Today's Trends in Age-defying Skin Care

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Aging and fighting the signs of aging remain among the top beauty concerns facing clients today—and they have done their homework. They are reading the magazines, asking the questions and paying attention to the latest techniques, ingredients and procedures available to help them fight their anti-aging battle because they want it all. Already familiar with the golden rules of anti-aging (no one is going to give up their SPF 15), they are now seeking the next level of products and services; demanding better and more information about their anti-aging options; and seeking ever more convenient ways to incorporate anti-aging into their lives.

Radically free

Although the dangers of free radicals may be old news to consumers, the use of powerful ingredients to fight them is not. In Prevention magazine’s recent “War Against Time Anti-aging Report,” six out of 10 women identified “fights free radicals” as a claim they find appealing in anti-aging advertising. This indicates that when it comes to fighting the good fight, clients still want those ingredients that they already know are targeted to combat free radicals and protect from aging: antioxidants. And today, clients want not only the antioxidants they are familiar with, such as vitamins C and E, and green tea for example, they are also seeking the latest antioxidants that science can provide in increasingly creative formats.

Exotic ingredients, such as mangos and marula oil, are potent antioxidants that are making a name for themselves in the anti-aging arena, and capturing attention. In addition, innovative formulations and technological discoveries can actually deliver these powerful extracts even deeper into the skin. Other untapped arenas such as anti-aging toothpaste, mascara or hair spray for an even more pronounced anti-aging benefit are showing growing appeal. It might seem basic, but fighting the effects of free radicals remains a key insight and driver for the skin care consumer. Be they ever so humble, antioxidants are still a consumer’s best friend in the anti-aging fight.

Anti-aging, sunny-side up

The anti-aging benefits of wearing sunscreen are well known; however, even though most of your clients will say they wear sunscreen, they are still slightly bewildered when it comes to which sunscreens they should be using. Additionally, many consumers are frustrated with having to apply both an SPF product and their moisturizer or anti-aging cream. They want less work and more science, as well as products and services that give them valuable double benefits that help protect against sun damage—or help reverse the signs of it quickly. With the advent of sophisticated sunscreens that block both UVA and UVB rays, and supplements that help protect the skin from sun damage from the inside out, it’s becoming easier than ever to give consumers not only what they seek, but the protection they need.

For skin that has simply seen too much of the sun, in-spa services that target hyperpigmentation, changes in skin texture and tone, or the encroaching appearance of deeper lines and wrinkles are poised to capture even more client interest—and dollars. Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, or photofacials, as well as glycolic peels and even microdermabrasion can help clients recapture their formerly glowing visages and add valuable benefits to their time spent in your spa.

Warding off surgery

Where invasive surgery to correct the appearance of aging might have been a foregone conclusion 20 years ago, today fewer and fewer women seeking anti-aging solutions turn to face lifts or eyelid surgeries. Instead, these consumers are looking first to the plethora of professional anti-aging treatments and procedures that are now available, and using them for as long as possible before seeking surgery. Microdermabrasion, chemical peels, enzyme peels, oxygen treatments and even basic facials are all providing clients with valuable, and visible, anti-aging benefits that prolong the need for costly surgeries. Although clients may eventually turn to surgical options at some point, in the meantime, educating them about existing options to delay this step will not only meet their desire for anti-aging options, it will help you build client loyalty for years to come.

A beautiful thing

The most beautiful thing about anti-aging is that it never gets old, either to consumers or to industry insiders. The trends now affecting this increasingly complex and consumer-driven segment of the industry are not only all about what’s new and noteworthy, but also about what is powerful and proven to give clients what they seek—younger-looking, ageless skin.

Alisa Marie Beyer is a proven entrepreneur who has built and sold three companies. She is the founder and creative director of The Benchmarking Company, which hosts a unique blend of beauty clients, from start-ups to 13 of the top 15 beauty companies. It is also the publisher of the Pink Report and WomenTrends report.

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