- Cynthia Franco is an esthetician whose clientele includes celebrities such as Barry Keoghan and Ana de Armas.
- She started using anti-aging skin care products in her 40s, which she feels have “saved” her skin.
- Reducing sun exposure and double-cleansing your skin can also help, she said.
Cynthia Franco is no stranger to the anti-aging side of skin care: The LA-based aesthetician, whose A-list celebrity clientele includes her day-to-day stint using a cold plasma lift gun on Barry Keoghan and giving Queen Latifah a microcurrent facelift ahead of the Met Gala.
But while anti-aging skincare routines are now popular on social media, Franco, who started her career as a makeup artist, told Business Insider that she was fascinated by products like vitamin C serums and retinol before they were ubiquitous in bathroom cabinets.
“At that time I was approaching 40,” Franco, now 54, told BI. She noticed signs of aging in her own skin and became interested in learning how to reduce fine lines in her clients.
“I’m so glad I started when I started,” she said. “I wish I had started earlier, but I think I have saved a lot of face over the last 15 years.”
Franco shared the four-step routine she follows to keep her skin smooth and firm.
1. Take sun protection seriously
Franco says she didn’t think much of sunscreen before she started learning more about anti-aging, but now with years of experience under her belt, she says it’s the “number one” way to prevent early wrinkles and age spots.
“I use an SPF between 15 and 30, sometimes mixing it with a moisturizer,” Franco said. (The standard guide is SPF 30 or higher.) She also doesn’t reapply sunscreen, instead peeling it off throughout the day, which she says is a habit many people have but don’t realize makes the sunscreen less effective.
Additionally, Franco started thinking more seriously about sun exposure. “I stopped going out in the sun,” she said, making exceptions for early mornings and late afternoons when the sun isn’t at its peak. “Like many young people who still do this today, I never go outside during the day to sunbathe,” she said.
2. Double face wash to thoroughly remove makeup
Another big improvement for Franco is that he has become “really diligent” about removing his makeup at the end of the day. She started double cleansing. This is a process where an oil-based cleanser is used to remove makeup, dirt, and oil, and a water-based cleanser is used to remove any remaining residue.
“At the end of the day, we have a lot on our skin,” Franco said. “The breakdown of elastin and collagen is affected by the products we leave on.”
3. A high-quality vitamin C serum can go a long way
Franco said the third “line of defense” against signs of premature aging is vitamin C products.
“It’s really important to start using it first thing in the morning,” she said. “It helps prevent these pollutants from attacking your skin throughout the day.”
Investing in a high-quality vitamin C serum will provide antioxidants that will work throughout the day, she said.
4. Invest in additional ingredients like retinol and peptides
Franco said the first three steps are the “non-negotiable” fundamentals of a good anti-aging skin care routine. That being said, she noticed that her skin tone continued to improve by adding other products.
“When I started 15 years ago, retinol was really, really important,” Franco said, because it stimulates collagen and increases cell turnover. “I think that’s what saved my skin so much.”
She also called peptides the “top of the line” of anti-aging skin care products, especially if you start using them in your 30s or later.
“It’s like a skin relaxant and helps skin look younger and longer,” Franco said.
To keep things simple, Franco suggested finding products that combine multiple ingredients into one, such as retinol or a vitamin C serum with peptides. That way, you don’t have to follow a “10-step skincare routine” to get all the benefits.
