STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

jacL · Coach

anti-aging products--what age?

Lilykind · Hermes

I'm 20 and I've been using anti-aging products on my eyes for the past couple of years. I see slight wrinkles right above my eyes and dry skin in that area in general. I also have undereye circles which I'm trying desperately to get rid of. The rest of my face is super oily and I'm still dealing with bouts of disgusting acne.

I use sunscreen religiously. I never sit out in the sun without at least an SPF 30 on and even then it's never for a very long time. Both of my parents aged well (I have their Asian genes working in my favor), but I have environemntal and stress factors working against me. However, I refuse to age.

Otherwise, I feel I'm definitely not ready. If my skin was the least bit dry, I'd be running for the anti-aging products though.

honey · Gucci

i used to use eye cream religiously, but i read in a recent allure that it's kind of a rip-off since most moisturizers provide sufficient coverage for the eye area. i do use spf religiously, and if i'm in the sun for a long time (like if i'm going to the beach -- which is rare in and of itself) i wear a hat. the only other thing i would add is that a lot of anti-aging products tend to be heavy on the moisturizing agents, so if you have oily skin be careful b/c they can do more harm than good.

jacL · Coach

honey wrote:

the only other thing i would add is that a lot of anti-aging products tend to be heavy on the moisturizing agents, so if you have oily skin be careful b/c they can do more harm than good.

That is interesting, because I have very dry skin (was born with it) and have a ton of moisturizing products, so I do take pretty good care of my skin, I just don't use any special anti-aging stuff. So since I don't see any signs of wrinkles, spots, or eye circles, and take good care of my skin otherwise, maybe it is ok if I wait.

Lilykind, I am half-Asian and I have those youthful genes too!

atlgirl · Gucci

I started at about age 33 - so IMO you probably have several years before you might need anything. And I don't even really use much now; I'm 37 but don't have many wrinkles. Some lines on my forehead which probably would need Botox to fix 'em but I'm against it personally, and some small lines around my eyes which I think are probably only noticeable to me. That's about it so far (thank goodness).

Neither of my parents (in their 60's now) have a ton of wrinkles so I think I'm going to be okay for a bit. Now, the gray hair....a whole other story *sigh*

member · Hermes

jacL - I know you're asking this not because you're showing signs of aging now, but because you want to prevent it in the future, but you look like a baby! I mean that in a good way of course! Really - your skin looks great - very smooth and young looking

I think you can wait a while

exsupahero · Kate Spade

i'm starting now at the age of 20 but i'm not going hardcore on eye creme and night creme and all that stuff b/c i don't like them. i bought the l'oreal one and didn't care to ever use it so its sitting there. i'm not showing any signs of aging but i am using oil of olay age- defying stuff(my mom uses the normal stuff religiously and she does not look old at all!) so i hope i'm gonna be good there.

honestly, although i don't want to look older than my age, i don't care about this whole aging stuff. i mean, i'm using the products but the way i see it, its an extra bonus to the stuff i regularly use.

aging is only ugly if you let it be ugly. there are lots of "old" ladies who are just glowing -- wrinkles and all. i wanna be them when i get older.

lynnie · Chanel

I havent started yet but I'm very careful to put sunscreen moisturizer all the way next to my eyes because I don't want wrinkles there. And I never put my face in the sun anymore now that I've found jergens natural glow- I just use that every couple of days on my face =)

dot · Marc Jacobs

definitely the best anti-aging product is sunscreen! i am starting to notice little sun spots (that show up after years of sun damage).

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

Sigh...many years of swim team, water polo, and many other outdoor sports have probably done their damage. Starting when I was about 19-20 I finally started wearing daily moisturizer with SPF 15, and now I try to be better about putting on sunscreen when I go outside. Especially now that I'm getting back into swimming. I think I might have lines starting around my mouth, but I smile all the time. Maybe I should just stop smiling! I'm half-Asian though, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get those genes!!

laken1 · Hermes

If you wait until you have wrinkles, it's too late. Unless you have surgery, you can't really "get rid of" wrinkles. If anyone has found this miracle product, please name it so I can stock pile it!!! I started on a skin care program including eye creams at 18, and at 33 have no crows feet or wrinkles, but I know my friends who didn't do the same indeed have wrinkles. I think part of it is genetic, but you can't use that as an excuse to be negligent, it's just like diet / exercise - just because your mom is skinny doesn't mean you don't need to exercise to be healthy. I say all that microderm & heavy anti-aging products can wait a few years (maybe 25?) but I'd start on eye creams & a good cleanser /exfoliant / moisturizer now if you don't do that already.

I disagree that if you use moisturizer that you don't need eye creams - the skin in your eye area is thinner & pulls easier than the rest of the skin on your face - the same moisturizers that do wonders on your face may not be right for your eye area.