- Cynthia Franco is an esthetician with celebrity clients like Barry Keoghan and Queen Latifah.
- She said having an effective skincare routine is more important than getting in-office treatments.
- She shared her favorite anti-aging products, from a vitamin C serum to a retinol alternative.
When it comes to attaining youthful, vibrant skin, the best beauty experts to ask for tips are the ones who work with A-list celebrities.
Cynthia Franco is one of them: an LA-based esthetician who specializes in anti-aging skincare, Franco has worked with clients like Barry Keoghan, Queen Latifah, Ana de Armas, and Cara Delevingne.
But while her clients see her for in-office procedures and facials, Franco said the most effective anti-aging skincare comes from following a consistent routine at home.
"You can't just rely on a facial once a month to do everything," Franco told Business Insider. "Yes, I can make you look very pulled back and glowy with microcurrent and cold plasma, but you have to go home and keep that up as well."
Franco often gives her clients product recommendations for at-home use. She said "you'll see a huge difference within 2-4 weeks" once you consistently apply quality serums and cleansers.
Franco shared some of her favorite anti-aging products, from a powerful vitamin C serum to a retinol alternative for sensitive skin.
A fast-acting vitamin C serum
Franco said the Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum from Image Skincare is her favorite product because it uses multiple forms of vitamin C, making it more potent in evening skin tone and reducing sun damage.
"It plumps, it has green tea in it to take down inflammation, and it's an antioxidant," she said. "It's brightening your skin, feels super hydrated, all the things we want."
A hydrating cleansing oil
Franco previously told Business Insider that double-cleansing is a really important part of a good anti-aging skincare routine.
"We have so much on our skin at the end of the day," Franco said. "The degradation of our elastin and collagen is being affected by the products that we leave on."
Epicuren Silk Radiance 3-in-1 Cleansing Oil is her "go-to" oil cleanser because it's great at absorbing extra water and hydrating the skin without leaving a greasy residue.
An exfoliating cleanser for a "facial in a bottle"
Franco encourages clients to do treatments at home in between the facials they get in her office.
For clients with "a little bit of a rougher skin tone," she recommends using Image Skincare Ageless Total Facial Cleanser, which uses a glycolic formula to dissolve dead skin cells and unclog pores.
"It looks like basically a facial in a bottle when you do this treatment," she said, because of how much the cleanser exfoliates your skin.
For even better results, she said you can use a sheet mask after using the cleanser to really feel the full effects of the mask.
"It's a pro secret, to really get the super glow and then use a little sheet mask afterward," she said.
A balancing oil that also helps with acne
Sometimes, fine lines aren't technically wrinkles but the by-products of dry skin. But if you're prone to acne, some hydrating products can be too clogging.
Franco said Retrouvé Balancing Face Oil is "amazing for balancing oil gland production," so much so that she uses it on clients with all kinds of skin, whether it's prone to cystic acne or on the drier side.
A milder alternative to retinol
Retinol is considered one of the best anti-aging products because of how well it increases cell turnover and collagen production. However, it can be too intense for those with sensitive skin.
Franco said bakuchiol is an effective alternative for reducing wrinkles and is a featured ingredient in Epicuren Skin Brightening Serum. The product also includes niacinamide and tranexamic acid, which target dark spots and discoloration.