Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/666022
98 bostoncommon-magazine.com PhotograPhy by Vetta/getty Images (woman); ProP stylIng by elIzabeth osborne (stIll lIfes throughout) saving face New high-tech aNtiagiNg regimes caN't promise a returN to the skiN you had iN your 20s. But more-persoNalized product raNges can make us look extremely good for our age. five testers weNt iN search of lost youth… by mandi norwood Still life photography by Jeff Crawford According to a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, if you haven't struck it rich by the age of 35, it's probably never going to hap- pen. Not so with skin. For, regardless of good genes, UVA avoidance, and copious consumption of water, the vast majority of us will have a wealth of wrinkles by 35. No wonder the beauty industry reports an explosion of activity in anti- aging products among consumers 35 and up. Offering salvation from the finest lines to the deepest crevices, "The age-specialist category," says retail analyst Karen Grant of the NPD Group, "showed a 20 percent increase in 2015, the main growth coming from women over 35 who are buying and replenishing their products online." And by all accounts, they're buying in bulk. The US skincare market is worth $5.2 billion. Almost half of that—$2.3 billion—is spent on prestige antiaging facial skincare, high-end products that offer high-tech hope of younger-looking skin for longer. "It has become almost like the cell phone industry, where each year there's new technology and advance- ments," says Grant. "It used to be that products were all-in-one—they were trying to do everything. Today, leading brands in antiaging offer products that are targeted to specific areas, whether it's plumping and hydrating or focus- ing on fine lines and wrinkles." Dr. Alexa Kimball, a professor of dermatology at Harvard, says, "It can be challenging for consumers to find the best products for their skin. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get results, but concentrations of ingredients matter, and formulations matter." She lists retinoids, alpha hydroxy acid, and salicylic acid as important for cell turnover, and mois- turizers to boost the skin's moisture barrier, which is depleted as we age, especially after menopause, causing dryness and dullness. Whichever products we choose, Kimball urges us to manage our expectations. "It is not realistic to expect to look 20 years younger." However, she says, "you can start to see a real effect on fine wrinkles in a week, and by 12 weeks, detectable changes are valid."