Three Anti-Aging Products You Don’t Need

2. Lip Exfoliators

What they are: Dry, chapped lips are uncomfortable, but you don’t need to purchase a special product to relieve them. Most lip exfoliators consist mainly of sugar and natural oils in a wax base to hold everything together. 

The issue: Lip exfoliators work, but they’re pricy, ranging from $10 to $25.

How to solve it: Spare yourself this unnecessary expense! Before going to bed, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to your lips. The next morning, gently rub them with a washcloth, and the dead skin will peel right off. For a natural alternative, replace the petroleum jelly with olive oil and with a light hand, rub a toothbrush on your lips in a circular motion to get rid of the dry skin. This quick-and-easy exfoliation technique will leave your lips feeling smooth and soft.

3. Retinol and Acids in One Product

What they are: Retinol is one of the best anti-aging ingredients available. It can help reverse the visible signs of premature aging due to excessive sun exposure, help control acne and reduce wrinkles. Likewise, acids such as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid or beta hydroxy acids (i.e. salicylic acid) are wonderful chemical exfoliants that breakdown the gunk holding dead skin cells together. The end result is silky smooth skin, a more even skintone, and a reduction of fine lines. It’s no wonder skin-care manufacturers want the benefits of these ingredients in one power-packed anti-aging product.

The issue: These ingredients, retinols and acids, can’t coexist in the same product without one of them being compromised. Retinol is notoriously unstable and can breakdown if proper caution is not taken when creating the base formulation. One factor that helps keep retinol stable is the pH. Simply speaking, pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline something is. For example, vinegar is very acidic and has a pH of about 3, water is considered neutral with an average pH of 7; and hair-removing creams are very alkaline with a pH of about 12. Retinol’s pH comfort zone is about 6-8.

Acids by their very name are acidic and are most effective at pHs below 5; in fact, the lower the pH the more effective they are. I think that you can see where this is going. If acids are more effective with pHs below 5 and retinol is more stable above pH 6, then one of them is going to be compromised if placed in the same formulation. That doesn’t mean that the product won’t work; it just means that you will be reaping the benefits of either the retinol or the acids, but not the comprehensive benefits of both that you are paying for!  

How to solve it: Some companies understand this problem, and solve it by encapsulating one of the ingredients so they are chemically “hidden” and will not be affected by the outside pH. Encapsulating means one ingredient is enclosed in another (similar to the way an egg yolk is enclosed in the egg shell).  This is the best way to make sure that you are getting the full benefits of both!

More From YouBeauty.com

Quiz: Are You Using the Right Products for Your Skin?

Read More of Ni’Kita Wilson’s “Beauty Informer” Columns.

Are You OD-ing on Skin Care Products?