How to Care for Nasolabial Folds with Ingredients: Which Ones Should You Look For?

Unlike wrinkles around the eyes, nasolabial folds (the wrinkles running from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth) often result from a combination of factors—reduced skin elasticity itself, changes in the fat layer, and texture breakdown due to dryness—rather than expression habits.

So rather than being solved by a single ingredient, the basic direction for home care is consistently using a combination of ingredients that refine skin texture and care for elasticity while also filling in internal moisture and the barrier.

Why Nasolabial Folds Become Noticeable: An Ingredient-Based Approach

When collagen and elastic fibers deep within the skin decrease, the overall volume support of the face weakens, and this change tends to stand out like a shadow along the line beside the nose. On top of this, a lack of internal moisture tends to roughen the skin's texture, making wrinkles appear more pronounced.

For this reason, it's good to look at both 'elasticity care' and 'moisture/barrier care' when choosing ingredients for nasolabial fold care. Adenosine is known as a representative ingredient that can help with elasticity care, niacinamide can help with skin texture and tone care, and ceramide and panthenol can help fill in the skin barrier that holds moisture.

Changes in Skin Condition Over Time

Since nasolabial fold concerns don't appear overnight, the changes also show up gradually. In the late 20s to early 30s, they may only be slightly visible when the skin is dry, fading after moisturizing. From the mid-30s onward, many people notice them becoming more pronounced in the evening compared to morning, or on dry days during seasonal transitions.

With consistent use of elasticity and moisturizing ingredients, rather than immediate changes, many people notice their skin condition stabilizing as the texture becomes smoother and tightness decreases. After lifting procedures, it helps to approach care in two phases: the initial days when skin becomes sensitive, and the recovery period afterward when inner dryness is felt.

Step-by-step home care: How to layer ingredients

Step 1, cleanse and tone the skin with a light toner. Step 2, gently pat in a product containing elasticity care ingredients (adenosine) and texture care ingredients (niacinamide) over the entire face, focusing especially on the nasolabial fold area, and let it absorb. Step 3, finish with a cream containing barrier and moisturizing ingredients such as ceramide and panthenol to seal in moisture and prevent it from evaporating.

Especially before and after lifting or laser procedures, skin can become temporarily sensitive and dry, and since skin condition management during this period can affect later results, it's best to differentiate care steps between right after the procedure and the recovery period.

Post-procedure recovery depends on home care

After lifting or laser procedures, skin typically goes through a phase of redness and heat first, followed by a recovery period when inner dryness is felt. ZXQMAGAZINETERMABJUZXQ Cream is composed of a 2-STEP system tailored to this process: right after the procedure (days 1–3), the Ultra Cera-Rich Cream containing barrier care ingredients such as ceramide and panthenol is used, and during the recovery period (from day 4 onward), the Hydro Re-Boosting Cream containing deep moisturizing and elasticity care ingredients such as panthenol, niacinamide, and adenosine is used. Even without undergoing a procedure, this ingredient combination can be referenced when elasticity and moisture care is needed for the nasolabial fold area.