Prevention and Protection Are Key to a Youthful Appearance

Let's get one thing out of the way right now. You are beautiful. No doubt about it. But, what you may not know is that almost all of the skin care products that you have used to help you look younger and more beautiful today may not keep your skin beautiful as your age increases. And to make matters worse, most of the skin care products on the market today contain a lot of additives and preservatives that, quite frankly, I wouldn’t want in my own backyard, much less sealed up tightly in a pretty bottle or cute jar on my bathroom counter.

I know that you put forth your best effort to present yourself to the world and to look & feel your best. To do this, you are probably buying cosmetics, lotions and skin care products from only the best department stores or that have the most attractive packaging. Maybe you purchase products that are the most expensive because that means they contain only the best ingredients. That is not always true. .... During my research, I have found that prevention and protection are key to a youthful appearance. You need a comprehensive skin care approach that addresses both of the aging factors: Intrinsic Aging and Actinic Aging.

OK, so just what is Intrinsic and Actinic aging?

Intrinsic Aging: 10% of our aging process: In our mid-20s, the natural aging process beings. This is also know as Intrinsic aging and it is genetic, not much we can do about that. It is a continuous process that causes collagen production to slow down, and causes the elastin (the substance that enables skin to snap back into place) to have a little less ‘spring’. Our skin’s ability to reproduce collagen and elastin slows down 65% between the ages of 20 and 80. Our skin begins to thin at a rate of 6% every 10 years. As we age, our skin’s ability to hold moisture declines, and our skin become dehydrated. Our dead skin cells do not shed as quickly as before, and the turnover of new skin cells may decrease slightly. While these changes usually begin in our 20s, the signs of intrinsic aging are typically not visible for decades.

Actinic Aging: 90% of the visible signs of aging: Actinic aging is caused by years of skin exposure to UVA and UVB rays. That's right... sun damage. For those of you that like to play golf, outdoor sports, relax on the beach or by the pool, or even in a tanning bed need to be careful! Some of the typical changes that occur due to Actinic aging are that our skin starts to look leathery and thick and will have irregular pigmentation. Blood vessels may be visible on the surface of your skin, and deep furrows develop in the skin- in addition to wrinkles. Years of Actinic aging, starting from childhood, is responsible for up to 90% of the unwanted characteristics of aging skin.

By the time you have reached adulthood, you have had decades of exposure to free radicals that destroy cells. You’ve been exposed to UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are the sun’s silent killers. You don’t feel them, but they are the primary cause of skin cancer and wrinkles. Did you know that UVA rays penetrate through clear glass windows that do not have a UV coating? UVA rays also destroy collagen and elastin, which creates sagging.

UVB rays have an immediate, harmful impact on your skin. Damage from UVB rays takes place within the very first minute of walking outside. These rays are those that cause your skin to ‘burn’, and with that you increase your risk for skin cancer.

Don’t get too freaked out. The good news is that only 10% of how you age is directly related to your genes. The other 90% is due to how many free radicals you’ve been exposed to that destroy your skin.

Using the right products, with the right ingredients, can reverse the signs of aging. Some products have 3 of these ingredients and some have maybe 1 or 2 of them, or none at all. First, you need a skin care product that doesn't contain mineral oil, so that the ingredients can actually get below the surface of the skin and rebuild the damage you've been exposed to. Secondly, look for products with a combination of Vitamin C, Copper, Elhibin & Stimu-Tex, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Kojic Acid and Peptides (to name a few).

When choosing any product that you are going to put on your skin, remember that the skin absorbs everything very quickly. Many products on the market today contain harmful chemicals and other ingredients that can cause additional skin problems. Anything that you put on your skin will be absorbed into your bloodstream. Your skin is your body's largest organ and needs all the TLC it can get!