We used to have rather strange ideas about the sun. A tan was something to ‘work on’, SPF was body oil, and the neck and chest were not yet part of the conversation. Your skin – inconveniently – has a very long memory. Years later, sun exposure can show up as dark spots, uneven pigmentation, fine lines and a loss of firmness.
Luckily, skincare science has evolved along with our holiday habits. From Retinal and Vitamin C to Niacinamide, Peptides, GGA, SPF and the new generation of longevity and micro-spicule skincare, here’s what’s experts say is actually worth knowing about now:
RETINALS + RETINOLS: THE HEAVY HITTERS
Retinoids are among the best-studied ingredients for photoaged skin, helping improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture and pigmentation over time. Use in the evening under moisturizer. Dermatologists love them.
TRY:
SUPER RETINAL SERUM (for beginners)
YOUTHBOMB EXTREME RETINAL SERUM (for more experienced retinoid users)
VITAMIN C: FOR BRIGHTNESS + ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION
A high-quality Vitamin C serum can help brighten uneven-looking skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots, while providing antioxidant protection against environmental damage. Use in the morning, under moisturizer and sunscreen, it’s the most effective and best value Vitamin C serum for brightening you can buy.
TRY: SUPERDOSE VITAMIN C RAPID ACTION POWER BRIGHTENER
NIACINAMIDE: THE MULTITASKER
If uneven tone and pigmentation are high on the list, Niacinamide is worth knowing. This form of Vitamin B3 can help improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone while supporting the skin barrier. Use in a serum directly on clean skin, or grab a moisturizer that has Niacinamide built-in.
TRY:
NIACINAMIDE SUPERDROPS
SUPER HEALTHY SKIN VITAMIN ANTI-AGING CREAM
PEPTIDES: WHEN FIRMNESS IS PART OF THE PICTURE
Sun exposure doesn’t only show up as pigmentation. Over time, photoaging breaks down elastin and collagen fibres, which lead to wrinkles and visible loss of firmness. Applied topically, signalling peptides can help support the processes involved in maintaining firmer, smoother-looking skin. Here, two high-peptide moisturizers you can use every day:
TRY:
SHINKAI ELECTROLYTE DRENCH
YOUTHBOMB COLLAGEN PEPTIDE CREAM
GGA: ONE TO KNOW FOR VISIBLE SKIN AGEING
You may want to put GGA on your radar. A clinically tested 3% GGA (teprenon) Complex, used twice daily on 24 women with an average age of 58, show improvements in firmness between 12-35%, elasticity of 11-31%, and skin tone of 19-45%. So GGA, twice a day then….
TRY:
YOUTHBOMB ADVANCED RENEWAL OIL
YOUTHBOMB BREAKTHROUGH REPAIR CREAM
YOUTHBOMB EXTREME RETINAL SERUM
MICRO-SPICULES: THE NEW-GENERATION ONE
Microneedling is last-year’s news. Now micro-spicules are the newest permeation-enhancer in skincare. But the technology itself is fascinating: microscopic spicules are used on the skin’s surface as part of a new generation of high-performance skincare. The spicules dissolve on application, creating little micro ‘slides’ in the skin’s surface to amplify ingredient delivery. Put the serum on first, then layer on any other ingredients you want delivered more efficiently.
TRY:
YOUTHBOMB MICRO SPICULE SERUM
SPF: THE ONE THAT MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE MAKE SENSE
You can have an extremely impressive bathroom shelf, but if pigmentation and photoaging are the concern, daily use of a great broad-spectrum sunscreen matters. Because trying to improve the visible effects of sun damage while accumulating more of it is a rather inefficient system.
TRY:
FEATHERLIGHT SPF50
TRACELESS MINERAL SPF30
NECK + CHEST: YES, THEM TOO
The face got the serums. The neck and décolletage got... whatever was left on our hands. Unfortunately, these areas have also been keeping records of summers past. Uber Youth Neck & Chest is specifically formulated to target visible signs of aging across the neck and décolletage, including Niacinamide and Idealist Peptides, to tackle skin that’s losing elasticity. Use it every morning. Under sunscreen.
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UBER YOUTH NECK & CHEST SPRAY
RETINOL BODY: BECAUSE SUN DAMAGE DOESN’T STOP AT YOUR JAWLINE
Shoulders, arms, hands and legs have seen a fair amount of daylight too. A Retinol body treatment can help improve the evidence of sun damage, bringing some of the ingredient logic we’ve used on our faces for years to the rest of us.
About time.
TRY:
YOUTHBOMB HAND & BODY 360 REPAIR CONCENTRATE
THE SHORT VERSION?
For visible sun damage and pigmentation, think Retinal or Retinol, Vitamin C, Niacinamide and daily SPF. Add peptides and GGA when visible loss of firmness is part of the picture, and keep an eye on micro-spicule technology, one of skincare’s most interesting new arrivals.
Turns out your skin has a long memory. Luckily, skincare science does too.
