Written by - Ujjvala
It is natural to show signs of ageing. Skin being the largest organ of our body, we tend to show more significant signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, rough texture and laxity. This happens when the usual functioning of the skin: protection from the sun and hydrating the skin gets disturbed. The reasons for ageing could be intrinsic or extrinsic.
Intrinsic factors: Over the years, the epidermis(outermost layer of the skin) thins down, causing the dermis to be the epidermis and decreasing the contact area of the skin to absorb nutrients.
Extrinsic factors: UV rays can also thicken the epidermis when exposed to the sun longer periods. As the stratum corneum( outer layer of the epidermis) fails to shed after cyclic intervals, it accumulates corneocytes(cells responsible for cell turnover) that reduce the interactions between basal cells and the cellular matrix leading to increased signs of ageing.
Some Other Reasons For Ageing:
The chromosomes, which contain genetic information, are present in the nucleus of the cell. At their ends are telomeres, which age with decreasing size and can result in age-related issues
Oxidative Stress:
Free radicals in the air ( atoms looking for making a molecular bond) contact our skin cells, disturb the cell matrix, and cause faster ageing.
Here are some products that you should look for to slow down the ageing process.
Niacinamide:
Niacinamide: Vitamin B3 and nicotinic acid are other identifiers for niacinamide. It is a powerful skin-repairing ingredient that can enhance skin hydration and lightens skin tone, and texture while also helping to make it less irritable.
Niacinamide works by fortifying the skin's outer layer. Vitamin B3 acts as a fuel, strengthening cellular bonds and tightening skin. Niacinamide, when applied topically, strengthens the surface structure, helps smooth wrinkles, and inhibits photocarcinogenesis.
Retinol:
Natural collagen and elastin production slows as we age, and the skin's turnover rate slows. Many of the signs of skin ageing, such as wrinkling,sagging, and dehydration, are caused by these factors. Retinol can boost collagen production, accelerate skin cell renewal, tighten the epidermis, and even out your skin tone by fading dark spots when applied topically.
Vitamin c:
Vitamin C is a powerful anti-aging agent, especially in its purest form as L-ascorbic acid. It is a potent treatment because of its antioxidative, photoprotective, and anti-aging properties. It is available in moisturisers, creams, and serums with high concentrations.
Ceramides:
Ceramides have been shown to have anti-aging properties. Ceramides bind skin together and form a protective barrier, which helps prevent moisture loss and the visible damage from environmental factors. Ceramides also contribute to the suppleness of your skin. However, the amount and quality of ceramides decrease as you age. This can damage the skin barrier, resulting in dry, scaly skin, wrinkles, reddening, irritation, and dehydration. Ceramides in skincare can regenerate your skin's ceramides. This makes your skin look and feel younger, keeping it hydrated.Omega-3 Supplements:
Omega-supplements can help balance oils in the diet and can help lengthen the telomere. It can also reduce oxidative stress by up to 15% and thus slow down the ageing process.
Vitamin-E:
Vitamin E supplements have long been used to help people feel and look younger. Atherosclerosis, or the progressive clogging and thickening of arteries, can be prevented with vitamin E supplements. Vitamin E supplements also protect against other aging-related ailments by preventing the free radicals that decimate cells. Vitamin E creams and lotions have several anti-ageing and healing properties that aid in reducing the appearance of ageing.
Sunscreen:
Sunscreen is required 365 days a year because the sun does not only harm your skin when the sky is clear. The UV light emitted by the sun hammers away at skin year-round, whether it's cloudy or pouring rain. Having left your skin vulnerable from this attack results in all of the ageing symptoms you want to avoid. Daily sunscreen use, regardless of age, is the foundation of anti-ageing skin care regimen. Any sunscreen you use should be labelled as broad-spectrum, which means it protects your skin from the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Those were some tips we provided to slow down the aging process. Remember, ageing cannot be reversed or escaped. Natural aging cannot be treated or prevented except by preventing premature aging.
References:
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3727637/
4.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24418256/