While I happen to think the signs of ageing are not as devilish as the beauty industry would have you believe – it’s no secret that most women would prefer to be without wrinkles for as long as they can.
But what exactly are these little lines?
Without getting too sciencey, the skin is made up of three layers – epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue, each of which changes as we age.
The cells of the epidermis take longer to regenerate, and so this surface level gets approximately 10% thinner every decade.
In the dermis, Collagen, the natural scaffolding of the skin, starts to break down, loosening the skin’s firm structure.
And in the subcutaneuous tissue, fat cells reduce in size, and can no longer plump out any areas of weaker skin.
The skin also produces less natural oil and sweat, and becomes less able to retain moisture.
All of these changes combine to create skin that is much more likely to crease, and for these temporary creases to become permanent lines.
Is there such thing as anti-wrinkle skincare?
I hate to state the obvious but we will all get older, and fighting the ageing process is an uphill battle!
That being said, there are many steps we can take to help us grow old gracefully:
- keep skin as healthy, strong and hydrated as possible by regularly moisturising and conditioning the skin with products rich in Essential Fatty Acids.
- stay out of the sun. Over-exposure to UVA & UVB rays breaks down Collagen, so skin becomes weak and loose prematurely.
- don’t smoke. Smoking depletes our Vitamin C sources, and so smokers produce less Collagen.
- embrace antioxidants in your diet and products, which prevent pollutants in our environment from breaking down Collagen.
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