Can You Slow Down The Visible Signs Of Aging?

Aging Skin Is Unavoidable. But That Doesn't Mean You Can't Slow It Down A Little

Your rate of skin aging depends upon two key components - genetics and lifestyle choices, known as intrinsic and extrinsic aging respectively.

Intrinsic aging, defined by genetic makeup and independent of any external influences, will occur over time regardless of how well you take care of your skin. Collagen and elastin naturally break down as we age while your levels of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids and sebum also decrease leading to lines, wrinkles and other skin disfigurements; all contributing to an inevitable decline. It's just part of life!

Extrinsic aging, on the other hand, lies entirely within your hands and includes anything you do that increases its rate and intensity of visible aging signs. Sun exposure is of course one of the biggest culprits; but pollution, stress and diet all play their part by overriding your natural defense mechanisms and unleashing damaging free radicals - leading to faster signs of visible aging than ever.

So the answer to the question "can you slow down visible signs of aging?" is yes... with one major caveat. Yes, of course you can protect your skin from environmental toxins and make better lifestyle choices; but no genes cannot be changed. Let's focus instead on ways we CAN control.

5 Ways To Reduce Premature Aging

1. Keep The Sun Off Your Skin

Getting tired of hearing that sun damage to skin is bad news? Well, unfortunately it's true and the more you hear about how important protecting against UV rays from the sun's UV rays is for overall skin health, we hope more vigilant you become in protecting it from these sources of harm.

Stats can be alarmingly stark: sun exposure accounts for between 80-90% of extrinsic skin aging. Even with regular moisturizing and treating of your skin, without protecting it with sunscreen every day it may as well have been for nothing.

Instead of tossing away all your precious skincare products, add a broad-spectrum sunscreen into the final step of your morning routine - for instance our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is an awesome option that won't waste resources!

2. Protect Your Skin's Barrier Function 

Your epidermis's uppermost layer, known as stratum corneum, forms your barrier function. To keep this layer functioning at optimal health you should keep its function intact by following two simple strategies. This brick wall-like section contains approximately 20 layers of cells, working harder than all the rest of your skin combined. Bold words indeed. These words ring true since the purpose of this protective layer is to act like a security guard for our skin (and body), protecting from external irritation such as allergens and allergens from entering. Strong barrier function is essential for keeping skin strong, moisturized and healthy; once compromised or weakened, dryness, dehydration, irritation and the inevitable signs of aging begin to manifest themselves on your complexion.

No doubt about it: Your barrier function weakens with age, losing ceramides, cholesterol and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. But the more you nurture it, the stronger it will remain and the better your skin will look. Our recommended serum for supporting barrier function health is Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum which boosts ceramide production while fighting free radicals before they do damage to skin.

3. Don't Smoke

Smoking is notoriously bad for both health and looks - its harmful effects including giving smokers' lines on your lips being just one side effect of smoking's damage to skin cells are many, including contributing to rapid skin aging through UV radiation damage and by speeding up visible signs of skin aging more than anything else.

Tobacco contains numerous harmful compounds that damage skin by altering its texture, tone, elasticity, firmness and smoothness - even altering its hue! According to research by the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, heavy smokers aged 40 can often look like nonsmokers 70 years older! Yikes!

Smoking increases free radical formation in your skin, breaks down collagen fibers, speeds up inflammation, decreases blood flow and deprives it of vital oxygen and nutrients that it needs for survival. Put simply: don't smoke.

4. Employ Proven Anti-Aging Skincare Ingredients 

Upping your skincare game with effective, age-fighting ingredients is one way to combat premature aging head on. Unfortunately, however, with so many available that promise wrinkle-free skin in weeks or less it's often difficult to keep track of what works for each individual skin type and individual aging process. Don't fall for the myth that all supplements will deliver miraculous results; rather, focus on those backed by scientific studies. Ingredients like retinol; vitamin C; peptides and exfoliating acids like glycolic, lactic and salicylic have all been widely researched and have shown real benefits to skin. Furthermore, NKOTB bakuchiol has gained widespread acclaim as an anti-aging skincare solution; look out for it if you want to stay ahead of the curve with regards to ageing!

As mentioned earlier, skin barriers must remain strong to keep infections out and breakouts at bay. Be wary when layering too many skincare actives on at once as overdoing it could result in inflammation, dryness, irritation or breakouts - this means being mindful when choosing potency serums or treatments, opt for products which contain only actives that work together and choose products which contain multiple actives that complement one another like serums containing multiple actives formulated not to cause sensitivities - patch test before applying multiple serums at once if using more than one at once!

Try our Retinol Serums for anti-aging 

5. Moisturize as Scheduled 

Serums can be fantastic. But to maximize their efficacy, moisturizer should also be applied after using serums; otherwise all those active ingredients could escape through your skin's surface layers and defeat their purpose altogether!

Moisturizer not only locks in moisture and replenishing ingredients like antioxidants and humectants (like hyaluronic acid and aloe vera) into your skin, but it can also leave behind an invisible protective shield to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by acting like a protective barrier on its surface.

After every cleanse, no matter how oily your skin, always apply moisturizer afterward. We have plenty of choices depending on your concerns and needs - our favorite being Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream which provides healthy anti-ageing skincare support.