As we get older, the skin gets thinner less elastic and less robust and skin cells are replaced slower.
Through the ages;
0- 15 Years: Fibroblast and Elastin give softness and suppleness
15-25 Years: Elastin and Collagen which are the tightening agents are produced to accommodate growth.
30 – 45 Years: After thirty, Elastin production decreases and can be made worse by sun exposure. Sun exposure destroys elastin fibres as well as collagen.
45-65 Years: Collagen and Elastin are produced even less. During periods of strain, stress and illness the skin also suffers. Anxiety and Depression also leave a mark.
Thankfully, advances in skin care are making it as easy as one, two, three….
1. RUB IT IN
Hydrated skin not only looks great (glowing, healthy, and even-toned), but it’s stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to fend off irritation. To keep skin supple post-shower, use a moisturizing body wash and lotion.
2. EAT SMART
Your diet doesn’t just affect your waistlin, it can also save your skin: Green tea’s main freeradical-fighting polyphenol EGCG not only protects collagen, it could help prevent skin cancer; wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which aid skin’s barrier-repair function; sweet potatoes are full of antioxidant beta-carotene and spinach’s antioxidant lutein helps preserve your vision (less squinting equals fewer wrinkles). Take multivitamin supplements to complement your diet especially those targeted at the skin.
3. HIT THE SACK
While you’re fast asleep, your body is busy releasing hormones that boost cell turnover. Take advantage of this nightly skin-renewal window by applying age-fighting creams or lotions. Trade up to satin sheets if you want to realize your dream of sag-free skin: Over time, rubbing and reduced circulation caused by tossing and turning in rougher sheets can create more friction and break down collagen, leading to wrinkles.
4. EXFOLIATE
A physical exfoliant, such as a scrub, a body wash with gentle beads, buffs away debris, while alpha or beta hydroxy acids in exfoliating scrubs dissolve the bonds between cells, so the old cells easily wash away, revealing soft, glowing skin.
5. ERASE WRINKLES
The best way to banish wrinkles before they begin is to develop good habits, excessive alcohol and cigarettes, which trigger free radicals that damage DNA in cells.
6. GET EVEN
Don’t neglect skin below the neck: Discoloration on the chest and on the backs of the hands are red flags of aging just as much as when they appear on the face. Fade them away with products containing niacinamide, DHA, glucosamine, and vitamin C.
7. LOOK AHEAD
Protect your skin for a beautiful future. A full-on solar defense starts with broad-spectrum sunscreen that guards against both UVB and UVA rays. Make sunscreen the first step in your regimen; applying it to bare skin binds it to cells, boosting its efficacy.