Skincare SOS: How To Combat Laugh Lines

Our skin changes with us as we get older, but one thing stands out over time: fine lines. They crop up everywhere on the face, from chin to forehead, but some of the most prominent (and oftentimes overlooked) are those that lurk around the mouth. For many, lip lines and laugh lines are the first signs of premature aging – so how can we combat them with skincare? We’ve rounded up the best products on the market to help you get started.

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What Are Laugh Lines?

Laugh lines – also sometimes known as smile lines – refer to the creases or wrinkles that run from the sides of the nose down to the corners of the mouth, and look their most pronounced when smiling or laughing.

There are two main types of laugh lines: nasolabial creases, which are the lines visible between the upper lip and the cheek, and nasolabial folds, the name given to the tissue that hangs over the nasolabial crease.

What Causes Them?

While they are a natural result of aging, laugh lines can be caused by a number of different factors, including:

• Aging: As we get older, our skin starts to lose its collagen and elastin. This makes the skin thinner and less elastic, leading to wrinkles.
• Laughing: The clue’s in the name, really. Frequent smiling, laughing, frowning and making various other facial experiences causes the skin around the mouth to crease and fold – with these creases eventually becoming permanent lines.
• Sun exposure: It’s a known fact that sun exposure isn’t good for skin, and in the context of laugh lines it can accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibres, leading to premature aging and laugh lines.
• Smoking: Another factor that accelerates the aging process, smoking can contribute to the overall development of wrinkles and fine lines.
• Loss of facial fat: The fat around our cheeks essentially helps give our face its shape; as we get older, this fat starts to disappear and leaves lines around the mouth more pronounced.

(c) Gabrielle Henderson, Unsplash

Skincare Ingredients To Look Out For

Cosmetic procedures aren’t everyone’s cup of tea – and luckily, there are plenty of products on the market designed to plump up skin and lessen the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and laugh lines. If you’re not sure where to start your search, there are some ingredients you can keep a look out for:

• Hyaluronic acid: A moisture-binding ingredient that can help plump the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
• Retinol and retinoids: A vitamin A derivative that promotes collagen production and cell turnover, which can prevent wrinkles. Read more about this ingredient in our guide here.
• Peptides: These are short chains of amino acids that can act as the building blocks for certain proteins, like collagen and elastin. Certain peptides are also thought to visibly smooth and reduce wrinkle intensity when combined with hyaluronic acid in skincare products.
• Facial oils: Plant-based oils like jojoba, rosehip, carrot seed and sandalwood can provide the skin with essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants that protect and nourish; they’re ideal for overall skin health.
• SPF: With sun damage being a big contributor to fine lines and wrinkles, you’ll want ingredients that protect the skin from UV rays; an SPF sunscreen is your best option.

The Best Skincare Treatments For Laugh Lines

Q+A

Hyaluronic Acid Daily Moisturiser, £9

Best For: Dry skin

This ultra-hydrating moisturiser from Q+A is designed to plump up skin, thanks to hero ingredient hyaluronic acid, while its vitamin E-rich rice bran extract gets to work softening the skin and protecting it from environmental stressors that could highlight the appearance of laugh lines.

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Beauty Pie

Japanfusion Genius Lift Elixir, £14

Best For: Integrating into a pre-existing routine

This award-winning formula combines vitamin C-rich jabara fruit, antioxidizing grape extract and Polynesian seaweed humectant (a brilliant stand-in for hyaluronic acid) for a powerful complexion boost; think skin that looks more elastic, plump, dewy and hydrated. It’s also an easy one to fit around your existing skincare routine, as you can either add a few drops to your current toner or serum, or simply massage it straight onto cleansed skin.

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Kiehl’s

Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, £52

Best For: Plumping

Promising to plump skin with moisture, Kiehl’s coveted serum works with vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and glycerin to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin texture while delivering a luminous complexion (while still being gentle enough to use on a variety of skin types).

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