When did it happen? Just when did your skin age? It seems like you went to bed a normal woman yesterday, and woke up this morning feeling like a saggy and wrinkly mess.
Well, ok. It doesn’t really happen overnight, though it feels like it! The hard truth is that your skin actually started aging in your early 20’s. Everything you did at that age had a big impact on the condition of your skin now. What you ate, how you interacted with your skin, the environment you were exposed to, and how much you worshipped the sun all had cumulative effects over the years.
When you were young, it felt like you had your whole life in front of you to decide it’s time to start taking care of your skin.
Time flies when you’re having fun!
Fighting Aging Skin Before It Happens
If you’re in your 20’s and early 30’s, now is the prime time for you to begin the fight against aging. The cumulative effects of a pizza and beer diet, baking in the sun, and bad habits like smoking will all collectively start to slowly add up over time. By the time you’re in your 40’s and 50’s, the damage will rear its ugly head in the form of wrinkles, fine lines, liver spots, and more.
The best way to slow the aging process is to try to prevent it in the first place.
Start a solid routine that consists of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. It doesn’t have to be difficult. It’s the ingredients that are important. Choose skin care products wisely, and they will work ahead of your years for you. When you care for your skin properly, you’re able to nip any excess damage in the bud and mitigate any factors that contribute.
Look for ingredients that are scientifically proven to fight the aging process. You can help your body nab those nasty free radicals by utilizing a skin care routine rich in antioxidant ingredients to counter that damage. A healthy diet should be your number one choice, but topical antioxidants have been found to be effective, as well. Look for products that contain antioxidant-rich botanicals like green tea extract and pomegranate seed extract, and vitamins like A, E, and C.
Retinoids (derived from vitamin A) have the added bonus of increasing cellular turnover, allowing younger skin cells to replace older ones.
Mixing a skin oil like Sciaessentials DELTA-5 with your moisturizer or foundation can help to strengthen the skin’s barrier, keeping it strong to protect you from the ravaging effects of environmental toxins and pollutants.
Benefits of Combating Aging Skin
If you missed the boat and didn’t protect and prepare your skin when your mother told you to, all is not lost. Starting now, you can take steps to prevent any further damage and help to diminish those first stages of aging. It’s not difficult.
Starting now, changes in your routine can provide you with many benefits, including:
- Clearing up or preventing a blotchy complexion
- Preventing age spots (liver spots/sun spots)
- Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
- Preventing leathery skin
- Retaining your skin’s youthful firmness longer
- Keeping your complexion brighter and younger-looking
- Reducing your risk of skin cancer
Taking Care of Aging Skin
Good skin care, no matter what your age, starts with good habits. That’s especially true now! It’s the basis for a truly effective skin care plan.
The Sun Is Not Your Best Friend
The side effects of the UV rays our skin takes in from the sun are the largest culprit when it comes to causing damage. The sun’s damage to your skin is cumulative, meaning it doesn’t just happen with that one sunburn you got 3 years ago when you fell asleep on the beach. UV damage occurs every time we’re out in the sun unprotected, and that damage slowly adds up over the course of years.
But it’s not too late to prevent further harm. Take steps now by avoiding direct sunlight when you can, covering up your skin, and applying a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to all exposed areas of skin. Those steps should be followed through the entire year, no matter the weather, as the sun’s UV rays can still get to you through those dreary clouds.
A Good Routine Is Your Best Friend
Choose your products carefully. Aging skin is thinner and more delicate on the face and hands, so using a non-soap cleanser on those areas is a good idea. Retinol, glycolic acid, and peptides should be a part of your daily vocabulary. Make sure your creams and cleansers contain them.
Cleanse twice daily with a gently cleanser that will help to maintain your skin’s moisture balance, rather than strip it.
Use a treatment serum to smooth out fine lines, then moisturize well. Less active oil glands mean drier skin, so choose an oil-based moisturizer that includes alpha-hydroxy acids to help combat wrinkles.
Here, DELTA-5 really shines. It’s an incredible breakthrough in the quest to preserve youthful and beautiful skin. Not only does it help to strengthen the skin’s barrier, but it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help your skin in visible ways. This oil actually helps to eliminate the fine lines and wrinkles that might be telltale signs of age. It works to resolve the damage done by a polluted environment and to reverse harm that comes from the sun. It can also help to clear your complexion and reduce redness.
