The Best Anti-Wrinkle Ingredients – And How They Work at the Root

Why Do Wrinkles Form in the First Place?

Wrinkles aren’t caused by one single factor—they’re the visible result of multiple biological and environmental processes acting together over time. The most common triggers are intrinsic aging (our natural genetic clock) and extrinsic aging (lifestyle and environmental exposures).

If you want to prevent wrinkles—or soften the ones you already have—it helps to understand their key root causes.

 

1. Collagen Loss – Weakening the Skin’s Support Framework

Collagen is the structural protein that gives skin its firmness—imagine it as the poles of a tent. When the framework is strong, the “tent” stays taut and the skin appears smooth and lifted.

With age, several processes accelerate collagen loss:

• Fibroblast slowdown – Fibroblasts (the cells that produce collagen) naturally become less active as we age, making new collagen production slower and less efficient.

• Enzymatic breakdown – UV radiation and pollution increase enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which actively degrade collagen and elastin.

• Oxidative stress – Free radicals generated by sunlight, urban pollution, or even normal metabolism damage collagen fibres and the DNA of fibroblasts.

• Glycation – High blood sugar can cause sugars to bind to collagen, making it stiffer and more prone to breaking—this is one reason lifestyle and diet matter for skin aging.

When collagen production falls below the rate of collagen breakdown, the skin loses its tensile strength. The framework weakens, sagging begins, and wrinkles form.

 

2. Dryness and Thinning Skin – Barrier Breakdown

Collagen loss isn’t the only problem. As skin matures, it also loses lipids (ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids) and natural moisturising factors (NMFs like urea, lactate, amino acids).

What triggers this:

• Barrier erosion over time – Intrinsic aging reduces the skin’s ability to produce key lipids in the stratum corneum.

• Environmental stress – Harsh weather, detergents, over-cleansing, and pollution weaken the barrier faster.

• Reduced hyaluronic acid synthesis – With age, enzymes responsible for producing HA slow down, leading to less water retention in skin.

• Hormonal changes – Declining estrogen after menopause significantly accelerates thinning, dryness, and barrier fragility.

As the barrier becomes more permeable, water evaporates faster (transepidermal water loss rises), and skin feels dry, rough, and more reactive. Without adequate lipids and hydration, micro-lines from dehydration appear sooner and deepen faster.

 

3. Repeated Micro-Movements – Expression Lines

While dryness and collagen loss create a vulnerable canvas, repeated facial muscle movements etch dynamic lines into the skin. Over years, the surrounding collagen and elastin become too weak to “spring back,” and these lines become permanent. How can you address those? Learn more about Face Yoga and sign up to our newsletter as I will soon launch a Face Yoga course. 

 

4. The “Double Hit” of Intrinsic + Extrinsic Aging

Even if you lived in a perfectly climate-controlled bubble, intrinsic aging alone would gradually thin the skin and reduce elasticity. But in real life, extrinsic triggers like UV light, pollution, smoking, chronic stress, and poor sleep account for up to 80% of visible aging signs. These accelerate oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage in skin cells, compounding the intrinsic processes.

If you understand these mechanisms, you can choose active ingredients that directly address each one—from exosomes to boost fibroblast activity, to ceramides for barrier repair, to silybin for antioxidant and anti-MMP protection.

 

Proven and the Most foreward-thinking Ingredients to Target Wrinkles

 

1. Exosomes – The Cellular Messengers

Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles naturally used by cells to communicate. In skincare, they deliver proteins, peptides, and growth factors directly to skin cells, boosting collagen production, accelerating repair, and calming inflammation for visibly firmer, smoother skin.

2. Retinoids (Retinol, Retinal, Tretinoin) – The Gold Standard

These Vitamin A derivatives increase cell turnover, thicken the dermis, and smooth lines. Retinal and tretinoin act faster, while retinol offers a gentler entry point for sensitive skin.

3. Vitamin C (and Stable Derivatives) – Antioxidant Shield

Vitamin C protects collagen from oxidative damage, stimulates its production, and helps even skin tone. Look for stabilised forms to ensure potency.

4. Cacay Oil – Nourishment with a Collagen Kick

High in natural Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and linoleic acid, cacay oil supports collagen synthesis and replenishes lost lipids, keeping skin supple without heaviness.

5. Silybin – The Collagen Protector

Extracted from milk thistle, silybin is a potent antioxidant that shields skin from UV-induced collagen breakdown and helps inhibit MMP enzymes. Excited to be pioneering this amazing ingredient and introducing soon to it.

6. Peptides – Targeted Skin Rebuilders

Peptides signal skin cells to produce more collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Some also help relax micro-muscle contractions, softening expression lines.

7. Ceramides – Barrier Strengtheners

Ceramides restore the skin’s lipid matrix, locking in hydration and improving resilience—key for preventing fine dehydration lines.

 

8. Hyaluronic Acid – Instant and long-term Plumping Power

This moisture-binding molecule - hyaluronic acid - hydrates multiple layers of the skin, giving a visible plumping effect to fine lines.

9. Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen – The Non-Negotiable Step

The single most effective anti-wrinkle measure. Everyday SPF protects against UV—the number one cause of premature skin aging. Make sure to select a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects your skin and you from UVA and UVB. 

 

How to Combine Them for Best Results

A targeted anti-aging routine might look like this:

• Morning: Antioxidants (Silybin), peptides, sunscreen

• Evening: Exosome serum, retinoid, ceramide-rich moisturiser

• As Needed: Cacay oil for lipid replenishment, hyaluronic acid for an extra hydration boost

By pairing collagen stimulators, antioxidants, and barrier-strengtheners, you address every key trigger behind wrinkle formation—making your skincare not just corrective, but preventative.