Want to tighten up your skin without taking drastic measures? We’re assuming that’s a yes… and we have easy tips for every face, every age and every budget. If you want skin that looks tighter, firmer and all-around glowier, keep reading!
How to firm your face
Before we talk about how you can firm up your skin, let’s take a moment to talk about why skin loses that tight, lifted, youthful look in the first place. In a word? Collagen. Collagen is a protein that’s found in our skin and you’ll often hear it referred to as skin’s “scaffolding.” Just like scaffolding supports a building, collagen supports your skin, giving it structure and shape. It also helps keep your skin smooth and hydrated.
Children and teens have naturally high levels of collagen, which is why their skin looks so firm and supple. As we age, though, our collagen production begins to slow down. “After the age of 20 a person produces about 1 percent less collagen in the skin each year,” says dermatologist Dr. Suzan Obagi, in Scientific America.And according to the British Journal of Dermatology, by age 45 we lose as much as 25% of the collagen we had early in life.
The easy way to kick-start collagen production
If you want to know how to tighten your face without invasive procedures, we have good news. One scientifically proven way to get visibly smoother and tighter skin by starting an exfoliating routine. In addition to sweeping away dead skin cells and keeping pores clear, regular exfoliation helps to promote cellular turnover and stimulate collagen production. The key is finding the method of exfoliation that works best for you.
In general, there are two ways to exfoliate. Physical exfoliation is when you manually remove buildup and dead skin cells using a scrub or an exfoliating tool. Grainy facial scrubs can be harsh on skin (especially aging or sensitive skin types), and many dermatologists recommend choosing a gentler method instead.
One of the most gentle and effective methods of physical exfoliation is dermaplaning, where a dermatologist or specially trained esthetician uses a surgical blade to gently “scrape” away dead skin cells, removing vellus hair (a.k.a. peach fuzz) in the process. Obviously, using a scalpel blade at home is not an option, but using a Sonic Dermaplaning device like DERMAFLASH LUXE+ gives you the same results you’d get in the office. And don’t stress about nicks or scrapes. LUXE+ has a proprietary Safety Cage to keep your skin protected, in addition to Patented Sonic Technology that helps the device glide smoothly over your skin, without skipping or tugging. Want some proof that it works? After doing a sonic dermaplaning treatment with LUXE+ once a week, 97% of our test subjects noticed fewer lines and wrinkles.
The second method of exfoliation is what’s known as chemical exfoliation. This is when an exfoliating agent such as glycolic acid or salicylic acid is applied to skin in order to remove that outer layer of dead skin cells. You can have an exfoliating peel done in a derm’s office or a med spa, or you can use an at-home exfoliating treatment for gentle daily exfoliation.
If you have sensitive skin, proceed with caution when choosing your exfoliant. Glycolic acid can have an irritating effect on sensitive skin, so you many want to try more gentle acids instead. Botanical Ketoacid Toner is formulated with kind-to-skin Flower Acids, in addition to encapsulated salicylic acid, making it a safe option for sensitive skin. Using Botancial Ketoacid Toner daily and doing your LUXE+ sonic dermaplaning treatment once a week will exfoliate gently and help stimulate collagen production, no irritation required.
How can I lift my face naturally?
Here’s truth of the matter: It’s impossible for any at-home treatment to give you the same results you’d get from a face lift. But, it is possible to get a more lifted appearance. Did we catch your interest? It’s all about getting light to reflect off the planes of your face. See, when light is able to bounce off the high points of your face (like your cheekbones) your entire face instantly looks more lifted and defined.
There are two factors that generally stand in the way of light reflection, and they’re peach fuzz and build-up. “When we have dead skin cells and peach fuzz on our faces, light literally gets absorbed into the surface of our skin,” explains DERMAFLASH founder Dara Levy. “When we remove that layer of build-up, light bounces off our skin and makes our cheekbones look higher and your jawline look tighter.”
So if you’d like to lift cheeks naturally, try sonic dermaplaning and see how a simple boost in light reflection can leave your entire face looking instantly lifted, refreshed and, yep, fuzz-free!
How to tighten forehead skin
One more thing we wanted to mention, and that’s skincare! To keep up the collagen boost you’re getting from regular exfoliation, make sure to wear sunscreen every. single. day.
In addition, use a serum formulated with peptides and hyaluronic acid, both of which help support collagen production, smooth the look of fine lines, and leave skin looking plump and hydrated. Active Cocooning Serum is formulated with advanced target peptides and hyaluronic acid, and can be used on your face and neck, in addition to the undereye area to tighten skin around eyes.
Use these tips and tricks for skin that not only acts younger, but looks tighter, lifted and more youthful too!
