Anti-Ageing – The Magic of This Word is Fading Finally

The word „anti-ageing“ has been the most frequently used term in skin care during the past decades. In the 90s the big brands had their anti-ageing series being advertised extensively but often the women in Estonia (at that time almost all men started laughing and joking around when they heard about creams for men) who could afford to buy them, were making sour faces at the topic of ageing. They would often ask: “Am I already that age?“ or „Do I look old?“ Those products were actually recommended for the 40+ age group, and women that age were not yet accustomed to spend 1000-5000 estonian kroons (65-325€) on creams. Therefore, it was considered best for marketing purposes to use the common term age preventionin describing anti-ageing as well as age prevention components.

 The most popular components were VitaminE(added extensively into products already in the 80s, the oil-based antioxidant is still widely in use) and VitaminC(was launched with the sensational product Lancome Vitabolic in aluminum tube and smelled like an orange. I had clients that used this product internally. For real!) Vitamin C is an antioxidant helping in age prevention, complextion improvement as well as prohibiting the collagen fibres to stiffen. Very effective and popular to this day. The more daring brands also introduced Vitamin A or retinol. Their products were grainy and often caused skin irritation, the skin needed gradual habituation with it and also thorough moisturization so that it wouldn’t become too thin or sensitive. There was a lot of fear and confusion concerning that vitamin, also for the producers themselves because even though retinol’s potency was clear, it was difficult to stabilize it. As a matter of fact, retinol breaks down when exposed to light and air. By now the beauty industry has found methods how to better maintain retinol and it is the most powerful anti-ageing component – in the most direct sense of the word.

Centuries changed and peptides, plant stem cells, growth factors and hyaluronic acid became popular. Also snail mucin, mushrooms, caviar, gold and diamond dust. Oh, and acids too… AHAs, BHAs and niacinamide or Vitamin B3, my greatest love! I will introduce these ingredients to you one by one, and those that are not, it is because their efficacy is just not good enough.

Actually, I am quite tired of the overexploitation of the word anti-ageing. Beautiful well-toned skin depends on consistant care – starting with skin cleansing and using the appropriate skin products daily. There is too much use of the word anti-ageing. If that has already been attributed to a product, all of a sudden we no longer ask what does that mean. We believe that the effect must be versatile and it should solve many problems. It is a common opinion that if I buy one expensive cream then it should fix everything and „make the skin look youthful again“. This kind of an expectation often results in disappointment. 

Before I begin with the ingredients, I would like to share with you four essential truths that everyone can do themselves for the wellbeing of their skin. Completely free of charge!

• SUN. Sun is good in moderate quantities. Too much sunbathing destroys skin’s basic structures and causes premature ageing. When you are staying in the sun for more than 30 minutes or while enjoying sun trips, be sure to use specially formulated sunscreen products – don’t count on day creams and make-up with an SPF factor. 15-30 minutes in the sun without an SPF factor is good for the skin and body because during that time we accumulate the necessary amount of vitamin D from the sun. Therefore, I advise you to apply the sunscreen while on the beach or when staying in the sun after 30 minutes have passed. SPF 30 should be the maximum strength. Why? Because when you use SPF 50, you forget to reapply it and skin burn might become reality*. 

* I remind you that the author of this article lives in the Northern hemisphere. The above may not apply to other climate conditions.

• FACIAL YOGA. I recommend to train your facial muscles. Choose 5-6 excercises according to your skin concerns for daily use – everyone can do that! We all recognize the need to train the body, and the face is part of the body. Youtube is full of examples, and it really works!
• NO SUGAR. It is difficult but the less your organism contains sugar, the better for the skin. Sugar destroys collagen and causes skin to loosen. Think of collagen as scaffolding for your face; every time you consume sugar it is like taking away a piece of the scaffolding. If you consume sugar, then enjoy it… Just not in big quantities and not too often.
• NO SMOKING. Period.

Next time you are tempted to buy a product that has the word anti-ageing written on it, look for these substances in the ingredients list:
Vitamins A (retinol), B3 (niacinamide), C (ascorbic acid) or E (tocopherol). All of them are very effective. Important! If you are using products that contain Vitamins A or C, make sure that your skin routine also includes a special SPF cream or make-up product with an SPF factor. SPF 30 in Estonian climate is suitable to prevent pigmentation and for providing thorough skin protection.

Some more incredible facts about my beloved Vitamin B3 or niacinamide.
B3 is a very stabile vitamin that has many positive effects on the skin. It helps to decrease the amount of pimples and impurities but it is also efficient in unifying the skin tone and increasing the level of moisture. The latest studies show that depending on the amount of niacinamide in the product, it also protects the skin against blue light (computers, mobile phones):
●2-3% gives protection against urban pollution and blue light. In addition, it increases the skin’s overall defense capability and moisture content, and it also has a soothing effect.
●4% decreases the amount of pimples and bumps (in addition to the above benefits).
●5% decreases the signs of ageing and unifies the skin tone (in addition to the above benefits).

