When it comes to skincare, especially anti-ageing skincare, there’s a ton of myths and misconceptions out there. Whether they’re about certain ingredients or who should be using anti-aging products in general - there’s way too many to keep count of them all! However, there are some common ones that keep cropping up ahead of the rest - here are 5 anti-ageing skincare myths debunked.

Myth 1: Using Retinol Too Young Ruins Your Skin

Now, this is a bit weird, but a common one. Logically, it doesn’t make much sense - here’s why. Retinol is one of the most well-known and well-researched anti-ageing ingredients out there, and has a pretty unique function when it comes to your skin. Retinol converts to something called all-trans retinoic acid, aka tretinoin. 

What most people don’t know is that all-trans retinoic acid has proven benefits for two things - clearing up acne and reducing the signs of ageing on the skin. Medically, all-trans retinoic acid is often prescribed to help resolve acne, especially in teens and young adults - so the truth is, retinoids can actually improve skin (no matter your age) rather than ruin it.

Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules | $190
These potent serum capsules contain the perfect nightly dose of ceramides and retinol for your skin. 

Myth 2: If You’re Using a Lot of Anti-Ageing Actives, You Don’t Need Sunscreen

We’ve all heard how important it is to wear sunscreen daily to prevent premature signs of ageing, right? However, it might be easy to think that we can skip on the sunscreen and just make up for it by using extra anti-aging actives - right?

Wrong!

First of all, there are some major groups of anti-aging ingredients that cause photosensitivity - that is, they cause your skin to be more sensitive to the sun than they normally would be. If you’re using a retinoid or AHA skincare product, this applies to you! 

The reason why it’s so important to use sunscreen while you use these anti-aging ingredients is simple: you could be undoing, or even worsening all your skin’s hard work by not protecting it from the sun - the opposite of what you’re trying to do! 

Dr Irena Eris Instant Luminous Lifting Day Cream SPF 20 | $351
A powerful day cream sunscreen combination product that shields skin from the sun’s rays.

Myth 3: Higher Concentrations of Anti-Ageing Actives = Faster, Better Results

In the world of skincare, it can be easy to fall into the trap of more = better, especially when it comes to using potent, high-strength skincare. However, there’s a fine line between overdoing your actives and having an effective, well-rounded skincare routine. 

This rings especially true if you’re trying to combine high percentage exfoliating acids and retinol in your skincare routine, for example! Both of these can come in pretty high concentrations, are effective at anti-aging in the long run, and have some pretty sweet benefits like radiant, glowing skin. 

However, both can be irritating if misused in the pursuit of youthful skin - high strength glycolic acid followed immediately by high strength retinol is a recipe for over-exfoliation and a damaged skin barrier. When it comes to getting the benefits of these potent anti-ageing ingredients for your skin, consistency is much more important than frequency.

Having a regular schedule for your actives ensures your skin can actually benefit from them, instead of going ham and trying to use everything all at once!

SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion | $121
This exfoliating essence makes uses of BHAs and AHAs to wind back the clock for clearer, more radiant skin.

Myth 4: You Can DIY Effective Anti-Ageing Skincare

DIY skincare does nothing at best and is harmful at its worst - no matter what you’re trying to do for your skin! It’s absolutely not possible to get the same, collagen-building and wrinkle-fighting results with anything out of your pantry - here’s why.

First of all, while many foods are rich in specific vitamins that benefit the skin (Vitamin A derivatives, for example), in food, they’re just not in the right form to be used by the skin. Vitamin A just can’t be used in your skin in the same efficient way that Retinol can - so you’re better off using pantry staples in actual cooking recipes, instead of DIY skincare!

One more reason why we advocate for avoiding the DIY route is that the luxury skincare products we curate at Beauty Affairs have been carefully formulated to use the right ingredients at the most effective concentrations to help you on your journey to gorgeous skin - in comparison, there’s no guarantee that DIY skincare has the right amount (or even the presence) of anti-aging ingredients to make a real impact on your skin!

Eve Lom Moisture Mask | $135
Pick up this mask, formulated with effective skincare ingredients to nourish and moisturise your skin instead of DIY!

Myth 5: You Should Only Start Anti-Ageing Skincare Once You Have Wrinkles

This is one that comes up a lot, especially when it comes to eye cream! The conversation always goes something along the lines of this: “I have some new wrinkles around my eyes, I think I need to start using an anti-ageing eye cream!” There’s one crucial thing that most people are forgetting - it’s much harder to truly get rid of wrinkles, compared to preventing them from forming as deeply and as quickly in the first place. 

Anti-aging skincare is amazing when it comes to softening the signs of ageing and firming skin, especially when you use collagen-boosting ingredients like Vitamin C, Retinol, and Peptides - however, they do a much better job of delaying the arrival of wrinkles, than trying to erase any already settled lines. 

When it comes to anti-ageing skincare, a tiny bit of prevention goes a long way - like, a really long way. There isn’t an ideal age or ‘sign’ that you need to wait for (like already visible wrinkles!) to start using anti-aging skincare! 

However, if you’re not ready to pick up the Retinol just yet, don’t worry - antioxidants are going to be your new best friend. You can think of antioxidants as early anti-aging insurance, especially when used in tandem with sunscreen - and having wrinkles isn’t a prerequisite for using them!

La Prairie White Caviar Eye Extraordinaire | $805
This eye cream is packed with antioxidants, peptides and caviar extract to protect against the early signs of ageing. 

Still trying to put together the best anti-ageing routine for your skin? Try our skin quiz!

Products Mentioned:

• Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules | $190
• Dr Irena Eris Instant Luminous Lifting Day Cream SPF 20 | $351
• SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion | $121
• Eve Lom Moisture Mask | $135
• La Prairie White Caviar Eye Extraordinaire | $805