When exfoliating the skin with acids, peels, retinol, scrubs and laser treatments—both at-home or professional—it’s really important to incorporate products with soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients into your skin care routine. Exfoliants work to inflame and injure the skin, and while this will offer beneficial skin-smoothing, anti-aging results, in the process they trigger inflammation and a cascade of free radicals.
Inflammation (even if your skin never shows redness) is known to be the underlying cause of aging and can work against your attempt for more youthful-looking skin, especially if you’re using many exfoliating products in your routine. Read: Science Lesson: The Free Radical Theory Of Aging
To deactivate potential damage, use calming, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredients in your skin care routine such as:
White Tea-the most potent antioxidant blend of all teas (Found in Soothing Relief Serum)
Green Tea-anti-inflammatory antioxidant
Astaxanthin-most powerful of the carotenoid antioxidant family (Found in Synergy Eye Cream) Read: Are You Using An Eye Cream? If Not, You Should Be…
Algae Extract– antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (Found in Phytolipid Comfort Cream, Vitamin C Eye Brightener and Soothing Relief Serum)
Superoxide Dismutase-powerful biological antioxidant (Found in Skin Correcting Serum)
Ubiquinone-antioxidant CoEnzume Q-10 (Found in Intensive Firming Serum)
Trehalose-antioxidant cell protector (Found in Skin Correcting Serum)
Sea Whip-inhibits 90% of inflammatory enzyme, phospholipase A2 (Found in Firming Eye Therapy, Phytolipid Comfort Cream, Soothing Relief Serum and Purifying Face Wash)
Grape Seed Extract-firming antioxidant (Found in Triple Berry Smoothing Peel)
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate-water-soluble, stabilized, time-released Vitamin C (Found in Vitamin C&E Treatment and Vitamin C Eye Brightener)
Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate-water-soluble, stabilized, time-released Vitamin C (Found in Sheer Moisture and Vitamin C&E Treatment)
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate-lipid-soluble, stabilized, time-released Vitamin C (Found in Multi Vitamin Cream, Pro Remedy Oil and Vitamin C&E Treatment)
Tocopherol-Vitamin E antioxidant (Found in Firming Eye Therapy, Multi Vitamin Cream, Phytolipid Comfort Cream, Pure Radiance Mask, Sheer Moisture, Vitamin C&E Treatment and Vitamin C Eye Brightener)
There are many other ingredients used in skin care products to help reduce damaging inflammation that I have not listed, but these are some of the popular ones.
Check your ingredients and make sure you’re using these beneficial ingredients in your skin care products so you can give your skin the defense it needs to keep inflammation and visible skin aging to a minimum. The end result? Happier, healthier and younger-looking skin.
Read: The Ten Best Anti-Oxidant Food For Your Skin
Read: Is The Clarisonic Brush Harmful Or Helpful To The Skin?
Which skin care products are best for you? See our nine skin types or take the Skin Type Quiz and get products recommended.
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Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”
