Curating a top-notch, personalized skincare routine can be a great way to reduce signs of aging. However, with so many products claiming to have anti-aging effects, it can be hard to know which ones are the real deal. Many times, you may run into disappointment when you realize that the serum you spent big bucks on does nothing for your wrinkles.
To get down to the bottom of things, we spoke to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Marisa Garshick, MD. She pointed out three so-called “anti-aging” ingredients that actually won’t make a difference when it comes to reducing wrinkles: collagen, coconut oil, and hyaluronic acid.
Collagen
Topical collagen is a very common ingredient in many anti-aging skin care products, and it definitely has its fair share of benefits. But as it turns out, applying collagen to your skin likely won't produce the desired results when it comes to getting rid of wrinkles.
While consuming collagen is a great way to improve the health of your skin, hair, and nails, Garshick says that topical collagen isn't a very effective anti-aging ingredient. "Collagen is a large molecule so it may not be able to penetrate the skin to deliver anti-aging benefits," she explains. "While it's not dangerous to use, it is not the most effective method of boosting collagen in the skin."
So, what does Garshick suggest instead? She recommends reaching for skincare products that contain ingredients like retinol or retinoids. These vitamin A derivatives will boost your collagen production effectively.
Coconut oil
In most cases, it's not a very good idea to put coconut oil on your face, even though this is a major skincare fad. The truth is, this product just won't deliver on what many people promise it will do. This is especially true if you're looking for a way to get rid of wrinkles.
"While coconut oil is thought of for various skin benefits, there is not enough evidence to fully support its role for anti-aging," Garshick says.
It's also important to note that coconut oil may even be bad for your skin. For many people, it can worsen acne. Garshick says since it's a comedogenic, it can clog pores and lead to breakouts, especially if you have oily skin. Yikes! We'll pass on this one.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is another popular skincare ingredient that may not be as effective in reducing wrinkles as some companies want us to believe.
Like collagen, hyaluronic acid molecules are large. That means it can be difficult for this ingredient to penetrate your skin effectively and produce anti-aging results.
However, hyaluronic acid can be effective at keeping your skin moisturized. It can even offer anti-aging benefits when utilized through other methods, such as filler injections. Just keep in mind that it likely won't make much of a difference on your wrinkles if it's just an ingredient listed on a bottle.
"Applying hyaluronic topically is not going to give you the same results as you would get by injecting hyaluronic acid as you do with filler," Garshick explains. Good to know!
So, keep an eye out for these ingredients next time you're shopping for skincare. While most of them won't cause harm to your skin, you may want to think twice before spending a good amount of money on a product that could end up being useless.
So, what products actually are useful on aging skin? Sylvia Brownlee, Esthetician and Founder of Skin By Brownlee & Co., weighed in: "When it comes to anti-aging we want to make sure we choose products that will help smooth out texture and improve fine lines and wrinkles, therefore we always want 3 things in our routine: retinol, vitamin c, and sunscreen." Noted!
