How to slow down aging process and minimize wrinkles

Wrinkles are mostly associated with aging and it is something that starts happening in our twenties and thirties. But why do we get wrinkles? You know this, you cut your finger and in 2-3 days it is back to normal. So, if our body can heal itself, and even fight disease, why can it then not repair also the skin damage that causes the skin to wrinkle?
The fact is, as we get older, the cells replace and regenerate more slowly than they do when we are younger thus delaying repair and renewal of the skin.
 Also, as we age, the fat cells just under the outer layer of our skin, which makes the skin look supple, get smaller and lose their ability to fill out whatever gaps created by the damage that occurs in the inner layers of our skin. And so our skin starts to  sag, becomes dry and develops wrinkles.

There are also external factors that can aggravate skin damage. The top three skin enemies, which I also call the  3’s, are sun, smoking and sugar.

Sun exposure

Although  we need some sun light to build Vitamin D, which is needed for Serotonin production (a feel good hormone)  and  also for good  bone health, spending too much time under the sun with minimal or no protection at all causes the skin to be vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation. Sunlight causes the outer layer of the skin, which is the epidermis, to become thinner, and encourages the overproduction of melanin, which will then result in hyper pimgmentation.  Sunlight exposure also causes the collagen in our skin to break down faster than natural aging does. Loss of collagen results in loss of elasticity for the skin, therefore to skin sagging and wrinkling.  

What to do:  Wear broad-spectrum  Sun protection every day,  all year  around with at least  SPF 30 and avoid  the sun between 12am – 3 pm, if you live in a hot climate that is.

Smoking

Cigarette smoke is second only to sun exposure as the leading cause of skin damage, it  tends to thin your skin.  Smoking interferes with the absorption of Vitamin C and A, both of which provide skin protection. Nicotine is a diuretic, it dehydrates the skin and burns away the nutrients of the body. Smoking also promotes collagen deterioration and often cuts off the blood flow from the surface of the skin, which gives it a dry, pale appearance. In addition, the constant pursing  of your lips and squinting to keep out smoke  create lines around the mouth and eyes over time.
What to do:  The only thing you can do in this case is to stop smoking soon as possible.   Experts agree that  going cold turkey is most effective method.

Sugar

Renowned researcher  Nicholas Perricone M.D., says that the effects of sugar on skin is up there with smoking and sun as a leading cause of wrinkles. Simple sugars — the kind you find in cookies, cakes and many other foods, are molecules that attach to protein fibers in our cells in a damaging process called glycation. The end products of glycation is known as Advanced Glycation End products (short AGE's- how appropriate).Simply put, sugar causes inflammation and reduces the power of collagen to rebuild the skin’s structure and increase the rate at which collagen breaks down naturally. Glycation also robs the skin of its natural moisturizer, the hyaluronic acid. The results are skin dryness and sagging.

What to do: Cut back on sugar in your diet. Though not easy to eliminate sugar completely, avoid ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. Even whole grains,especially wheat products,  fruits, and vegetables  turn to glucose — the type of sugar that fuels glycation —when digested.

Getting wrinkles is a natural process and it is something we cannot avoid, but we can certainly slow down the aging process by  focusing on diet and exercise. Exercise can help bring blood to the surface of your skin and begins to replenish the capillaries with oxygen.
 Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and fish that are rich in vitamins and minerals that fight the development of free radicals in the body. Also, drink plenty of water and herbal tea to keep the body hydrated, but avoid too much black tea and coffee.

Also try to get as much sleep as possible as well, as much as eight hours a day. Sufficient rest keeps the body from being stressed, since chronic stress accelerates the aging process.
 Lastly, opt for home cosmetic products with alpha-hydroxy or beta-hydroxy acids, which will help exfoliate dead skin cells, but be sure to follow with a good moisturizer to counteract its drying effects.  Check also out my posts about  AHA's, BHA's and Image Skincare.

What are your tips and tricks to beautiful skin? 

xxx Marina

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