HOW TO REVERSE THE SIGNS OF AGING

Aging….it can be a scary word but it happens to all of us. While normal biological aging leads to fine lines, dryness, and loss of elasticity. It does not typically bear the striking changes triggered by lifestyle factors. In this post, I will explain the lifestyle age acceleration factors, cellular aging functions, and how to reverse the signs of aging, keeping you looking and feeling youthful!

LIFESTYLE AGING ACCELERATORS

The choices you make each day and the negative impact of the environment, collectively result in an acceleration of the aging process. Deeper wrinkles and lines, along with increased spots and sagging skin, are the result of UV damage, blue light pollution, as well as smoking, diet and the quality of your sleep and thoughts.

POLLUTION

Pollutants include solid particles, gasses, and natural by-products, which combine to form toxic substances and can even affect our skin health. For instance, traffic pollution can lead to wrinkles and pigmented spots, with oxidation as the main pathway.

Ozone at ground level, not to be confused with the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, is a major component of smog which is formed when pollutants emitted from cars and industrial byproducts are exposed to heat and sunlight. Studies have shown exposure to this type of ozone leads to facial wrinkles, independent of sun exposure.

Finally, particulate matter (PM) is a type of pollutant that most affects people’s health. PM induces oxidation and inflammation which stimulated enzymes that degrade collagen. The result is skin that is irritated, sensitized, and susceptible to premature aging.

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT

UV radiation is quite possibly the best studied environmental factor that contributes to oxidation and accelerated skin aging. It affects all layers of the skin and a host of skin functions such as pigmentation, DNA repair, and antioxidant defenses. It doesn’t take a sunburn to see the damage. Most photoaging results from daily exposure to mild, low doses of UV. Think of a daily commute to work—over the years, the sun exposed skin during the commute will age much faster than the unexposed areas.

BLUE LIGHT

Blue light is also known as HEV, High Energy Visible light. The main source of blue light you’re exposed to is the sun, however, you also get a significant dose from your screens and indoor lighting. If you are like most people, you spend a consistent part of your daily life staring at screens and this may trigger accelerated aging. But blue light is not completely bad. In fact, blue light plays a critical role in maintaining good health, as it regulates your body’s circadian rhythm – your natural sleep/wake cycle – and skin can protect itself normally thanks to its ability to detect light and adapt to it. Regardless, a constant and higher exposure to blue light can negatively affect the skin.

The clearest evidence is that blue light, through the production of reactive oxygen species, contributes to dehydration, brown spots, melasma, and the breakdown of collagen, which leads to wrinkles and skin laxity.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS

We all have experienced it, but it can be a silent killer. Pervasive psychological stress stimulates a biological cascade of events involving the autonomic nervous system, the renin-angiotensin system, and the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. These systems are in place to keep our bodies in balance, but prolonged activation via stress can result in chronic immune dysfunction, increased oxidative stress and DNA damage – in all organs. That is, the stress from doing your taxes can trigger a similar biological response as a gazelle’s running from a cheetah. It can trigger or worsen inflammatory skin diseases, reduce barrier recovery, impact skin immune function and alter the water/lipid ratio. On our skin, it’s reflected in dehydration, blotchiness, sensitivity, and breakouts.

DIET

Diet and nutrition also influence the quality of our skin. A diet rich in antioxidants may delay skin aging while a diet of processed foods could lead to inflammation. Sugary foods have been linked to wrinkle formation. This is due to a process termed glycation. Eating fried or charred foods (as in a BBQ), can introduce harmful by-products of glycation into our bodies causing inflammation and oxidation.

SMOKE

Smoke can also be considered a form of pollution. Years of smoking is strongly linked to premature skin aging, even when the skin is not sun-exposed, After smoking, skin temperature rises and is robbed of oxygen. This leads to oxidation, dermal matrix breakdown, and ultimately, wrinkle formation. Smoke also deposits on the skin, potentially clogging pores and leading to a dull complexion.

SLEEP

Sleep deprivation is no laughing matter. It has now been linked to many chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, even cancer. On the skin, sleeplessness and the ensuing inflammation results in drooping eyelids, dark circles under the eyes, pale skin, more wrinkles, fine lines, and drooping corners of the mouth. Thankfully, these skin changes can be arrested with adequate nightly slumber. A good 8 hours a night is recommended.

EXERCISE

That painful hour of the day you dread doing is keeping your skin looking young and healthy! Researchers have also discovered that a sedentary lifestyle appears to cause high levels of homocysteine, which lead to an improper methylation. Each cell had a job in the body and high levels of homocysteine and improper methylation affects the cell’s ability to function. Healthy eating and exercise can have a direct benefit on sustaining the chemistry of methylation.

