There are a host of issues that can cause skin to look aged including sluggish cells, a loss of collagen and elastin, genetics, sun damage and environmental stressors. Luckily, what you need to recapture your youth can be summed up in one word: Retinol. “It’s absolutely the best anti-aging ingredient,” says Naomi Furgiuele, senior director of Global Beauty Face Care R&D at Johnson & Johnson, a company that has studied retinol for more than 20 years. “It’s essentially helping you with cell renewal and boosting your body’s ability to repair damage. This ingredient works with time, and you have to use it consistently. The more consistent you are, the better the results.” Since retinol is designed to give skin’s natural function a nudge, it’s best to ease it into your routine. “Typically, we recommend using it every other day initially to see how your skin does with it. If you’ve never used retinol before, it’s not unusual to see a little bit of redness or flakiness because it’s getting your skin to increase its cell turnover rate.” Eventually, you can use retinol every night, but don’t forget to use sunscreen in the morning. Take matters into your own hands with a DIY natural face lift massage. Julie Clark, holistic esthetician and owner of Province Apothecary, swears by a quick 2-step ritual that stimulates acupressure points on the face, encourages lymphatic drainage, reduces puffiness and smooths lines. It tones and tightens skin, she says, and helps any product, like her brand’s organic custom face serum, penetrate deeper. Visit provinceapothecary.ca for a how-to video. For effortless anti-aging, choose a procedure that’s aimed at rejuvenating your appearance, not reworking it completely. “We’re doing a lot of Sculptra,” says Dr. Julia Carroll, a dermatologist at Compass Dermatology in Toronto. “It’s a milk-sugar solution that is injected into the face and induces your own collagen production over time.” Comparing the process to an oyster making a pearl from a grain of sand, she loves this option because it works in synergy with your body. “It’s really hard to overdo it,” she says. “The result is very natural and gradual. I give this to people when I want the structure of their face to come up and out.” A full treatment (usually two sessions) is a hefty investment, but the lifting effect lasts about 20 months. Quarter sessions, which cost less (about $800), are available for younger patients or those with fewer lines.
Dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll said they have been "doing a lot of Sculptra" at Compass Dermatology in Toronto. The treatment is denoted as a "hefty" but worthwhile investment, with the milk-sugar solution described as "really hard to overdo", delivering a natural and gradual effect, which after a full treatment of around two sessions lasts about 20 months. Dr. Carroll promotes rejuvenation rather than complete reworking of a person's appearance to fight the effects of ageing. For patients with fewer lines, cheaper quarter sessions (roughly CAD800) are available.