Celebrities have access to the best skin-care products and experts, so it’s no wonder why every red carpet is lined with flawless complexions. But what products actually make a difference in the skin and are worth the investment? We asked aesthetician to the stars Candice Miele—her clients include Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Lachey—for the number-one ingredient she recommends everyone over 40 use on their skin, and to our surprise, it wasn’t retinol.
“You really want to be using something with a lot of peptides,” says Miele. “Peptides are really anti-aging and really work to keep things plump,” says the expert. By working deep in the cells to plump skin from within, peptides eventually firm the skin by promoting the formation of collagen and elastin.
Miele’s (close) number-two pick? None other than retinol. Different from peptides, Miele says retinol works to thicken the skin and is great for cell turnover. “Those over 40 should ideally be using both peptides and a retinol in their skin-care routines—I recommend a low-dose retinol to start—every night. This will make a huge difference in the skin.”
IMAGE Skincare ORMEDIC Balancine Bio-Peptide Créme ($74) is a great nighttime option that’s formulated with peptides, botanical butters and oils along with hyaluronic acid to deliver dewy, younger-looking skin quickly.
Because retinol can make the skin more photosensitive, it’s important to be especially diligent with sunscreen during the summer months. Along with a high-quality SPF, Miele instructs her clients to add another anti-aging tool into their arsenal during warmer months.
“Even if you’re wearing sunblock, if you’re going to be out in the sun, by the pool, at the beach, or at a park with your kids, I always tell my clients they have to wear a hat or some type of a visor and re-apply their sunblock,” she says, noting that chemical peels are strictly off limits during the summer as well.
“Instead, I like to do microneedling or microchanneling during the summer,” she says. “It doesn’t cause any peeling or cause any major cell turnover per se, so it’s still safe to do in the summertime. But even still: sunblock, sunblock sunblock and lots of hats.”
