5 Anti-Aging Ingredients You Want in Your Skincare Products

It’s probably time to brush up on your anti-aging repertoire.

While your 20s are the best time to prevent — and fight! — wrinkles, pigmentation, sagging skin, and more unfortunate signs of growing up (and getting older), anyone can give their skincare regimen a much-needed boost.

Here are five anti-aging ingredients that you should look out for in your skincare products. Each will help halt Mother Nature — at least for a little while:

Antioxidants

Let's start with the most obvious  — but perhaps the most important — word in your glossary of anti-aging terms: antioxidants. They come in many forms, including Vitamin E, Vitamin C, resveratrol, green tea extract and niacinamide. They are crucial in anti-aging skincare because, according to dermatologic surgeon and RealSelf Contributor Dr. Joel Schlessinger, they help to "shield skin against damaging free radicals and fortify it against environmental stressors."

He explained that antioxidants help minimize fines lines, dullness and hyper-pigmentation, and promote repair and healing. "In short, use as often as possible!" encourages Dr. Schlessinger. "Antioxidants can be found in just about any skin-care product and can be applied once or twice daily as directed."

Collagen

Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein in skin that's responsible for a firm, supple complexion. So, it makes sense that you want to lather that stuff all over your face, right? "Synthetic collagens, or those derived from plant and animal sources, are sometimes found in skin care," says Dr. Schlessinger, adding that products containing it should also include other "star anti-aging ingredients like antioxidants" if you’re going to consider them for your routine. These can typically be applied once or twice a day.

Elastin

"Elastin is a naturally occurring protein in skin that helps to give it its flexibility," says Dr. Schlessinger. Some skin-care products will either contain plant- or animal-derived elastin, which, while results haven't been thoroughly proven, "may function as a water-binding agent to help skin retain moisture."

Grape Seed Extract

Here we go with the "A" word again: Grape seed extract is packed with antioxidants, which are crucial to your anti-aging skin care routine.

Hydroxy Acids

Using hydroxy acids on your skin can create a smoother, more youthful complexion and a more even skin tone — but be careful if your complexion is on the touchy side, as this can cause redness. "Hydroxy acid is a great exfoliant, and exfoliating is an important step to help keep skin looking young and fresh," says Nina Patino, an esthetician at Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa in New York.