5 Minute Anti-Aging Routine

Yes! And it's not really a surprise that it does work so well. The 5 Minute Anti-Aging Routine incorporates the core science-backed ingredients for skin aging: Vitamin C and Retinol. 

Week 2: Wake up to smoother skin. 

Week 4: Your makeup will apply like silk. 

Week 9: People will notice your glow before they notice your wrinkles.

The most important anti-aging aspect of topical vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid) is its role as one of nature’s best antioxidants and indeed, one of the primary defenses against UV damage employed by the skin. Under normal conditions, special receptors in the skin pull vitamin C out of your bloodstream to pack your skin full of this protective antioxidant which is also the most plentiful antioxidant in the skin (Pullar et al. 2017). The number one cause of premature aging of the skin is UV damage from the sun’s rays. When your skin is exposed to UV rays, free radicals are spawned. These free radicals are like ricocheting bullets tearing up collagen and even DNA leading to photo-aged skin and skin cancers. Fine lines and wrinkles, sunspots, ruptured blood vessels, enlarged pores, and rough coarse skin are some of the features of photo-aged skin.

Unfortunately, like so many processes that occur with general aging, the vitamin C content in your skin wanes as you age irrespective of diet, as poor blood flow and nutrient delivery start to affect levels. In other words, your natural defenses against UV damage go down with aging. This is where topical supplementation can remedy the situation as the skin absorbs the vitamin C applied at the skin’s surface (Pullar et al. 2017).

A second reason vitamin C is such an excellent anti-aging ingredient is that it boosts collagen production. Collagen is the main structural protein in the skin and its decline and degradation are the main drivers of fine lines and wrinkles. The collagen content in skin decreases over time – roughly 1% per year with accelerated loss post-menopause – leading to wrinkles and sagging as we get older. vitamin C is necessary in collagen production. The ability of topical vitamin C to boost collagen production has been demonstrated in placebo-controlled trials of aged skin in postmenopausal women (Nusgens et al. 2001) and in those with photoaged skin (Traikovitch 1999). Note that the role of vitamin C in collagen production is also responsible for its beneficial role in wound healing and for the skin symptoms of scurvy which results from vitamin C deficiency (Pullar et al. 2017).

When speaking about anti-aging ingredients, the number one spot is always taken by retinoids such as retinol, retinal, and tretinoin. Retinoids are well-studied vitamin A related compounds. Retinoids address most of the issues surrounding aging skin. With aging, the skin gets less blood flow (less vascularized), becomes thinner and more lax, and finely lined. Additional photoaging from sun damage results in hyperpigmentation spots, rough patches (actinic keratosis), enlarged pores and deep wrinkles. Topical retinoids have been scientifically shown to help treat every one of these issues because they act on nuclear receptors that regular the activation of many genes in a wide variety of cell types (Mukherjee et al. 2006).

First, retinoids increase blood flow to the skin by increasing endothelial cell proliferation leading to increased vascularity. Second, it thickens the epidermal layer of skin by upregulating the proliferation of skin cells (keratinocytes). Third, it reduces fine lines and wrinkles by upregulating collagen production and other components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) including elastin, fibronectin and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). It does so by increasing dermal fibroblast activity and decreasing collagenase production. Fourth, retinoids can improve hyperpigmentation and the appearance of pore size by inhibiting melanosome transfer to keratinocytes from melanocytes, and accelerating cell turnover. These patterns of results have been replicated in study after study in aged skin and photoaged skin (Saurat et al. 1994, Kafi et al. 2007, Kong et al. 2015, Shao et al. 2017, Bouloc et al. 2014, Creidi et al. 1998, Leydon et al. 2017, Zasada and Budzisz 2019).

This 5 Minute Anti-Aging Routine covers the fundamentals that will get you visible results with a simple routine that includes a serum for the morning, a serum for the evening, and a cream for the evening.

For those who want to really maximize anti-aging actives and are willing to have a slightly more built out routine, we recommend the following:

Add our Peptide Squad collagen renewal serum to your routine will let you take advantage of all four classes of wrinkle-fighting peptides that will really kick-start collagen renewal and inhibit expression lines. This includes signal peptides (Matrixyl 3000), copper peptides (GHK-Cu), neurotransmitter inhibiting peptides (Argireline), and enzyme inhibitor peptides (rice peptides).

Adding our NIA 10 Calming Serum to your routine will incorporate niacinamide (vitamin B3), which is one of the most proven, tried and true anti-aging actives. NIA 10 serum contains 10% niacinamide, and is considered our niacinamide booster serum.

Adding Fade Away Brightening Serum to your routine is advisable if you have dark spots that are one of your primary concerns. It is our hyperpigmentation specialist and contains a trio of depigmenting agents that are hydroquinone alternatives. This trio (alpha-arbutin, kojic acid, licorice root extract) are tyrosinase inhibitors that inhibit the production of melanin from overactive melanocytes. It also contains glutathione, red algae, and a host of botanical extracts that represent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actives that help to prevent further hyperpigmentation at its source.

Adding Eye Enhancer De-Puffing Peptide cream to your routine can help reduce the dark circles and puffy eye bags underneath your eyes, as well as reduce the expression lines around your eyes. It includes peptides Eyeseryl and Argireline as well as caffeine to specifically target these concerns.

Finally, it is highly advisable to always wear sunscreen during the day. A broad-spectrum SPF 30 product is recommended by the AAD. The Sun Protector is a 100% mineral broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen.

Glow Maker Serum, Sheer Silk Cleanser and Hydro Relief Moisturize are safe to use during pregnancy and nursing.

Because Stargaze Serum contains retinol, it should NOT be used during pregnancy and/or nursing. However, it is always a good idea to consult with your doctor and follow their protocol.