Aesthetics guru Dr Barbara Sturm reveals the ultimate anti-ageing routine
It's a simple fact our skin changes as we get older. Cellular function begins to decline and we produce less collagen and elastin. A loss of volume can have an effect on the skin's luminosity and brightness and a decrease in hyaluronic acid in the skin can result in dryness and fine lines. The leading German dermatologist Dr Barbara Sturm says: 'At the same time, the telomeres (the protective end caps of our DNA) naturally shorten, which further impacts the skin's ability to regenerate and repair.' Unsurprisingly the shifts in hormones as we age also has an effect and increases the skin's sensitivity, 'women can lose about 30% of their skin collagen within the first five years after menopause,' Sturm says.
Essentially vitamin A in different forms, retinoids are one of the most frequently used anti-ageing compounds to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen in the skin. The most common, over the counter derivative is retinol (a more gentle form compared to prescription choices such as tretinoin and adapalene), that can be gradually incorporated into a skincare routine to potentially fade age spots, roughness and hyperpigmentation.
Also known as Vitamin B3, using Niacinamides can help minimise the appearance of pores, potentially improve the skin's texture and tone, while reducing inflammation.
Chemical exfoliants such as AHA (Alpha Hydroxy acids) and BHAs (Beta Hydroxy acids) work by dissolving the bonds that hold dead skin cells together to promote cell turnover and can give the appearance of a more youthful, brighter complexion.
Used over time, hyaluronic acid can help maintain the skin's elasticity and plumpness while being soothing and nourishing on even the most sensitive of skin.
Skincare with added Vitamin C gets to work neutralising free radicals in the body which are known to cause oxidative stress — for your skin that means a defence against dull and tired-looking skin. It's best used in the morning as it can also provide added protection against daily aggressors such as pollution and UV rays while potentially evening skin tone and having a brightening effect.
While ceramides are naturally found in the skin, as we age the quality of these fats decreases, therefore, they need to be replenished by ceramide-rich anti-ageing skincare products. Known as the mortar that holds skin cells together, ceramides form a protective layer and help to prevent moisture loss which in turn strengthens the skin barrier and can give the effects of more supple skin.
Despite the swanky science names, acids and enzymes, an effective anti-ageing regime doesn't need to be complicated. Like any skincare routine, it should start with a cleanser and an exfoliator should be added twice weekly to help invigorate the skin and remove dead skin cells. Arguably a potent anti-ageing serum is the most important step. The best? 'One packed ingredients like purslane, skullcap and glutathione offers an even deeper level of nourishment and is enriched with skin-identical ceramides and peptides to strengthen the skin barrier,' Sturm says.
• This article contains affiliate links that earn us revenue
'My hyaluronic serum is fundamental. It is the 'white t-shirt' of any skincare routine,' Sturm says. Inside there's a combination of low, medium and high weight hyaluronic acid molecules to provide instant hydration at the surface, as well as deeper nourishment to support the skin barrier and target fine lines and wrinkles caused by dehydration. £85 for 10ml, Dr Barbara Sturm
While it's important to incorporate a facial exfoliant into your anti-ageing skincare routine a couple of times a week, you want to make sure it's gentle and never stripping. 111SKIN's clever cleanser transforms from a fine powder to a light foam and features the brand's signature NAC Y²™ complex to help sweep away dead skin cells and leave a more radiant, even complexion. £60 for 40g, 111SKIN
Focussing on recharging and reactivating the skin, this two step mask from legendary longevity science label La Prairie comprises a high potency concentrate of hyaluronic acid and collagen (handily encapsulated in a monodose vial to preserve it perfectly) to plump and revive the skin, as well as a nourishing cream mask full of powerful peptides. £1,275, La Prairie at Harrods
It's refreshing to see an anti-ageing cream specially created for men hit the crowded, female-focussed skincare sphere. This lightweight moisturiser from Italian brand Seed to Skin can be used to calm and comfort irritated skin post-shave. It is enriched with multi-vitamins and anti-inflammatory, botanical ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and squalane to nourish the skin's barrier. £183 for 50ml, Seed to Skin at Space NK
