Anti-Aging Skincare that I Use

I started trying to take better care of my skin about five years ago. I was introduced to the idea of "medical grade skin care" at a doctor's office. I was trying various skin treatments like SkinPen and Hydrofacials and the esthetician told me about all of the benefits of really good quality skincare products. After using them for so long, I can definitely see a difference in my skin and I'll never use anything else. Yes, there are good quality products available "over-the-counter" but I know what is working for me and so I'm going to stick to what I know!

• I love the SkinMedica line and use many of their products on a daily basis. The line consists of a lot more products than are listed here, but you can view all of them at the above link. Some products come in two sizes, a smaller version for an initial trial and then a larger bottle to help save a little money if you decide that product should stay in your daily routine.
• I start my day off by washing my face with the AHA BHA Cleanser. A little bit goes a LONG way and one tube will last me about 6 months! I like to apply it to my Clarisonic Mia face brush several times weekly for a really good exfoliation! 
• I used the Scar Recovery Gel after my facelift. 
• The powerhouse product is the TNS Advanced Serum. Yes, it is pricey, but it truly is worth it. I use it every other morning (see below for the other product that I use in the mornings). From the description, "It’s the only growth factor product proven to address sagging skin. Visible results in just 2 weeks. Results continue to improve through 24 weeks of use." I only use it in the mornings as I have another product I use at night. Using it once every other means this serum lasts up to 6 months.
• I have dark circles under my eyes and I was just introduced to the Instant Bright Eye Cream. Used regularly, twice daily, it is supposed to help with fine lines & wrinkles and as well as the dark circles. I've just started using it but will report back my results in about 3 months!
• To take care of my neck skin after my face & neck lift, I started using the Neck Correct Cream. The texture of my skin has gotten smoother and it has helped with some of the discoloration on my chest area that I have experienced as I've gotten older.
• The HA5 (hyaluronic acid) Rejuvenating Hydrator (1oz, there is also a 2oz bottle) is a wonderful moisturizer and provides a smooth surface for applying makeup. 
• Sunscreen is SOOOO important for taking good care of your skin and I love their Total Defense and Repair SPF 50. 
• After washing my face at night, I use their Dermal Repair Cream. This is described as a "rich moisturizer," but it is very light and a little goes a long way!
• A product that I plan to add to my daily routine soon is the Lumivive System. It includes a day and a night serum that helps with blue light exposure and other damage caused by environmental factors. 

(Note: I am NOT an affiliate with SkinMedica or anyone selling their products. I'm providing these links so you can read more about the products and they link to my facial plastic surgeon's online store.)

• There are a couple other facial skin care products that I use regularly. I have been using the AnteAge MD products for about three years now. It really helped my fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes and mouth.
• AnteAge MD System - I use this system every other morning. You can only find this amazing growth factor product at doctor's offices. There is a regular AnteAge system available online, but it is not as powerful as the MD version. From the description, "The AntiAGE MD System contains twice the active ingredients as retail AnteAGE, along with 21 additional ingredients that are anti-aging, pro-healing and anti-inflammatory." 
• AnteAge also has a Brightener and I just started using this in January. My skin is already in pretty good condition, so I'm not sure if it has added any improvement to it. However, it was a part of a special Christmas set that included their new eye brightening cream, so I am using it!
• The sales rep for AnteAge told my esthetician a little secret for stretching the products so they last a bit longer. Put one pump of each (serum, accelerator and brightener) in your hand. Mix together and apply to face, neck and upper chest. I promise that you will have enough to cover all of this skin very well! These products are not cheap so this will stretch your budget a bit and still give you all of the benefits of great skincare!

• I have also tried a couple of Alastin products. The Restorative Neck Complex is supposed to be the best neck treatment cream out there. I have used it, but not exclusively and I'm not using it now. However, I do plan to try this again when my current neck cream is gone.
• The Alastin TransFORM Body Treatment is wonderful to use after CoolSculpting treatments as it helps remove the fat quicker and easier. It also targets crepiness of the skin and has won several awards.
• All Alastin products are currently 25% off at this link through 2/28/22).

(Note: I am NOT an affiliate with AnteAge or anyone selling their products. I'm providing these links so you can read more about the products and they link to a nearby doctor's online store.)

• I have just recently begun using One Skin Essential Moisturizer prior to applying my Dermal Repair Cream at night. This product targets aging at a molecular level and was designed by a panel of aging/longevity scientists. There is so much wonderful information about this new product on their website, that I highly recommend you click on the above link and have a look around. They will be selling body lotion and a cleanser in the future, as well. 

