A lot of people think that pricey procedures like Botox or fillers are the only ways to really reduce wrinkles. But here’s the truth: While injectables do give you obvious results, they’re not the only effective treatments to minimize the look of wrinkles and fine lines. There are safe, effective and clinically proven ways to smooth your skin at home… and we’re going to tell you how! First though, let’s talk a little about the different types of wrinkles.
What are the different types of wrinkles and their causes?
Not all wrinkles are created equal…and that means not all wrinkle reduction treatments are created equal. Here’s a quick overview of the different types of facial wrinkles:
Dynamic wrinkles: These wrinkles occur as a result of facial movement. Laughing, smiling, frowning… these “dynamic” movements all cause your face to move and crease in different ways. Think about how you get “11” lines between your eyebrows if you’re stressed, or crinkles around your eyes when you laugh or smile. You might also notice horizontal creases on your neck if you’ve been staring down at your phone for a long time. (We’re 100% guilty of this!)
Static wrinkles: Dynamic wrinkles can turn into static wrinkles over time, due to the natural aging process. As skin loses collagen and becomes less elastic, it loses its ability to bounce back into place and lines become permanent. Lines known as “gravitational wrinkles” also fall into this category. For example, jowls or marionette lines (i.e. the folds you see around your mouth as you age) are caused by sagging and loss of firmness. To put it bluntly, over time, the effects of gravity catch up with your skin!
Is it really possible to reduce wrinkles at home?
Yes! It really is. We may sound like a broken record but the most important thing you can do is wear SPF every day. If you’re not wearing sunscreen, you’re going to essentially “undo” the effects of any anti-aging skincare products you’re using. You’re putting time (and money) into those products, so you want to protect your investment, right?
Now that we have that point out of the way, let’s get down to business. If you want to smooth the look of lines and wrinkles at home, it’s essential to help support collagen production. Collagen is what keeps your skin looking smooth, bouncy and plumped up. Unfortunately, collagen production decreases as we age—causing those dynamic wrinkles we talked about earlier to turn into static wrinkles.
When it comes to promoting collagen production, you have a few choices. Retinoids (such as prescription Retin-A or over-the-counter retinol creams) can help stimulate collagen production—but they can cause irritation, especially if your skin tends to be on the sensitive side. If that’s the case, peptides may be a better option for you. Peptides are short chains of amino acids, which help support collagen production and give your skin a firmer, smoother look.
The other key step is to use skincare with active ingredients that help protect your skin from damaging free radicals. Free radicals trigger what’s known as “oxidative stress,” which leads to wrinkles, loss of elasticity and sagging. You can help prevent oxidative stress with antioxidants (now does that word make sense?) such as niacinamide, vitamin C, vitamin E and green tea.
We formulated our Hydraflash Cocooning Serum with target peptides, niacinamide and green tea, plus additional smoothing and hydrating actives. As with any at-home wrinkle treatment, the key is consistency. After using the serum twice a day for 4 weeks, 100% of our testers showed improved fine lines and wrinkles.
What are the most effective wrinkle reduction treatments?
Thankfully, times have changed a lot since people resorted to home remedies like slathering egg whites on their face. (It was thought to tighten skin. Did it work? Nope!) These days there are a slew of high-tech at-home treatments to choose from, such as LED masks and wands, which use light therapy to reduce the look of wrinkles, and microcurrent devices, which use low-grade electrical to help visibly tighten and firm up skin.
LUXE+ Sonic Dermaplaning is another option that delivers visible wrinkle reduction (and prevention) at home, due to the professional-quality exfoliation it delivers. “The removal of dead skin cells through dermaplaning promotes skin cell turnover, which can improve the skin's texture and overall appearance,” Dr. Bertha Baum explained to InStyle magazine. Another bonus? Removing those dead skin cells also allows anti-aging skincare products to penetrate more effectively.
The result is skin that looks smoother, firmer and more youthful—especially if you make the commitment to Flashing once a week. That’s right—unlike other high-tech devices that require frequent (or even daily) use, you only need to use LUXE+ once per week to see real wrinkle reduction. The proof: We performed a clinical study with 31 women between the ages of 35-65, and 97% of them had less visible fine lines and wrinkles after 4 weeks. Not to brag, but these results weren’t just personal observations. We performed an instrumental analysis in a lab, which was evaluated by trained clinicians (more details here if you’re curious about how we do our testing).
What lifestyle changes can help to reduce wrinkles?
If you're a smoker, stop!
The oxidative damage that smoking causes will age you like nothing else (and we’re not even getting into the negative effects smoking has on your overall health). Secondly, avoid over-consuming foods and drinks that cause inflammation in your body. Alcohol, sugar and processed foods—we’re looking at you! Instead, stay hydrated with water and antioxidant-rich green tea, and pack your diet with beneficial superfoods such as leafy greens, berries, legumes, nuts, yogurt, fish, and whole grains.
You can also make some small lifestyle adjustments that will help your skin stay smooth. Replacing your cotton pillowcases with silk or satin pillowcases helps prevent sleep creases, and wearing wide-brimmed hats can give you added sun protection. Last but not least, make sure you’re not constantly looking down at your phone or laptop. (Did we catch you? Don’t stress—just follow our tips and your skin will thank you!)
