Anti-aging with The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

Photo by manu schwendener on Unsplash

Have you ever noticed that your skin has become drier or more dehydrated as the years have gone by? Part of the reason is that our skin naturally contains an acid called hyaluronic acid (HA) which has a super-mega capacity to attract water and helps to keep skin hydrated. As we grow older HA starts to reduce in the epidermis and will eventually disappear (according to quite a few sources I have seen, including this article).

So it’s easy to understand that if we apply HA to our skin we get more moisturised skin. One of the major reasons for the look of skin ageing is the decrease in moisture. HA assists with improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and assists in restoring that youthful plumpness.

Most good hydrating serums and even some moisturisers out there contain a form of HA. Other brands to check out that have HA-containing products include Estee Lauder (Advanced Night Repair), Esse, SkinCeuticals and Neutrogena.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains sodium hyaluronate which is a smaller molecule than hyaluronic acid and so can be more easily absorbed by the skin. In fact according to The Ordinary website, if we put hyaluronic acid on our skin it will actually dry out the skin because it will just sit on the skin’s surface and absorb the moisture out of the skin.

I have seen other articles claim that for best results a product should contain both forms of HA. For now I am sticking with this. It also contains vitamin B5 which has extra moisturising, soothing and regenerating benefits. I love how it absorbs into my skin and makes it feel more hydrated without causing any issues that might lead to congestion or enlarged pores. In fact, if your skin is oily and dehydrated, this may be all you need for hydration.

I use it on its own under hydrators and emollients as well as with The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% for an anti-aging, hydrating treatment. Definitely one to keep!

This is the third blog post in my Anti-ageing with The Ordinary series. Coming soon in my Anti-ageing series I will tell you about my experiences with The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.

Anti-ageing with The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

This is the second blog post in the Anti-ageing with The Ordinary series. If you missed the first one on the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion, you can catch up on my previous post.

Background photo by Keilidh Ewan on Unsplash

If you look around at anti-ageing serums, many contain Vitamin C and this is the highest concentration of Vitamin C I have seen in a product. Like most anti-ageing ingredients, Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is considered by many skincare experts to be an anti-ageing superstar. It is proven to brighten the skin and lighten brown marks associated with age and may help to treat ultraviolet induced photo damage. It is hydrating and plays a vital role in collagen synthesis.

I found it plumps and rehydrates my skin –  and brightens it making it more youthful looking. I also found that it reduced the look of my enlarged pores – more so when I have recently exfoliated. I noticed an immediate impact from the very first time I used it and now only use it about once a week for maintenance. This product also contains squalane which is a superior and non-comedogenic hydrator and emollient – another of my favourite ingredients.

The Ordinary offers quite a few different vitamin C products – have a look at their Vitamin C guide to find the one that’s right for you. This product contains ascorbic acid which is a well-proven ingredient and it definitely works for me.

The one downside is that it is quite grainy and does sting my skin, especially the first few times I used it. Even so, the impact it makes on my skin is outstanding. Newer forms of Vitamin C in skincare are probably more comfortable but many are less effective and most are more expensive.  You only need to use a tiny bit to get the benefits so it can be mixed into other products while you adjust.

Neostrata, Clinique, Environ, Esse, Victorian Garden and many other skincare brands offer serums containing different forms of Vitamin C – most at a lower concentration and higher price.

I use this product together with The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 – which I will talk about in my next blog post as part of the Anti-ageing with The Ordinary series.

 

Anti-ageing with The Ordinary

The Ordinary has revolutionised the beauty industry by focusing on integrity in pricing and communication about their products. They sell some of the highest concentrations of proven beauty ingredients that I have seen at the lowest prices without the frills. If you place more importance on the beauty of the jar and the scent and feel of its contents on your face, than what they do for your skin, this one is probably not for you. But before you move on, it’s important to note that The Ordinary has won beauty awards across the board, including in luxury categories.

Because it’s all about the ingredients, no conversation about The Ordinary would be complete without my telling you something about the ingredients. So this makes what I have to say a little lengthy. I have broken it down into a series of four posts which I will post over the next month or two. Each post covers a significant anti-ageing ingredient all on its own so I think it’s fitting that I give each one its own moment in ‘the sun’!

I am no beauty expert but I like to know something about what’s in the products I am using and why they work, so this is really about what I have learnt along the way that’s been useful to me. I haven’t been able to find anywhere in South Africa that you can buy these products in a brick and mortar store. The best place to buy for delivery in South Africa in my view is www.bay.one. I have ordered from them more than once and in my experience they are very reliable and they deliver to Johannesburg within a few days.

