Top 5 Anti-Aging Ingredients For Youthful Skin

It can be a bit overwhelming walking through the moisturizing aisle at the drugstore. So many options. What are AHAs? Should I use retinol? What ingredients work well together for wrinkles? What ingredients should I not combine? Here at blissani we understand. We went through the ringer trying to figure out what to put into our anti-aging formulas. While we can't (or won't) go through all of the myriad anti-aging options on the market, we can give you a rundown of some of the more popular wrinkle fighting ingredients on the market in 2021 and 2022.

AHA Basics

AHA's are Alpha-Hydroxy-Acids. As it pertains to skincare, AHAs refer to a group of water-soluble acids which are extracted from fruits and vegetables. AHA's exfoliate the skin and help clear away dead skin, leaving skin looking more clean and refreshed. They are considered a chemical exfoliant as this process of dead skin removal and cleansing is conducted chemically (as opposed to a physical exfoliant such as a scrub). One of the more popular AHAs in skincare and anti-aging is glycolic acid.

Glycolic Acid

Glycolic acid has a multitude of benefits in skincare. It works similar to other AHAs in that its main activity is to exfoliate. However, as glycolic acid has the smallest molecule of all the AHAs, it is able to penetrate into the pores better than the rest. In addition to anti-aging, glycolic acid can help reduce hyper-pigmentation and dark spots. It is used frequently in anti-acne treatments and solutions for its exfoliative properties.

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is another AHA with anti-aging benefits. It's the same lactic acid you might find in milk or other dairy products. It's also great for your skin and works similar to glycolic acid as it acts as an exfoliant. Some people have gone so crazy for lactic acid they've poured themselves a milk bath. Also similar to glycolic acid is the way lactic acid stimulates collagen growth. Healthy collagen promotes firmer and younger looking skin.

Citric Acid

Another AHA you might have in your refrigerator is Citric Acid. As an AHA, citric acid works similarly to lactic and glycolic acid. It promotes cell turnover (aka clears away dead skin, and promotes new skin). It's commonly found in all sorts of fruits and vegetables such as lemons and oranges. In addition to cell turnover, citric acid helps maintain your skin's pH levels. This helps to maintain your skin's natural barrier which is essential for maintaining clear, healthy and youthful skin. Citric acid helps in the fight against acne with this oil balancing, and we made sure to include it in our blissani Naturals Anti-Acne Face Wash. However, citric acid and most AHAs do not pair well with retinoids.

Retinol

As it pertains to skin, a retinoid refers to a topical form of Vitamin A. We use a vegan retinol in our Very Toney and Gemma Crema Anti-Aging Serums. It works by promoting healthy collagen. Retinol also has been proven to help fade dark spots and promote the production of new blood vessels under the skin which can improve both color and tone. Additionally, retinoids are frequently used in Anti-Acne treatments to unclog pores reducing pimples and zits.

Hyaluronic Acid

Finally, for this round we will discuss Hyaluronic Acid or HA. Hyaluronic Acid occurs naturally in your body. Hyaluronic Acid is mostly found in the joints and connective tissue of the body. Studies have shown, when injected into the body, hyaluronic acid can reduce wrinkles for up to one year. Topical studies of hyaluronic acid have shown surprisingly positive results as well. For all these reasons (and the fact it pairs nicely with retinol) we made sure to include Hyaluronic Acid in our blissani line of vegan Anti-Aging Serums.

If you plan to combine a retinoid with any form of AHA, we recommend speaking with a dermatologist. Many people make the mistake of assuming natural and holistic remedies are not strong enough to harm them. This could not be further from the truth. We can speak from experience, even using retinol more than once a day by itself can cause major irritation. The exfoliation process of AHAs is chemical and we not recommend playing mad scientist with your beautiful face. If you're going the DIY route, consider sticking with either AHAs or retinoids. If you're planning on combining, start with a natural beauty supplier you trust. Stay safe and stay well.

How to Actually Use These Ingredients (Without Wrecking Your Skin)

Reading about ingredients is one thing — knowing how to work them into a routine without irritating your skin is another. The general rule of thumb most dermatologists follow is to introduce one new active ingredient at a time and give your skin at least two to three weeks to adjust before adding anything else. This makes it much easier to pinpoint what's working and what's causing a reaction if something goes sideways.

Timing matters quite a bit with these ingredients. Retinol, for example, tends to break down in sunlight, so it's better applied as part of your evening routine. AHAs like glycolic and lactic acid also increase sun sensitivity, so if you're using them in the morning, sunscreen isn't optional — it's non-negotiable. Hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, plays nicely with almost everything and can be used morning or night. It works best when applied to slightly damp skin, which helps it pull in and retain moisture more effectively.

Concentration is another factor worth paying attention to when you're reading labels. A product with 10% glycolic acid is going to behave very differently on your skin than one with 2%. If you're newer to AHAs, starting on the lower end is the smarter move. The same logic applies to retinol — a low-concentration formula used consistently will outperform a high-strength formula that you abandon after a week because of irritation. Products like the blissani Gemma Crema Anti-Aging Serum are formulated with this balance in mind, pairing vegan retinol with hyaluronic acid so you get the anti-aging benefits without stripping the skin dry in the process.

What to Look for on the Label (and What to Ignore)

Product labels can be genuinely confusing, and the marketing language around skincare doesn't help. Words like "advanced," "clinical strength," or "professional grade" don't have regulated definitions in the cosmetics industry, so they don't necessarily mean a product is more effective or better formulated. What actually tells you something useful is the ingredient list itself.

Ingredients are listed in order of concentration, from highest to lowest. So if hyaluronic acid appears near the very bottom of a long list, it's likely present in such a small amount that it won't have much of a visible effect. When you're evaluating an anti-aging product, look for your key actives — retinol, AHAs, hyaluronic acid — appearing in the first half of the ingredient list. That's generally a better indicator of a well-formulated product than anything written on the front of the packaging.

Also worth keeping an eye on: alcohol content and fragrance. Both can be irritating, especially if you're already using active ingredients that are doing some heavy lifting on your skin's surface. Fragrance in particular is a common culprit behind sensitivity reactions, and it's one of the reasons we keep our formulas simple and straightforward at blissani. The fewer unnecessary additives, the more room there is for ingredients that actually do something.

One more thing — "natural" doesn't automatically mean gentle, and "synthetic" doesn't automatically mean harsh. Glycolic acid derived from sugarcane is still an acid. The source of an ingredient matters less than its concentration, how it's formulated, and how your individual skin responds to it.

Natural and Vegan Anti-Aging: Does the Source of an Ingredient Matter?

This is a question we get fairly often, and it's a fair one. The short answer is: it depends on what matters to you. From a purely chemical standpoint, glycolic acid is glycolic acid whether it came from sugarcane or a lab. But for people who are vegan, cruelty-free, or simply prefer to know where their ingredients are coming from, the sourcing absolutely matters.