Anti-Aging Skincare: What You Need to Know

The secret to preserving your youthful glow as you get older starts with good skincare and lifestyle habits. Everything between the products that you use, the routine you follow, and other lifestyle habits you normally practice can play a huge factor in protecting against and preventing aged skin. So whether you’ve just turned 21 or are about to hit the big 4-0, it’s time to listen up!

To learn more about anti-aging skincare and how to keep your skin looking \ fresh, glowing, and tight both now and in the future, follow this guide to find out what exactly you need to know!

What Causes Premature Aged Skin?

Before you learn about what skincare ingredients and other anti-aging products to use on your beautiful complexion, it’s important that you first learn about the different causes of prematurely aged skin. While there are plenty of contributing factors that can speed up the process, here are the three primary causes of prematurely aged skin:

1.    A Poor Diet

Your diet can play a huge role in how well you care for and protect your body and maintain healthy-looking skin. While divulging in your favorite sweets and treats is okay sometimes, constantly filling your body up with processed foods and sugary drinks can be detrimental to your skin’s health and speed up the natural aging process.

Specifically, a poor diet can be linked to one of the main culprits of premature aging, also known as Advanced glycation end food products (AGEs), which are harmful compounds that occur when protein and fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream. The formation of AGEs is typically found in foods that have been exposed to higher temperatures for reasons such as grilling, frying, or toasting.

Because these types of foods tend to be high in these compounds, it’s critical to be mindful of your diet and pay attention to the foods you eat and how often you eat them. Certain foods such as processed meats, french fries, and white bread may be impacting more than just your weight. For more information about the particular foods that can cause premature aging and potential swaps, check out this link!

2.    Ultraviolet Radiation

By now, you’ve probably heard at least once before that tanning is bad for you— whether it comes from the tanning booth or naturally from the sun— but do you know why? The answer is quite simple; because of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation!

Despite the fact that these rays help to darken the complexion temporarily, they also work to penetrate the skin, especially when your skin is not protected with sunscreen or other SPF products. In turn, this causes damage to the DNA found in your skin cells, and therefore, leads to signs of premature aging such as dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Regardless of if you aren’t purposefully trying to tan, exposing your skin to the sun— even if only for a few minutes— can enhance your risk in not only developing signs of older looking and feeling skin, but also developing other serious health conditions such as skin cancer. So, before you head out for your next beach day or other outside events, ask yourself, did I remember to apply and pack the sunblock?

3.    Smoking Cigarettes

It’s no secret that smoking cigarettes or any other nicotine tool is a poor lifestyle habit to pick up. From the damage it causes to your airways and air sacs found in your lungs to the negative effects it can have on your heart and blood circulation, there is ample amount of research out there that proves just how impactful smoking can be on your body. Aside from what it can do to your insides, however, have you ever considered what it can do to your outsides?

Believe it or not, your smoking habits may relate to those early onset premature wrinkles you’ve been noticing. According to the Mayo Clinic, smoking for only ten years can speed up the normal aging process and cause wrinkles. This is due to the nicotine and the other 4,0000+ chemicals in tobacco smoke that narrow your blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin.

Less blood flow means fewer essential nutrients like vitamin A, which serves to support cell growth, immune function, and fetal vision and development. Lack of vitamin A and other essential nutrients can make it easier for the premature aging process to begin at a quicker rate, which is why smoking cigarettes can be so hazardous for your anti-aging skincare journey.

Not to mention the constant puckering of your lips and the heat that comes from burning cigarettes can also lead to “smoker lips,” a term used to describe sagging and wrinkled skin around the mouth. Needless to say, smoking is anything but helpful in keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay! So don’t wait until it’s too late, speak with a quit coach today at smokershelp.net.

Top Three Skincare Ingredients for Aged Skin

Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of the causes of premature aging, it’s time to focus your attention on anti-aging skincare and the best ingredients for aged skin. Even though there is an abundance of anti-aging products available on the market, not all of them are as equipped for preventing and protecting against fine lines and wrinkles. Instead of wasting your time and money on falsely advertised treatments, use this guide to find products that contain the following anti-aging skincare ingredients:

1.    Hyaluronic Acid

A gold standard ingredient that should be found in your skincare products is hyaluronic acid. Already a naturally occurring water molecule in your body, hyaluronic acid works to retain and hold moisture in your skin cells, which serves to plump your skin all while keeping hydrated. Its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water makes it an excellent moisturizer and anti-aging ingredient for your daily skincare routine.

Generally speaking, the average amount of naturally occurring hyaluronic acid within the human body is about 15 grams. However, this amount typically depletes with age. As reported by Dermalogica,  “One-third of that gets degraded and synthesized on a daily basis. We also produce less and less as we age. So we want more, which is why many anti-aging products contain Hyaluronic Acid.”

Luckily, obtaining a skincare treatment that contains hyaluronic acid isn’t very hard to come by. Even if you’re balling on a budget, there are plenty of serums and moisturizers out there on the market that are inexpensive, but still highly effective for anti-aging skincare. Plus, hyaluronic acid is usually a good fit for everyone, no matter what skin type they may have. That being said, there’s really no excuse to not include this anti-aging ingredient in your daily skincare routine!

2.    Retinoids

Retinoids, or the umbrella term for retinol, has been regarded as a tried and true ingredient in the world of skincare. Aside from its ability to target blemishes, skincare products that contain retinol have also served to be a powerful ingredient for treating aged skin.

Retinoid products can cause irritation or dryness, especially when you’re first starting out, so it’s important to mindful what type of skin you have before choosing your anti-aging skincare product. If you normally have a sensitive or dry skin type, for instance, it’s a good idea to start out with over-the-counter retinol products as these tend to have a lower percentage of retinol within the formula. This also makes it easier to introduce in your regime and treat your skin without causing irritation.

On the other hand, if you identify with a more mature or oily skin type, you’ll want to consider seeking out a retinoid prescription from a dermatologist as these products will be more equipped for treating and preventing aged skin. Using an anti-aging cream containing tretinoin (or Retin-A) for example, can be more effective in targeting fine lines and wrinkles and achieving faster results!

3.    Ceramides

Ceramides act as a natural moisturizer in your skin and work to preserve your complexion by creating a protective layer over your skin. In turn, this helps to shield the skin from environmental aggressors as well as keep the moisture locked in your skin. Thus, working to prevent dehydration, dryness, and of course, premature aging, from occurring.

Similar to the way hyaluronic acid depletes as we get older, the natural ceramides in our body, also diminish over time.  In an interview with Good Housekeeping, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, Joshua Zeichner, helps to explain the inevitable ceramide depletion process and how it can influence the state of your skin. He says:

"Our skin’s ability to produce and maintain the right balance of lipids diminishes over time," says Dr. Camp. That means that no matter what you do, your ceramide production will decrease with age, but ceramide depletion can actually happen at any time. "It has been well-documented that ceramides are deficient in a variety of skin conditions, including dry skin, eczema, and even acne.”

For this reason, it’s essential to incorporate ceramides in your anti-aging skincare routine now, before it’s too late! Well, what’re you waiting for? Find a  skincare product for your skin type today!

The Conclusion

The journey to anti-aging skincare is unique to everyone. What may work best for treating your fine lines and wrinkles, may not be suitable for someone with a different skin type, age, gender, etc. Nevertheless, everyone can benefit from adding anti-aging products in their skincare routine, it is just a matter of figuring out what’s right for you first, before smearing on all of those lotions and potions out there.

As you continue down your skincare journey, remember to use this anti-aging guide to master the art of preserving your clean, youthful glow skin now, and in the future!