The Ordinary is a Deciem brand for which the tagline is: “The Abnormal Beauty Company”. I will be interested in future to try some of their more cutting edge brands as well, although they are more pricey. Have a look at www.deciem.com if you’re interested.

Let’s get onto the first product I want to tell you about………….

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion currently delivers Vitamin A (retinol) to my skin. Vitamin A is generally reported to be featured in products for its antioxidant properties and studies show that it reduces wrinkles and fades brown spots. It also improves collagen synthesis and smooths roughness by improving cell turnover rates – leading to unclogging of pores and reduction of pore size. It is an all-rounder in terms of skin health, and if you do nothing else for your skin, especially if it’s showing signs of ageing this should be it. The Ordinary gives you a way to add it to whatever you are currently doing with your skin – The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is perfect for this purpose and it is compatible with most other products. Best is to apply it at night before your moisturiser.

The Ordinary website has a whole range of retinoids – I recommend having a look at that to choose the best product for you but I am going to tell you a few things to get you started. Retinoid is the first confusing word because retinoid is a generic term for any substance related to vitamin A or that functions like vitamin A in the body. The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is one specific type of retinoid. Retinol (as opposed to the retinoid) products seem to be less expensive and what I understand is that retinol in general show benefits more slowly because your skin converts it to retinoic acid which provides the benefits, whereas retinoids deliver results right away. It’s recommended that to begin with, you should use only a small amount of retinoids/ retinols about every 2^nd or 3^rd night and build up how much you apply. The Ordinary products are well-suited to this because many of them come with a glass pipette. I started by applying just one drop every second night and after a few weeks could increase use to two drops almost every night. It can be drying while you’re getting used to it and you may need to use a bit more moisturiser than usual.

The Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion contains a new generation of retinoids that has been ‘shown to achieve better reduction in signs of ageing than retinol without irritation’. This product has definitely been less irritating on my skin than earlier retinoids and I use it now every night with no adverse effects. I remember getting prescribed Retin A as a teenager for acne but it really irritated and dried my skin out and eventually I threw it away.

The Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion contains a retinol as well so that implies that you will get results quite quickly from the retinoid and then over time you should see more benefits from the retinol as well. I have definitely noticed that my skin is smoother and my fine lines are less noticeable. I am using quite a few products for brown spots so difficult to say which one is packing the punch but I have certainly seen an improvement over the past few months. My beautician complemented me on my skin the last time I saw her.

You can buy The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% emulsion for R263 on www.bay.one, which is about the average price for their retinol/ retinoid products. The inclusion of squalane is a great idea if you are starting out with vitamin A because squalane is an excellent non-comedogenic hydrator, although if you already have a moisturiser you love, choose one without squalane.

As far as I am concerned the jury is still out on exactly which form of retinoid to go for but this one delivers Vitamin A benefits well and is easily tolerated by my skin. My dermatologist recently prescribed Differin Gel for me so I might try that next if I feel brave, but in the meantime I am very happy to be putting this on my face every evening before bed.

Watch out for my next blog post on The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%.

Eco and Local Stocking Filler Ideas

With the holidays fast approaching I found some great locally made enviro-friendly stocking fillers – all under R50!

Rose En Bos Beer Soap : No doubt my husband will find Rose En Bos Beer Soap quite amusing. He is always interested to try anything new I find for him. I like it because it’s handmade in the Western Cape from a base of coconut and olive oils, and infused with warm hops, grain and malt as well as zesty lemongrass oil.

Moko Key Rings : I love the Bird Key Ring and the Heart Key Ring – just so simple, pretty and useful – you can’t go wrong.

African Bliss Fynbos Soap: I just love African Bliss soaps and always have one somewhere in my house, if not my shower. They smell delicious and are 100% natural and the Fynbos reminds me of  Cape Town.

Back 2 Nature Lip Food: I haven’t tried this one out yet but would love to find this in my Christmas stocking!

Soil Relax Remedy Roller: A little something to help with those stressful holiday moments – crazy Aunts and meals that don’t go according to plan.

Earthsap Madagascar Vanilla Bean Air Freshener: My sister-in-law introduced me to Earthsap and they are one of my favourite 100% natural brands – this product has great reviews and will definitely be included in my holiday shopping.

All of the above can be purchased at www.faithful-to-nature.co.za with free delivery in South Africa for a Checkout total of R350 or more – and they always include a surprise sample.