– 4D Moisturizing Day Cream and Mild Cleansing Gel as well as 6D Luminous Glow Face Essence contain 2-3% of niacinamide
– 5D Revitalizing Serum and Anti-Redness night cream contain 4% of niacinamide 
– 6D Advanced Perfection Night Cream contains 5% of niacinamide 

Super efficient anti-ageing ingredient that helps in renewing skin cells, decreasing the depth and length of existing wrinkles and slowing down the formation of new wrinkles, is plant stem cell extract. D`DIFFERENCE has made a very innovative discovery on how to keep the plant stem cell in the cream „alive“ for a longer period of time. Plant stem cells are in fact the best energy source for our skin’s own stem cells.

Skin care nerd alert! What cells are stem cells? These are cells that are capable of reproduction and transformation, and are all over the human organism. In our skin, the stem cells are located in the epidermis, their „birth place“ is the junction between the epidermis and dermis. The cells start to rise from that layer with the entire process taking about 28-35 days depending on our age and the skin’s condition. The finale of this journey is the cells becoming useless on the surface of the skin. A good way to get rid of dead skin cells is peeling. As the stem cells have a short life span but also the ability to restore damaged tissues, we have to preserve, protect and care for them. Plant stem cells are very suitable for that purpose. 

When using products that contain plant stem cell extract, you can see clear results already in two weeks to one month – there are less lines and wrinkles, skin’s elasticity and tonicity has improved, skin’s defence capability has increased and the complexion is divine, like porcelain! Reportedly the plant stem cell extract is currently the most efficient completely organic component that stimulates collagen synthesis and helps to racily renew skin cells making the skin look youthful and bright. Look for stem cells in the 5D Cell Innovation series and in 6D Advanced Perfection Night Cream!

Peptides– for anti-ageing effect, matrixyl and encapsulated copper peptides (Copper Heptapeptide-14 Pantothenate) have proved most efficent. Peptides by itself are the magicians of skin care products that are the highlights among all other active ingredients. We can imagine peptides being like messengers that give information to different cells and tissues about what and how needs to be done. There is a variety of peptides. We have chosen copper peptides that are in charge of the skin’s overall wellbeing and have a very strong impact on firming the skin, smoothing lines and wrinkles with a comprehensive anti-ageing effect.

Skin care nerd alert! Copper peptides have been packaged into soluble double capsules. These capsules are guided by transport peptides that are drawn closer by the collagen and elastin tissues. Upon arrival, the capsules containing copper peptides move into the tissue, are released there and start transmitting strong impulses. It is very high-tech! And super efficient!

This innovation is included ONLY in 6D Advanced Perfection Night Cream.

Acids– AHAs or alpha hydroxy acids are organic carboxylic acids that can be found in fruits and other natural sources, and are very popular components in cosmetic products. The ones most frequently used are glycolic acid, lactic acid and citric acid. These are all water soluble acids that act on the surface of the skin and are not absorbed into deeper layers. Acids are good for the purposes of exfoliating, increasing the production of collagen and elastin, raising the skin’s defence capability. Please be careful with glycolic acid– it can make the skin sensitive to the sun. SPF 30 is strictly recommended! Lactic acid is the mildest of them and it can be used to balance the skin’s microflora. When there is a low concentration of lactic acid or citric acid in a cream, they are more likely there in order to stabilize the product. 

Among the AHAs there is one more, a more expensive acid that is less used in products than the others – flower acids from hibiscus blossoms. They contain pyruvic acid that is highly effective in removing dead skin cells, excessive oil and impurities without causing redness or skin irritation. Flower acids improve the skin’s structure, harmonize complexion, decrease the signs of ageing and darker spots. Using flower acids in products increases skin’s moisture level and amplifies the overall effect of creams and serums. 

We use flower acids in DD products: 6D Luminous Glow Face Essence, 4D Delicate Smoothing Exfoliator, 5D Firming Faceglow Peel, 5D Firming Bodyglow Peel. 

More information about exfoliation in our blog

Hyaluronic acid – the power and magic of this very popularskin-like substance resides in moisture preservation, it is greater compared to any other natural or synthetic polymer. 1 gram of hyaluronic acid is capable of retaining nearly 6 litres of water (International Journal of Toxicology, July/August 2009). Hyaluronic acid helps to preserve moisture inside the skin, gives the skin volume, prevents from inflammations and infections, transports nutrients. This component is also good for people who have sensitive skin. Hyaluronic acid provides efficient help when dealing with signs of ageing, sagging skin and wrinkles.

In DD products it can be found… almost everywhere ?In all 5D Cell Innovation and 6D Royal Beauty products!

More information about hyaluronic acid: https://ddifference.eu/en/the-magic-of-hyaluronic-acid/

Time spent with talking to clients have shown that consistency and skin care routine involving cleansing, toning, face essence, serum and creaming brings about good results – better hydration levels, a more unified complexion and greater tonicity. Also exfoliating, masks, eye cream and body products are an important part of the everyday routine. More information about how to design a good skin care routine for your skin type in our blog