A frequent mature skin woe is the loss of firmness and elasticity in the skin that can leave you feeling your face is lacking the natural contours it once possessed. Thankfully Sisley-Paris' anti-ageing line, which first launched in 1999, contains sweet Majoram extract, a new active ingredient and antioxidant which acts like an alarm clock for the skin in boosting cells into action by reducing inflammation. £435 for 30ml, Sisley-Paris at Space NK
La Mer's silky serum offers a boost of hydration as the brand's signature Miracle Broth, the luxury skincare brand's unique elixir of sea kelp, vitamins and minerals, gets to work soothing the skin and an additional restructuring ferment plumps. The brand recommends applying with flat fingers in upward sweeping motions to enhance definition. £650 for 75ml, La Mer at Space NK
A gentle retinol, perfect for beginners, Eve Lom's hydrating serum has a combination of wrinkle-fighting Liposome Encapsulates Retinol and a microbiome re-balancing prebiotic to protect the skin from the inside. They've managed to also incorporate AHAs to help exfoliate dead skin cells in this sleek, gold bottle, too. £145 for 30ml, Eve Lom
It's rare you find a single-ingredient serum, but this fast-absorbing gel from Westman Atelier contains only one hundred per cent THD Ascorbate —- a vitamin C derivative crafted in Japan that is oil-soluble rather than water-soluble, meaning it is more stable and can penetrate deeper into the skin. It's loved for its antioxidant properties that work to help diminish hyperpigmentation and provide a hit of hydration. £300 for 20ml, Westman Atelier at Harrods
Nothing says luxury like the addition of caviar into your skincare, but if you're worried about a fishy face, fret not, you're in safe hands with La Prairie's Skin Caviar range. The Swiss skincare line uses caviar infinite and caviar micro-nutrients in the form of tiny yellow caviar beads and a light serum that mixes together as you pump to give the effects of brighter, smoother under eyes. £450 for 20ml, La Prairie at Space NK
Founded in 1997, SkinCeuticals is the skincare brand that forgoes fussy and fancy labels for straight-talking serums that simply do the job. Its latest eye serum has been designed to tackle dark circles specifically while helping smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles caused by collagen decline. The silky formula glides on and has an instantly tightening effect thanks to the addition of caffeine, glycyrrhetinic acid which helps counter dull tone and Matrixyl 3000 which supports the skin's natural firmness and elasticity. £105 for 15ml, SkinCeuticals at Look Fantastic
Sue Nabi, former president of Lancome and L'Oreal Paris, founded luxury skincare line Orveda with Nicolas Vu to create vegan, bio-fermented products that work with your skin, not against it. In terms of anti-ageing, all its highly-concentrated treatments can be used, as they target the effects of past damage, including overprocessing that can occur from years of using too many different skincare products. Inside Orveda's most potent serum, the Omnipotent Concentrate, there's 16 actives, concentrated at 24%, including soothing bio-tech schisandra sphenantera, biomimetic tripeptide to help firm skin texture and bio-activated gallic acid derivative to aid a natural glow. £405 for 30ml, Orveda at Harrods
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How our 'killer' immune cells can be harnessed to beat diabetes and arthritis
A 'game changing' new technique which wipes out rogue cells responsible for autoimmune conditions may offer the hope of a one-off treatment for many debilitating diseases. Around four million people in the UK live with an autoimmune condition, according to a major study published in The Lancet. These arise when immune cells produce faulty antibodies that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues, triggering inflammation and tissue damage. Depending on the condition, different parts of the body are affected. In rheumatoid arthritis, for example, it's mainly the joints, with type 1 diabetes it is cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, and in multiple sclerosis, it's the nerves, leading to numbness and movement difficulties. The new treatment harnesses the body's own immune defenders, 'natural killer' cells, to wipe out rogue white blood cells responsible for producing the antibodies that launch these attacks. Early trials show it not only improves symptoms, but 'resets' the immune system, suggesting it may offer long-lasting relief. Current treatment for autoimmune conditions often relies on long-term use of steroids and immunosuppressant drugs, but in reducing the immune response these can increase risk of infection, cancer and other complications. In the absence of effective treatments many patients face years of fatigue, pain and disability. More recently, scientists