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A mature woman learns how to build a skincare routine around anti-aging and other needs.

Skincare routines have become more and more popular as we’ve realized the benefit of various ingredients on the skin.

A good skincare routine usually aims to:

  • Prevent acne for clearer skin
  • Moisturize the skin and retain moisture over time
  • Reduce fine lines and wrinkles and restore a youthful glow
  • Even the skin tone and address issues like hyperpigmentation

Your skincare routine should be unique to you and cater to your skin’s needs. Here are some things to consider when building a skin care routine.

Identifying Your Skin Issues

Which products you choose depends on what your skin needs. We’ll go over different ingredients that benefit different types of skin issues.

Acne

Acne is a common skin concern, and not just for teenagers. According to Yale Medicine, more than 25% of women and 12% of men say they have acne in their 40s.

Acne is also sometimes a side effect of Testosterone Replacement Therapy, because Testosterone impacts the production of sebum (skin oil).

There are several ingredients that can improve acne and clarify the skin:

  • Niacinamide (B3) — This ingredient works to slow the production of sebum to prevent breakouts, along with soothing irritated skin and reducing the appearance of acne scarring.
  • Benzoyl Peroxide — This ingredient reduces the amount of sebum being produced by the skin. Excess sebum leads to clogged pores and breakouts.
  • Ketoconazole — When acne is caused by fungus, Ketoconazole can reduce and prevent fungal buildup to clear breakouts.
  • Clindamycin Phosphate — As an antibiotic, Clindamycin Phosphate can reduce bacteria on the skin, which is a common cause of acne.
  • Tretinoin — This ingredient encourages cell turnover, which can help with clogged pores, acne scarring, and uneven skin texture caused by acne.

Defy Medical offers access to several acne creams with these ingredients at various strengths to suit your needs.

Wrinkles and Anti-Aging

If you have mature skin, you’ll likely want to consider anti-aging and ingredients when you build your skincare routine.

As we age, our skin begins to lose its elasticity and collagen, along with developing wrinkles from sun exposure, facial movement, and other causes.

The keys to addressing these concerns are encouraging skin cell turnover, retaining moisture, and easing the appearance of fine lines.

Anti-aging skincare ingredients include:

  • Tretinoin — All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a retinoid derivative of Vitamin A. As a powerhouse anti-aging ingredient, it encourages cell turnover to help skin look firmer and brighter, along with reducing the appearance of wrinkles. You’ve likely heard of retinol as an antiaging ingredient, and Tretinoin is very similar, but has a stronger effect.
  • Azelaic Acid — This ingredient is anti-inflammatory and can brighten the skin and ease redness and swelling.
  • Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) — Vitamin C has shown benefit in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can also boost collagen production for firmer, more youthful-looking skin.
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) — ALA is an antioxidant that combats free radicals and oxidative stress. It can reduce swelling and puffiness, particularly around the eyes, and lead to firmer skin.
  • Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) — DMAE is an antioxidant that can tighten and firm the skin while diminishing sagging and improving elasticity.
  • Vitamin E — Topical vitamin E can help shield against free radicals and reverse harm caused by sunlight exposure (one of the main causes of skin aging).

Defy Medical offers a range of anti-aging skincare products with combinations of the ingredients listed above.

Hormone Creams for Anti-Aging

You may have heard of Hormone Replacement Therapy, but did you know hormones can also benefit the skin when added to a skincare cream?

Hormones play a big role in how skin ages, and hormone decreases over time can lead to dry, mature-looking skin. Because of this, Estrogen and Progesterone have anti-aging benefits when applied to the skin. Skincare creams with hormones have a much smaller amount, so application doesn’t affect hormone levels in the blood.

Because hormone skin creams include Estrogen and Progesterone, they have different requirements than other skin products. Learn more about hormone creams for anti-aging.

Skin Moisturizers

Another main goal of a skincare routine is to keep skin moisturized. This is crucial to the health and appearance of the skin. Dry skin may look dull, flaky, overly textured, and red.

As we age, our skin also becomes more susceptible to dryness. This makes it particularly important to moisturize and to protect the skin’s moisture barrier.

Moisturizing skincare ingredients include:

  • Acetyl-D Glucosamine — This ingredient is a precursor to hyaluronic acid, which is what keeps the skin moisturized and protected. By applying Acetyl-D Glucosamine, you give the skin the building blocks to creating its own moisture. This ingredient also has antioxidant effects and can reduce hyperpigmentation and other skin blemishes.
  • Hyaluronic Acid — This ingredient moisturizes the skin and provides a moisture barrier.
  • Aloe Vera — This natural ingredient provides moisture while also soothing dry, irritated skin.

Defy Medical offers access to pharmaceutical-grade moisturizing creams like the Ultra Hydrate Cream. We also offer access to products that include combination treatments for moisturizing and anti-aging, like the Anti-Aging Ultra Cream.

Treating Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation occurs when the skin develops spots with too much melanin. These spots may be brown, red, gray, black, or pink. They are typically patchy in appearance and contrast sharply with the skin around them.

Hyperpigmentation, also called melasma, can be caused by acne and other kinds of skin scarring, sun exposure, and aging.

If you experience hyperpigmentation, there are ingredients that can diminish the appearance of these blemishes. These include:

  • Hydroquinone — This medication reduces hyperpigmentation by slowing the process of melanin being deposited into the skin. It’s one of the most popular and effective treatments for hyperpigmentation.
  • Retinoic Acid — This retinoid can lighten the skin and also encourage skin cell turnover to decrease hyperpigmentation.
  • Hydrocortisone — This anti-inflammatory ingredient can help soothe the skin and ease irritation for a more even appearance.
  • Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) — This ingredient can reduce the number and severity of dark spots by slowing the process of skin pigmentation.
  • Kojic Acid — This acid is naturally derived from fungus and can improve hyperpigmentation by slowing the production of free tyrosinase, which effects the deposit of melatonin into the skin.

If you want to add a hyperpigmentation treatment to your skincare routine, Defy Medical offers access to creams with these potent ingredients.

Build a Skincare Routine with Defy Medical

Defy Medical offers access to pharmaceutical-grade skincare with proven ingredients. Patients can order a range of skincare products dedicated to easing the effects of acne, aging, hyperpigmentation, and more (as appropriate).

Defy Medical also offers a full suite of health care services, including Hormone Replacement Therapy, thyroid disease treatment, anti-aging procedures, and many others. Our care is available through convenient telemedicine, with simple online ordering and doorstep delivery.

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