Aging Skin: What Is Aging Skin and How Can You Prevent It?
The Skinsmith | 30th November 2021
We’ve all seen the visible signs of aging skin either on ourselves or another more mature adult. But what exactly is happening in the skin as we get older.
Some of the changes we see in our skin as we age can include:
- The epidermal (outer) layer becomes thinner and more fragile
- Our skin becomes uneven in colour, as the melanocytes (cells that create the colour in our skin) become damaged and cause areas of darker skin, known as hyperpigmentation along with areas of less colour as the melanocytes produce less pigment causing a sallow look to our complexion
- Collagen and elastin fibres become weaker and break causing a lack of firmness, sagging skin and we lose that “snap back” elasticity in our skin
- Our subcutaneous fat layer which creates a smooth appearance on the surface of the skin becomes thinner resulting in lines and wrinkles
- The blood vessels become weak and fragile causing redness, broken veins and the potential to bruise more easily
- The natural water and oil production in our skin slows down causing dry and dehydrated skin, this can feel rougher in texture, may feel more sensitive and can cause flakiness.
How Does Our Skin Change as We Get Older?
There are a few different factors that cause aging in our skin:
Chronological Aging
This is the natural aging process that happens as time passes and we get older with each birthday celebrated. This natural process can’t be stopped with mind or body changes and can have little relevance to how we feel and how we function.
Biological Aging
This is the decline in the speed that the body renews itself. Your Biological Age can be different to your Chronological Age and you can affect this aging process with a healthy diet and lifestyle choices. For instance; someone who smokes may have an older Biological Age than their actual Chronological Age. They may have celebrated 40 birthdays but the age of their body is closer to someone in their 50’s!!
Environmental Aging
This happens when we are exposed to a variety of environmental stressors that cause free radicals in our body, leading to inflammation and premature aging. UV exposure, pollution, exposure to chemical toxins in products such as; household cleaners, artificial fragrances, some cosmetic and body care products may all contain harmful chemicals and preservatives. Stress is also a factor in Environmental Aging along with smoking, poor nutrition and poor sleeping habits.
The shocking factor is that our skin starts to age in our 20’s!
20’s – Lifestyle choices and exposure to environmental stressors start to take their toll on our skin. Free radicals start to attack healthy cells affecting the skins structural integrity. Cell renewal begins to slow as aging takes hold.
30’s – Collagen and elastin fibres are more dramatically affected in our 30’s and we may see our first wrinkle! Cell renewal continues to slow and can lead to a duller, drier more uneven toned complexion. The use of harsh chemicals in skin and body care products can start to show on the surface of the skin.
40’s – In this decade we can start to see our skin thinning and becoming more fragile. Our protective skin barrier becomes weaker as our skin produces fewer lipids and becomes more dehydrated. You may see sensitivity and redness start to appear along with hyperpigmentation and age spots. Fine lines and wrinkles become more apparent as collagen and elastin continue to weaken and production slows.
50’s – Aging really takes hold in our 50’s, skin becomes dry from the lack of both lipids and hyaluronic acid which can lead to sensitivity, flakiness and a rougher textured complexion, Wrinkles and hyperpigmentation become more visible and prominent. The skin becomes more fragile and the protective barrier function is weakened even more.
60’s + - the effects we’ve seen in previous decades becomes more apparent, our skin becomes very thin, marking and bruising very easily, dryness increases and the skin takes longer to repair and heal itself. You may need to opt for a gentler skincare routine to help treat and heal the skin, helping the skins barrier function protect the skin a little better.
The Effects of The Sun on Our Skin
One of the main culprits of skin aging is the sun! Damaging UV rays are thought to be the cause of 90% of the aging process in our skin. Protecting your skin from UVA and UVB should be top of your anti-aging skincare routine with the use of mineral sun protection products. UV causes inflammation in the skin which causes premature cell aging and can lead to poor health. The free radicals caused by UV exposure attack your healthy cells and cause them to age faster… in severe cases too many free radicals can lead to oxidative stress and permanent DNA damage.
