Now that my 60th birthday is on the not-too-distant horizon, I’ve been putting a bit more thought and care into my skincare routine. While I’ve come a long way in terms of self-acceptance, and truly do believe that happiness comes from within, I also recognize the positive impact of feeling confident about one’s appearance!
While my days of fretting about breakouts are (mostly) behind me, there are plenty of other skin concerns keeping me busy! Growing up in sunny California, I was much more concerned about maintaining a glowing tan than I was about protecting my skin, and that neglect is making itself known now in the form of wrinkles, sun damage, etc.
In the spirit of “better late than never,” I’ve been doing quite a bit of research lately about anti-aging skincare routines. And based on what I learned, it seems like most of the skincare advice I’ve heard throughout my life has since been debunked by skin experts!
So today I thought we’d do some myth-busting about anti-aging skincare, in hopes that we can all move forward more well informed about caring for our skin! (And for more helpful tips for caring for aging skin, check out my eBook Aging Gracefully in my shop, or get it for free if you’re an OGT Plus member!)
7 Anti-Aging Skincare Myths That Just Aren’t True
Myth #1: You Only Need Sunscreen If You’re Going Outside
The sun gives off two types of UV light that can damage your skin—UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are responsible for wrinkles, sun spots, and other signs of sun damage, while UVB rays can damage your skin cells (sometimes to the point of causing cancer) and leave you with that undesirable lobster-red complexion.
But what a lot of people don’t realize is that while the glass used in cars, homes, and office windows does block most UVB rays, it doesn’t typically block all UVA rays. This means any time you’re exposed to natural sunlight indoors or out (and possibly even when you’re in artificial light, too), your skin is susceptible to damage from UV rays!
Luckily, there’s a simple solution: make sure you slather on an SPF sunscreen that offers “broad spectrum” protection (meaning that it guards against both UVA and UVB rays) every morning, regardless of whether you’ll be outside or inside that day!
Myth #2: If A Product Burns Or Stings, That Means It’s Working
“Feeling the burn” may have a positive connotation at the gym, but it’s not something that should apply to your skincare routine! If your skin burns or stings when applying skincare products, that means that whatever product you’re using is irritating your skin.
Skin irritation can throw your skin’s pH level out of balance, resulting in dryness, oiliness, and other unpleasant effects like breakouts. Being gentle with your skin (i.e. using non-irritating products) is crucial, especially for those of us with aging skin!
Myth #3: A Nighttime Anti-Aging Routine Is More Important Than A Morning One
While there is plenty of truth to the idea that “beauty sleep” is important, anti-aging skincare treatments can play an important role in both your nighttime and morning routines. It may help to think of it as a two-part process—protect skin in the morning, repair it in the evening.
Protecting your skin means wearing sunscreen every day, and repairing skin means cleaning it gently and giving it plenty of moisture before heading off to bed. (And don’t forget about the benefits of a full night’s sleep, which is an important part of your skin’s healing process.)
Myth #4: Wrinkles Are The First Sign Of Aging
Wrinkles don’t just appear out of the blue! They are usually preceded by subtler changes like dark spots, loss of firmness, dark circles under the eyes, and others. These are all signs that your skin is aging, whether it’s visibly wrinkling or not!
For these reasons, it’s never too early to start an anti-aging skincare routine. (And to be clear, by that I mean that it’s never too early to adopt a more holistic approach to caring for your skin. I’m not trying to suggest that twenty-somethings ought to be slathering on wrinkle cream every night!)
Developing healthy habits like staying hydrated, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and protecting your skin will pay serious dividends when wrinkles do start to appear over time.
Myth #5: You Need To Apply Retinol Every Day For It To Work
If you’ve used a retinol product before or are currently using one, you may have already discovered this myth is both sort of true and sort of false. Many dermatologists emphasize the importance of using retinol consistently for best results, but in reality, some people’s skin may be too sensitive to tolerate daily retinol use.
The best approach to using retinol is to start with occasional use (once or twice a week in the beginning) and then gradually increase in frequency until your skin can tolerate it every day. If at any point you experience a significant amount of redness, dryness, itching, or peeling, that’s a good sign to back off a bit and give your skin more time to adjust.
Myth #6: You Should See Anti-Aging Results Immediately
Unfortunately, unless you’ve managed to locate the actual Fountain of Youth, you can’t expect to see anti-aging results overnight. With most types of anti-aging skincare products, persistence and consistency are key!
The best thing you can do when trying a new skincare routine or product is to simply stick with it (unless, of course, it’s doing terrible things to your skin.) Many of us are prone to abandoning hope when we don’t see results after a few weeks, but it can take months of consistent treatment to see significant changes. So keep the faith, and remember, patience is a virtue! :-)
Myth #7: Expensive Products Are More Effective
Here’s something for all of us bargain shoppers to celebrate: expensive skincare products aren’t necessarily more effective than their cheaper counterparts. Clever marketing tactics and eye-catching packaging are nice, but they aren’t nearly as important as what’s inside the product itself.
No matter the price point, a good quality product will have a few high-quality ingredients, and it won’t include synthetic fillers or fragrances. Another thing worth noting is that habits like applying SPF and staying hydrated can be just as impactful as the products you choose to use!
(Interested in other inexpensive ways to improve your skin? Check out this blog post!)
Have you ever had to unlearn something you thought you knew about skincare?
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