have begun trialling CAR-T therapy, better known as a cutting-edge cancer treatment, for autoimmune diseases such as lupus – where multiple tissues and organs come under attack, including the kidneys, lungs, joints and brain. CAR-T therapy works by modifying a type of white blood cell called T cells so they recognise a marker on the cancer cell and then kill it. While promising, 'one drawback to this approach is there can be significant side-effects', says Professor Lucy Walker, chair in immune regulation at the Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, University College London. These include cytokine release syndrome, where the immune system goes into dangerous over-drive, triggering widespread inflammation, and neurological complications. 'While these may be acceptable in cancer settings, as late-stage cancer patients tend to be older, for autoimmune diseases, approaches with fewer side-effects are needed because they're chronic but not immediately life-threatening and often affect younger people,' she adds. It's hoped the latest breakthrough (called CAR NK –which stands for Chimeric Antigen Receptor Natural Killer cells) may prove an even better option. The CAR NK cells are a type of immune cell genetically engineered in the lab to target the cells that produce the faulty antibodies. The immune system then regenerates with 'normal' cells. The difference with CAR-T therapy, says Professor Walker, is that with the newer technique the 'CAR' (an artificial protein that helps immune cells attack specific targets) is put in 'another type of white blood cell, the NK cell, in order to deliver the same killing effect, but with fewer toxicities'. And while CAR-T cells must be made from the patient's own immune cells in a complex and time-consuming process, CAR NK cells can be manufactured in bulk from donor umbilical cord blood or stem cells, then frozen and stored ready for use, significantly reducing cost. The treatment is already being tested on patients with lupus, a condition affecting around 70,000 people in the UK and which can be debilitating, even life-threatening. After 27 people with severe lupus received an infusion of CAR NK cell therapy, all showed signs of improvement and 70 per cent went into full remission, according to results presented in June at a major rheumatology conference in Barcelona. What's more, there were no reports of serious side-effects. In another study, published in Cell in June, researchers treated a patient with systemic sclerosis, a rare and serious autoimmune disease that attacks blood vessels and connective tissue, leading to organ damage. After treatment, the patient's skin and blood vessels began returning to normal. One benefit of using natural killer cells is they do not usually trigger rejection, so there is no need for a tissue match. Professor Zhao Dongbao, a senior immunotherapy researcher at Shanghai's Naval Medical University and one of the lead investigators on the lupus study, told Good Health CAR NK therapy 'is expected to be used for the treatment of more than ten million patients worldwide, with more than one million patients with autoimmune diseases in the US and the UK'. He says plans are under way for formal clinical trials for lupus, 'with potential expansion to other autoimmune diseases in the future'. He believes the approach could 'transform care' for people with a wide range of autoimmune conditions. But Professor Walker cautions: 'The approach is promising but is in its infancy – it's only been tested on a very small number of people.' However, she says, if follow-up work 'showed it was successful, it could represent a much more targeted approach than long-term immunosuppression and potentially be tolerated much better'. Luke Evnin, chair of the US-based Scleroderma Research Foundation, is upbeat: 'The promise is that in a single course of treatment, the patient would get lasting benefit and potentially stop other medicines and be freed from disease progression. It would be a game-changer.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Shocking moment politician suffers stroke during live TV appearance
This is the shocking moment that a Serbian politician suffers a stroke whilst appearing on live TV. Minister for Public Investments Darko Glišićfell appeared on a local morning show on Tuesday (5 August) when he started stumbling over his words. The hosts quickly became worried as Glišićfell's eyes began twitching and his face started to droop, with the broadcast quickly being cut short. The politician reportedly was rushed to surgery and as of Saturday (9 August), was still in a serious condition, having been placed on a ventilator briefly.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
China records more cases of deadly chikungunya virus as country battles 'largest outbreak ever'
