How to prevent the biggest cause of skin aging
Inevitably, your skin will change as you age. Many of the visible signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation and skin tone can be minimized by effective skincare. There are two well-established causes of visible skin aging—intrinsic and extrinsic (in other words, internal and external) aging.
Effective skincare regimens target the signs of both types of aging.
Intrinsic factors governing skin aging include variations in an individual’s genetic background and these factors can’t be controlled. Extrinsic aging refers generally to factors that originate outside your body. These include smoking, sun exposure, and poor nutrition. The extrinsic factors that cause premature skin aging are largely preventable. Sunburn is thought to account for nearly 80 percent of premature facial aging, with sun exposure and damage from UV rays occurring on cloudy days as well as sunny days.
How does the sun affect our skin?
The sun causes proteins in our skin to deteriorate, leading to the loss of our youthful appearance over time. Elastin and collagen are two proteins that help keep our skin looking youthful. Elastin, as the name suggests, helps keep the skin elastic. In other words, it’s what gives our skin bounce and resiliency. Collagen, on the other hand, helps our skin to maintain its firmness. We have more collagen than any other protein in our body, so you can imagine why it’s so important. Stem cells also help keep our skin looking young. These special cells give rise to other cells that replace dead cells. If our stem cells don’t function properly, our skin will deteriorate over time.
UV radiation causes skin to age in several ways. It causes stem cells to die off, leading to thinning and wrinkling of the skin. UV radiation also activates enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases, or MMPs for short. These MMPs break down collagen. UV radiation also activates an enzyme called cathepsin K. Cathepsin K breaks down elastin.
What can I do to protect my skin?
The best way to avoid aging caused by sun exposure is a good quality SPF.
Skin Science Daily Tinted Broad Spectrum Sun Protection SPF 50 is sun protection factor 50 and protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It is deeply nourishing, light weight and absorbs quickly in to the skin without clogging the pores. It is not only SPF but also contains the AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) Citric acid and Lactic acid. This means, that whilst protecting your skin, this product also helping to regenerate and rejuvenate your face. It is hydrating for the skin as well as containing a slight tint. This ensures that the product integrates with all skin tones and is not left with a white glare after application.
Can devices such as phones and computers damage my skin?
Generally, newer model computers feature LCD or LED screens and do not emit harmful UV rays. But most televisions, computers, smartphones and tablets emit other types of light that some studies show can be harmful to your skin with prolonged exposure.
Recent studies have shown that this “blue light” (otherwise known as high-energy visible light or HEV for short) emitted by electronic devices could potentially be just as damaging as sun exposure. Some studies have hinted that the effects can be even stronger among people with darker skin, as the “blue light” can cause hyper-pigmentation and skin darkening. The science is inconclusive so far, but the benefits of wearing SPF daily are clear to see.