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Cynthia Franco is an aesthetician whose celebrity clients include Barry Keoghan and Ana de Armas.
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She started using anti-ageing skincare products in her 40s and believes they have “saved” her skin.
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Reducing sun exposure and double cleansing the skin can also help, she said.
Cynthia Franco knows all about anti-aging skincare: As a Los Angeles-based aesthetician with an A-list celebrity clientele, her day-to-day work includes 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 skin care routines are now all over 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 retinols even before they began crowding bathroom shelves.
“At the time, I was approaching 40,” Franco, now 54, told BI. She had noticed signs of aging on her own skin and became interested in learning how to reduce fine lines for her clients.
“I’m really glad I started when I started,” she says. “I wish I’d started sooner, but I think I’ve saved face pretty well 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 sun protection before studying anti-ageing, but now, after years of experience, she says it’s the “number one” way to prevent premature wrinkles and age spots.
“I’ll probably use an SPF of 15 to 30, sometimes mixed with a moisturizer,” Franco says. (The standard guideline is at least SPF 30.) She also doesn’t reapply sunscreen, instead letting it wear off throughout the day — a habit many people do without realizing that it’s weakening their sunscreen, Franco says.
Franco also began to think more seriously about sunbathing. “I stopped going out in the sun,” she said, making exceptions for early morning and late evening, when the sun is least intense. “I would never go out in the middle of the day sunbathing, like a lot of young people still do,” she said.
2. Double cleansing to thoroughly remove makeup
Another big step for Franco was becoming “really diligent” in removing her makeup at the end of the day: She started double-cleansing, which involves using an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup, dirt, and oil, and then a water-based cleanser to remove any remaining grime.
“At the end of the day, we have a lot of stuff on our skin,” Franco says, “and the degradation of elastin and collagen is affected by the products we leave on.”
3. A high-quality vitamin C serum is highly effective
Franco said the third step in the “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 says, “so it helps prevent pollutants from attacking your skin throughout the day.”
Investing in a quality vitamin C serum should help keep the antioxidants working all day, she said.
4. Invest in extra ingredients like retinol and peptides
Franco said the first three steps are the “absolutely essential” foundational steps of a good anti-aging skincare routine. That being said, she’s found that adding other products can further improve her skin tone.
“Retinol has been really important to me since I started using it 15 years ago,” Franco says, because it stimulates collagen and increases cell turnover. “I think it’s really saved my skin.”
She also called peptides the “golden jewel” of anti-aging skin care products, especially effective when you start using them in your 30s and beyond.
“It kind of relaxes the skin and helps keep your skin looking younger for longer,” Franco says.
To keep things simple, Franco suggested finding products that combine multiple ingredients in one, like a retinol or vitamin C serum with peptides, so you don’t have to go through a “10-step skincare routine” to get all the benefits.
Read the original article on Business Insider