• I discovered a wonderful local esthetician that provides anti-aging treatments (microcurrent, thermage, nano-needling, etc - I'll be discussing these in a future post!) and she carries the Theraderm line of products. There are a couple that I will be checking out after my current skincare is depleted to see if I want to exchange some products or maybe just add another to my routine. Products often provide very different benefits so it is worth it to use several! I did buy the Theraderm NuPeel Natural Enzyme Peel and I really like it! (You can purchase this on Amazon, but just be sure it is directly from the Theraderm store to be sure you aren't getting a "fake" product.) This exfoliator helps to remove dead skin from your face, hands, knees, elbows and body! You can use it anywhere you like! My skin feels so much better after using it and it is safe enough to use several times a week. It stimulates cell turnover which is a good thing. 
• The product that I have been encouraged to try is the Eternox Peptide Creme. If you could see the skin of this esthetician, you would be conviced to try the Theraderm products! She has been using the line for about 10 years and her skin is amazingly wrinkle free, smooth and just beautiful! She credits this peptide creme for her skin's appearance as it has kept lines and wrinkles at bay (she is in her late 50s and skin is amazing!).
• If you can find an office near you that sells the Theraderm products, ask for their travel kits as they are a good price and include 5-6 products to "try before you buy" so you can see if you'll have any reaction to them first before investing in them.

I hope that you have enjoyed what I have shared her and that it may help to get you started down a path of better skin care if what you are currently using isn't achieving the results that you want. There ARE many, many, MANY good skincare companies out there. The key is to find what works best for you so that you are getting the benefits that you want for your skin. If you have a product that you really like, I'd love it if you'd leave a comment telling me about it! I'm always looking for great products to take care of my skin.

Anti-Aging vs. Pro-Longevity ... my new journey

I love the graphic above because it sorta describes my current daily routine (there just needs to be a line about crochet)! However, my health journey is now heading in a different direction. For about 5 years now, I have been very open about sharing the treatments I have undergone to attain a better level of self-acceptance of myself. I am very self-conscious of how I appear to others, an issue that I feel evolved as my parents moved us around the country fairly frequently. I attended 3 high schools in 4 years and those are the most difficult years as one grows up. Kids of all ages can be cruel, but teens are the worst! I was always trying to make new friends and fit in. I didn't care about being in the "popular" group, but I did want to make some friends wherever I was. 

Anyway, I believe that my opinion of myself was shaped by my experiences with how others saw me. I was always just a bit on the outside of everything even though I remember having some really good friends in high school. I, therefore, became very critical of my appearance and no compliment could dissuade me otherwise. I am lucky to have a fabulous husband who adores me and tells me all the time how beautiful I am to him. It took a long time before I truly believed him. He would love me the same even if I had never had my tummy tuck or my face & neck lift. Now, over 4 years after my tummy tuck, I am almost 10 lbs. heavier and I am not happy about it. I quit the gym when Covid-19 hit and I have only been going back on a regular schedule for a few months; in the meantime, I gained weight while not working out regularly. I have taken my measurements as a better way to track my fitness and am seeing some improvement already even though the scale has yet to budge.

So, all of this to say, that while I kind of started down a path of pondering methods of anti-aging, I am now just hoping to do all that I can to live as long as possible in a positive state of health. My mother died over 2 years ago from congestive heart failure. The sad thing is that I NEVER heard that term discussed before she died. We were always talking about her doctor's visits as she had a lot of medical issues, but she never once told me that she had been diagnosed with CHF! Looking back, I can see that she clearly had ALL of the symptoms, but I am not a medical professional so I didn't know then what I came to understand after her death. She was only 74 years old. 

Some may say that is old, but in this day and age, I think there are things we can do to lengthen our lives or, at least, stay healthier until that last day comes. I don't want to get ill and linger in an unhealthy state for years and years. I have learned from watching my mom's health decline, that there are things I can do to keep myself healthier longer. I have already started my research and will be posting here all of the new bits of information I come across that will hopefully help me live longer and stay healthier. While I will still be getting "anti-aging" treatments like Botox and facial lasers, I am trying to learn more about how to slow down aging at a cellular level. 

So, future posts will discuss:

- Vitamins and supplements that help with cell turnover

- What is the healthiest way to eat to promote longevity?

- Book recommendations discussing how to live longer

- How can red light therapy help internally?

- What part does exercise play in living longer and what is the best routine as you age?

- What anti-aging skincare products work at a cellular level to promote the best looking skin? I use these products, many which contain growth factors that help at a molecular level. 

I am now 53 years old and my husband is the same age. His mom will be 98 this year ... wow! Jim has aged much slower than I have and I do believe that he has genetics on his side. I started getting gray hair in my late 20s while he didn't see his first gray hairs until 20 years later! I want to spend as many years with him as I can, so I am excited to keep researching for the best information on how to attain this goal. I do hope you'll consider following along with me this year as I work to figure out the path that I need to take in order to continue my newfound journey to a healthier me! I have already found lots of great information to share and plan to post at least weekly over the next few months so that others can benefit from what I am learning.