We can’t completely stop wrinkles and fine lines in their tracks, but with the help of face serums, we can definitely slow down their advances. These skin care MVPs can effectively enhance your skin care regimen with their versatility and variety: They can be added to moisturizers, night creams and masks to enhance potency, be used as a spot treatment or as standalone actives that target just about every skin concern.
But with all the different types and ingredients available—and all the hype that comes with new releases and cult products—it can be difficult to figure out which bottle can give your skin that much-needed rejuvenation. Hence, it’s important to understand the specific needs of your skin and how time, the environment and your lifestyle affects it.
How Wrinkles and Fine Lines Form
Fine lines and wrinkles are all part of the natural aging process as skin gets thinner, drier and less elastic with age, says board-certified dermatologist Rhonda Klein. As early as your mid- to late-twenties, the production of the proteins collagen and elastin—the building blocks of healthy skin—slows down. Because they are being broken down faster than new ones are produced, it triggers the aging process that results in a dull complexion, sagging skin and folds and creases.
External or environmental factors also play a role. Pollution, UV radiation and certain lifestyle habits like smoking all accelerate and contribute to the degradation of your skin’s healthy cells and connective tissues, with some parts getting thicker and other thinner, adds scientist, author and skin care expert Dr. Hannah Sivak. “At the molecular level, there are many changes in protein structures. Some proteins are being broken down and replaced with others that are different in amino acid sequence and physical behavior,” explains Sivak. Read more