5 Ways to Beat Aging Skin
It is not all doom and gloom though when it comes to aging so let’s look at how to prevent ageing skin with some simple yet effective anti aging tips.
Anti-Aging Products
Anti-aging skincare products are a key player in keeping your skin looking and feeling more youthful. Regular use of products that protect your skin barrier function and stimulate cell renewal such as a moisturiser should be part of your daily routine. Start in your 20’s when age prevention is paramount. Look for products that will add hyaluronic acid to hydrate and moisturise your drier skin. Products with botanical collagen will help firm and smooth out any lines and wrinkles. If you need additional moisture in your anti aging skincare routine look at the addition of a facial oil to deeply hydrate and soothe your skin.
Eat A Healthy Diet
Your diet is very important not only to the health of your skin but to your body as a whole. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants, superfood, vitamins and nutrients will give your skin the boost it needs to stay healthy and young. Most of us are familiar with the commonly thought of foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses and legumes but here are some more unusual sources of antioxidants:
Coffee:
Contains an antioxidant called Chlorogenic Acid which can protect your skin cells and prevent “bad” cholesterol. (Sylecraze)
Mangosteen:
A more unusual superfruit full of Xanthones, antioxidants that help prevent environmental damage to the skin (Eminence Organics)
Popcorn:
At last, food on the not so nice list! Jammed full of antioxidant Polyphenols in a higher concentration than fruit or veg too!
Eggs: however you like your eggs you can be safe in the knowledge that they contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, both antioxidants help to protect your skin from UV damage
Avoid Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol plays a part in the aging of our skin and bodies. It dehydrates the skin and weakens blood vessels which can lead to red noses and cheeks, often associated with those who drink. Alcohol can affect vital organs causing them to age faster and work less efficiently causing health issues. As we age our body takes longer to process alcohol which means it stays in our systems longer which could compromise our immune system and lead to diseases such as cancer.
Sun Protection
We have mentioned that 90% of aging can be attributed to UV damage so why would you not use SPF?! Choose a sun protection product that is a mineral sunscreen rather than chemical sun protection. Mineral SPF such as Zinc Oxide acts like thousands of tiny mirrors on the skin and reflects UVA and UVB away from the face. Eminence’s SPF Moisturisers and Sport Sunscreen products are an SPF 30-40, they are non-nano zinc oxide and are silicone free. There are 4 moisturisers to choose from for daily protection.
Important Ingredients That Work
Some of the big hitters when is comes to anti aging skincare are Natural Retinol Alternative and Vitamin C.
Retinol/Vitamin A/Retinoid:
This ingredient will stimulate collagen production, smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and gently resurface the skin for a glowy complexion. Eminences Natural Retinol Alternative out performs many conventional retinols increasing collagen production in the skin by 25% in 6 days over 17% with conventional retinol, plus there are no side effects with our natural alternative! Our Age Corrective Collection of anti aging skincare is amongst our best seller’s year in and year out for this very reason!
Vitamin C:
This ingredient has many benefits to the skin, it is calming and soothing reducing inflammation and redness, it stimulates collagen production and helps to even out skin tone for a brighter more even complexion. When you add Vitamin E to Vitamin C you get a powerhouse of healing, repairing and anti aging benefits as they turbo boost each other’s benefits. Eminence uses a stable form of vitamin C to ensure it is potent and effective. Look for this Vitamin C in our C+E collection of products.
Are You Considering a Surgical Procedure to Combat the Signs of Aging? See How Skincare Products Could Help at A Fraction of The Cost.
Aging affects us all, simply following some of our anti aging tips on how to prevent ageing skin can help keep your complexion looking healthy and younger. For more information on anti aging skincare products, check out our range of anti aging skincare products here.
You can also get in touch and speak with a member of our friendly team for expert advice on 01305 300950 or by emailing us at [email protected]. Alternatively, you can contact our team today by using our quick and easy contact form below. We're looking forward to hearing from you.