CELLULAR FACTORS OF AGING

Lifestyle accelerators alter the skin’s normal cellular processes which include DNA methylation, glycation, oxidation, and inflammation. Once any of these processes become imbalanced, they contribute to cellular breakdown and eventually accelerate aging.

DNA METHYLATION

DNA Methlation is a form of epigenic alteration to DNA, influencing the rate at which specific proteins are produced from their blueprint genes. All cells contain genetic materiel which tells the cell what to do.  Methylation affects gene transcription (the ability of the cell to copy gene sequence of the cell). When the methylation function is impaired by aging and lifestyle factors, the cell is unable to reproduce correctly. As a result, cellular mutation and tissue damage occurs.

GLYCATION

Glycation occurs when the sugar in the bloodstream binds to proteins forming harmful by-products that ultimately attack the structural integrity of skin – the collagen and elastin fibers. These fibers give the skin it’s tightness and when damaged lead to sagging skin and wrinkles.

OXIDATION

Oxidation is caused by free radicals at the cellular level of the epidermis. They are created as normal by products of cellular breakdown or by exposure to lifestyle aging accelerators. Free radicals have an uneven number of electrons. This results in the lone electron pairing with an electron of a healthy molecule to stabilize itself. This creates a chain reaction of free radicals and cellular damage.

INFLAMMATION

Inflammation, identified by redness and irritation on the skin, induces a wide range of unforeseen internal tissue damage. Inflammation occurs as the body’s natural healing and protection mechanism but if prolonged harms the cells. It is considered as one of the driving forces for skin aging.

HOW TO REVERSE THE SIGNS OF AGING

How do you correct the impacts that lifestyle factors have on the skin and reverse the signs aging at the cellular level? First, love yourself! This is most important. Your thoughts affect every cell of your being. Write down “I love and accept myself unconditionally'“ and post it on your bathroom mirror. Look at it and read it every day.

You can also look at each lifestyle factor and identify  how you can decrease your exposure to environmental pollutants as well as improve your health, diet and sleep. You can also treat the skin with Skin Regimen Boosters. Boosters are power packed serums specifically formulated to target the correction of wrinkles, sagging skin, spots, dryness, and dehydration to improve the health and youth of the skin. Below is a description of each booster, aging factor it targets, along with application instructions.

HA BOOSTER

Formulated to treat fine lines, dehydration, signs of stress and fatigue, Skin Regimen HA Booster is a concentrated serum contains micro, macro, and crosslink hyaluronic acid for a plumping action in the skin. Three molecular forms of hyaluronic acid lock the water into the skin at various levels to restore and prolong hydration.

Apply a few drops morning and evening to a cleansed face and neck and especially to visible lines and wrinkles. Press into the skin. Follow with moisturizer.

VIT C BOOSTER

Concentrated with 15% Vitamin C to protect the skin from oxidative damage and stimulate the synthesis of collagen, Skin Regimen Vit C booster is ideal for treatment of dark spots, uneven tone, and dullness.

Apply a few pumps morning and evening onto cleansed skin. Follow with moisturizer.

RETINOL BOOSTER

With retinol and silybin, Skin Regimen Retinol Booster is a creamy textured serum that recharges the skin with an intensive renewing action. Retinol is highly effective in stimulating cellular turnover to gently resurface the skin. Silybin acts similarly to retinoic acid, stimulating tissue regeneration, without the irritating effects. Ideal to correct wrinkles and imperfections on the skin.

Use a few drops in the evening on cleansed skin. Follow with moisturizer.

TULSI BOOSTER

Pure concentrated oik, with 10% Tulsi, and Indian herb with known adaptogenic properties, Skin Regimen Tulsi Booster is carried in almond and sunflower oil, it promotes a nourishing, illuminating, antioxidant protective action. Ideal for dry and depleted skin to give a healthy, radiant complexion.

Use in the morning and/or at night after cleansing skin. Apply a few drops to hand and press into skin. Massage in with water. Follow with moisturizer.

TEA TREE BOOSTER

Purifying concentrate with 1% Tea Tree oil and 3% Mandelic Acid for oily and impure skin. Skin Regimen Tea Tree Booster treats imperfections and adult acne, reducing their appearance and ensures a smoother, clean and even complexion.

Apply this product at night, either to the entire face to reduce and balance excessive oiliness or specifically on the areas with pimples and imperfections for a corrective action. Rinse the face the following morning.

*Pro tip: When layering boosters, apply the most liquid formulation first followed by boosters with thicker cream or oil consistency.

Aging does not have to be a frightening topic. By raising the consciousness on the factors that increase the aging process and being diligent with your home care, your skin will age beautifully. Love yourself and love your gorgeous skin.