie (kale, broccoli sprouts and other stuff) in the evening is really what I wish I had done all my life - that and avoid all the bad stuff previously mentioned (sun, second hand smoke, excess alcohol).

Here's a list of functional foods and active substances to look into: blueberries (Pterostilbene, anthocyanins, manganese), porcini mushrooms (ergothioneine), hibiscus tea (anthocyanins), broccoli sprouts (sulfurophanes), cold brewed white tea (elastase inhibitor). I learned a lot of this stuff from Joel Furhman, Michael Greger (NutritionFacts) and Rhonda Patrick. I use cronometer to track my nutrient intakes; when I first started, I was quite surprised by what I was getting and what I wasn't.

I wish we had known about nicotinamide riboside when I was young (pair with pterostilbene supplements if you aren't going to eat a lot of blueberries). NAG is another good supp.

In a addition to good nutrition I wish I had understood the importance of regular, vigorous exercise. People have mentioned facial muscle exercises and I think that would help with the forehead lines. I suspect they are due to loss of sensitivity in the neuromuscular junction and you can get that back with exercise. Exercising the rest of your body will also help both your skin and your brain - it releases lots of helpful growth factors.

I wish I had taken better care of my hands. Looking down and seeing old hands is... unsettling.

People have mentioned topical vitamin C - great stuff - you can mix up a cheap serum and put in a spray bottle and spray it all over after showering. Niacinamide is another great, cheap topical.

Clarisonic might be worth it - I've just started on it and I think it has helped firm things up a bit. I think the vibration is the thing and it might not be at the best frequency, see:
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=54512

Hope this helps.

Great recommendations! I love the NADH+ and Pterrostilbene combo and do take it- but NADH+ is expensive. I like PQQ too and MitoQ.

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