Early signs of aging include the development of fine lines and wrinkles, especially on the upper half of the face – forehead and around eyes. As the years of daily environmental exposure accumulate, collagen, the skin’s underlying support, begins to weaken. Wrinkles appear on skin’s surface, especially along repeated-expression areas from squinting or frowning (such as crow’s feet or 11 lines). When collagen weakening becomes more pervasive and skin loses its youthful volume, sometimes fine lines gather in a network that resembles crepe-paper (called crepiness). Wrinkles refer to deeper lines. As aging progresses and skin loses volume, deeper wrinkles appear on the lower half of the face - such as smile lines (sometimes called marionette lines) that occur from mouth to chin and nasolabial folds which form from the corner of the nose to the outside of the mouth. Deep lines across the top of the lips can also be exacerbated by repeated motion (pursing lips, smoking) where underlying collagen has become weakened.

There are several potent, proven effective ingredients that target the skin’s support matrix or collagen to firm and plump so that the appearance of lines and wrinkles at skin’s surface is smoothed. Look for Glycolic Acid, Polyhydroxy and Bionic Acids, Retinol, Vitamin C, NeoGlucosamine, CitraFill and Aminofil and certain Peptides. Topical Neuropeptides can be effective at smoothing the look of lines from repeated expression, such as along the forehead.