Multitasking makeup is suddenly everywhere, and I, for one, am here for it. I find mixing makeup and skincare to be extremely annoying. If I layer on too many serums and creams under my makeup, I’m left with a bunch of pilling, and if I skip the skincare, my skin feels dry and tight, and I feel like I’m missing out on anti-aging benefits that help my skin look better in the long run.
When I first got wind of anti-aging makeup, my ears perked up immediately. Makeup that doubles as my anti-aging routine? Color me intrigued. I was a little suspicious, though, since we know that many makeup products with skincare benefits aren’t as potent. (Think tinted moisturizer with sunscreen—you’ll likely still need sunscreen underneath to be fully protected from the sun’s harmful rays.)
I’ll give you the bad news first: Anti-aging makeup won’t replace an anti-aging routine. "Using these ingredients in makeup products may have an additive benefit but won’t replace a typical skincare routine,” says Marisa Garshick, board-certified dermatologist. "For example, with some of these ingredients, the amount applied through makeup may either be too little to have any benefit or too much and may contribute to irritation. Additionally, the concentration of the specific ingredient may impact the degree of benefit it can have.” She notes sunscreen as something to look out for. While a makeup product with sunscreen may supply an extra boost of SPF, you should still apply sunscreen underneath for even more protection.
There are still benefits, however, to mixing anti-aging ingredients into your makeup routine. "It can be helpful, especially for those who prefer a simplified routine or are looking for a multitasking product,” says Garshick. Key ingredients to consider are sunscreen, retinol, antioxidants such as vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid.
Even if they don’t replace their skincare counterparts, you can consider them boosters or something to at least give you minimal protection and anti-aging benefits on a lazy day. It also depends on which products you pick. Certain makeup products touting anti-aging benefits are much better than others. Garshick gave me her recommendations, and I used her advice to find others that do tons of work for your skin.
Anti-Aging Foundation
Foundation is likely the most obvious way to give your face a dose of anti-aging ingredients since it goes all over. Garshick has tons of recommendations on this front, and many of them have an extra boost of SPF to give you more protection from the sun, hydrating ingredients, and antioxidants.
Garshick also recommends this moisturizing foundation, which happens to be a Who What Wear–editor favorite. "This foundation incorporates hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin and boost moisture as well as a rose complex to help brighten the skin and improve the appearance of pigmentation and dark circles," she says. "It provides long-lasting coverage in addition to ingredients that also help to strengthen the skin barrier and improve overall dryness and dullness as well as using defense to help protect against pollutants."
"This mineral foundation incorporates both SPF and antioxidants, helping to protect the skin against UV damage as well as environmental stressors that can contribute to free radical damage," says Garshick. "Additionally, the light-diffusing diamond powder helps to illuminate the skin, improving the overall appearance of shadows, fine lines, and pigmentation."
"Because no anti-aging regimen is complete without sun protection, this lightweight serum provides broad-spectrum SPF 40 coverage using zinc oxide as well as a blend of hyaluronic acid, squalane, and niacinamide to help hydrate and soothe the skin," Garshick explains. "It also comes in so many shades, making it easy to find a shade that matches your skin tone. This product is gluten-free and free of silicones, fragrance, chemical sunscreen filters, and is oil-free so won’t clog pores, making it a good option for all skin types."
"This multitasking product contains hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants to help boost hydration while also improving the overall appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration," says Garshick. With SPF 50 coverage, it's a pretty solid option for makeup with sunscreen.
This serum-foundation hydrates skin and combats visible signs of aging. "In addition to offering SPF coverage, this product also includes pro-retinol vitamin A as well as vitamin C helping to improve the appearance of skin tone, fine lines, and wrinkles," says Garshick.
Anti-Aging Lip Products
Chances are you don't think as much about your lips when it comes to anti-aging as you do about the rest of your face. Lips, however, need just as much protection as the rest of your body. These lip products are blended with heavy-hitting ingredients like sunscreen, peptides, and hyaluronic acid.
"Protecting the lips is a key part of an anti-aging regimen, and this gloss from Colorescience is a great option, as it contains SPF 35 to protect the lips from UV damage," says Garshick. "It also contains hyaluronic acid, which works to plump and hydrate the lips, as well as vitamin E to soften the lips."
Pericone MD's lip-enhancing lipstick gives your lips a wash of sheer, natural-looking color—think French-girl, just-kissed lips. It's infused with neuropeptides and hyaluronic acid to minimize fine lines and wrinkles and hydrate lips. SPF 15 gives your lips a boost of added protection.
YSL's Lipstick Balm is made with 65% essential oils, which means your lips will be supremely hydrated. It's also highly pigmented and super glossy, so your lips can still make a statement.
This lip balm is a cult favorite for good reason. It moisturizes and plumps lips, but it also gives lips a kick of effortless-looking color and provides a boost of sun protection. Perfect for throwing in your purse for any and all occasions.
Glossier refers to Ultralip as the "cashmere sweatpants of lipstick," and it's easy to see why. It's extremely moisturizing thanks to four different weights of hyaluronic acid and meadowfoam, jojoba, and watermelon oils. The color is super buildable, so it can wear more like a tint or a lipstick depending on how you feel.
Anti-Aging Concealer
Concealer is the perfect product to whip anti-aging ingredients into since it's typically put in a targeted area. For concealers made for under-eyes, anti-aging ingredients that help mitigate dark circles, fine lines, and dullness are good to look out for.
Packed with hyaluronic acid, this concealer works to immediately smooth out fine lines and wrinkles by plumping skin with moisture. It also uses an ingredient called horse chestnut seed extract, which is supposed to stimulate micro-circulation, leading to less-noticeable dark circles and brighter under-eyes.
Leave it to It Cosmetics to create concealer that wears like skin and helps your under-eyes look their best. Hyaluronic acid, peptides, and collagen work together to create a dreamy finish.
Clinique has always focused on makeup that's good for your skin, and this concealer is no different. Filled with caffeine, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C, this concealer is the perfect antidote to dull under-eyes.
This concealer is light-reflective thanks to gold pigments, easily blendable, virtually undetectable, and perfect for masking discoloration. The superstar ingredient is something called T3 oil, which is a mixture of jojoba oil, olive squalane, and shea butter for a punch of hydration.
The perfect companion to Ilia's Super Serum Skin Tint, this concealer looks like skin and has stabilized vitamin C to promote brightness.
Other Anti-Aging Makeup Products
Extend the benefits of anti-aging ingredients to your whole makeup routine with amped-up blushes, highlighters, and bronzers.
Green tea extract, which is filled with tons of free radical–fighting antioxidants, and aloe vera extract make this blush the perfect skin-friendly formula.
Westman Atelier's beloved Highlight Stick gives skin a dewy, natural-looking glow. Vitis vita grape extract also helps promote collagen and hyaluronic acid production.
A potent blend of butters (murumuru, cupuaçu, and tucuma) is what makes this bronzer special. It doesn't look cakey and wears naturally on your skin.
Not only does this blush give a highly pigmented wash of color on cheeks, but it's also formulated with ingredients that leave your skin glowing. Blue lotus wax softens skin while ginseng extract soothes and promotes collagen synthesis.
I'd be remiss not to include another It Cosmetics anti-aging product. This innovative palette gives skin a beachy glow, and it's infused with hydrolyzed collagen, silk, and peptides.
Coconut oil, vitamin E, and castor oil moisturize and replenish skin while light-reflecting pigments give you an otherworldly glow.
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