Whether you’re pro-aging, anti-aging, or somewhere in between, there’s no shortage of ingredients and products being sold to help you cleanse, hydrate, and soothe your aging skin as little or as much as you want. And with the advent of technology into the skin care arena, the options and choices for caring for your skin have grown ever wider. So, we thought we’d dive into a couple of new entries in the world of skin care regimens.

First comes new research describing the potential for hormones to become “major players” when it comes to skin care. According to new research published in Endocrine Reviews, the chemicals inside your body have as much, if not more, to do with the state of your aging skin than any cream or lotion you use. It seems that hormones play a major role in how your skin ages, influencing everything from the wrinkles on your face to pigment loss and even your hair turning gray. There is anticipation that, going forward, researchers may be able to use the anti-aging characteristics of hormones to develop new strategies for skin aging protection. We know already that hormones such as topical retinoids and estrogen are being used as anti-aging ingredients in some products, and we know that loss of estrogen due to menopause causes a drop in collagen production. While there is much data to support the value of topical retinoids, the use of estrogen in topical products raises some concerns. We don’t appear to have sufficient evidence to support the use of estrogen in topical creams or lotions as an effective antidote to skin aging, and there could be some irritation or reaction to that ingredient when it is applied directly to the skin. For the moment, we are awaiting more scientific validation of the use of estrogen as a topical ingredient and for the potential of estrogen and other hormones to become more prominent players in efforts to lessen the effects of aging on our skin. For more on the study about the role of hormones, click here.

Another new product that has gained prominence in the area of skin care is the use of “red light therapy.” The use of various colored light therapy has gained momentum over the past several years, with a range of benefits suggested, including in the area of skin care. This is known as photobiomodulation, and while the jury is still out regarding its value for a range of diseases, there does appear to be some evidence that this light therapy can potentially help reduce pain and inflammation and affect the visual appearance of such aging concerns as wrinkles and sun damage.  

Red light therapy is also known as low-power laser therapy, cold laser therapy, soft-laser therapy, and nonthermal LED light therapy. It is thought to stimulate cells and blood flow to the treated areas, thereby stimulating healing. It is considered overall safe and painless if done correctly and has the potential to be used side by side with more conventional treatment approaches. However, in the realm of skin care, this light therapy has now been introduced into over-the-counter self-use devices, which remains an area where the quality and reliability of the products are not guaranteed. Buyer beware!

Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped manufacturers and service providers from introducing an array of light therapy devices into the marketplace. While we cannot independently verify the reviews or recommendations of others, we offer you a few “best of” lists to consider on your own. So, for example, Vogue just came out with 12 Best Red Light Therapy Masks & LED Face Masks According to Dermatologists and Editors, with the overall point of view that red light therapy can be effective for treating wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots on your face and neck. Vogue provides a comprehensive description of this therapy and recommends you use the light therapy in combination with your usual skin care products. CNET also just published a list – Best LED Masks of 2025 Approved by the FDA– which recommends some products endorsed by Vogue and some not on Vogue’s list. And, like any skin care product line, there are always lower cost products and then “luxury level” products. For a review of a $700 red light therapy mask, take out your checkbook and read here.