Cases of chikungunya virus continue to rise in China, as the country battles its largest-ever outbreak of the illness. Another 1,387 cases of Chikungunya virus were confirmed last week, Chinese authorities said, with almost all in the southern manufacturing city of Foshan. It takes the tally to more than 10,000 cases overall, with infections also reported in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as in Europe and travel-acquired cases in the US. The reported figure for the latest week is, however, below that for the previous seven-day period at 2,892 cases, in a sign that the outbreak could now be slowing. Chinese officials say there have been no cases of severe disease or death reported during the outbreak. The spread of the mosquito-borne disease has triggered restrictions in China not seen since the Covid pandemic, with disinfectant sprayed in streets and patients quarantined in hospitals. Officials have also deployed insecticide-spraying drones, 'cannibal' mosquitoes and killer fish to eliminate any insects that could be carrying the virus. It has also triggered alarm in the US, with CDC officials saying they are 'assessing' the situation and warning Americans to take protective measures, such as wearing insect repellent or long-sleeved clothes if they travel to the area. Experts in the US say the disease is just 'one plane ride' from reaching American shores. China's record-breaking outbreak is in Guangdong province, on the southern coast, with almost all the infections reported in the city of Foshan. In the latest update from the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed by the Yangcheng Evening News, officials reported that of the new cases, 1,212 were in Foshan. Another 103 cases were reported in Guangzhou, the largest city in the province, while 39 cases were reported in Zhanjiang. It was not clear where the other 33 cases were within the province. Officials heralded the figures as the lowest weekly count reported since the peak of the outbreak in the week to July 20 to 26, when they said they recorded 2,940 cases. In a statement to last week, a CDC spokesman said: 'CDC is aware of the reported chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong Province in China and is currently assessing the size and extent of the outbreak.' The agency has already issued a level two warning for the area, advising Americans to take advanced precautions when traveling to the region. On Friday, Hong Kong said it had detected another two cases linked to the outbreak, taking its chikungunya tally to five infections reported this year. One was a 66-year-old woman who was reported to have traveled to Foshan alone from July 24 to August 5 to see family, before returning to Hong Kong. The patient began suffering from fever, rash and joint pain on August 6 and went to the hospital. She has now been discharged. It also reported another suspected case in a healthy 22-year-old woman who was suffering from joint pain and fever. She had recently traveled to Madagascar, Mauritius and Malaysia before returning to the territory, and reported having been bitten by mosquitoes during her trip. Also on Friday, Taiwan reported its first case linked to the outbreak in China, in a woman in her 40s who had recently returned from Foshan and Shenzhen. A day after returning to Taiwan she developed a fever, rash and pain in her limbs. Officials said she was admitted to the hospital. She also reported being bitten by mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus can only be spread via the bites of mosquitoes and cannot be passed from human to human. People infected with the virus suffer from a sudden high fever, normally around 103 Fahrenheit (39 Celsius), which happens within two to seven days of infection. They may also suffer from a rash, headache, nausea, fatigue and joint pain. In serious cases, patients may suffer from pain in the hands and feet that is so bad it leaves them struggling to carry out normal activities. It is rarely fatal, but can leave people with lifelong complications including joint inflammation and pain that lasts for years. Patients who are very young, elderly or have underlying conditions are most at risk because of their weakened immune systems. There is no treatment for the virus, with doctors instead using over-the-counter painkillers, fluids and rest to ease symptoms. There are two vaccines available. The US records more than 100 cases of chikungunya virus every year, with almost all normally linked to travelers returning from abroad before testing positive for the virus. Experts are concerned, however, that an infected individual could be bitten by a mosquito, which would then become infected and pass the disease on to others. A total of 45 chikungunya cases have been reported in the US this year, although none have been linked to the outbreak in China.
