What Makes Skin Look Older?

What makes skin look older? Do we have any control over it? And, the big question – is there anything we can do about it?

Anti-ageing is a big subject in skincare – it’s definitely in the top 3, if we could be a bit authoritative for a moment. Skingredients, as a brand, helps you protect the health of your skin, and often it can appear that healthy, nourished skin looks and feels more youthful. Two of the best ways to do this is to use skincare which is crammed with antioxidants, and to wear SPF – both of which are anti-ageing, and both of which Skingredients is great at!

Of course, Skingredients is also crammed full of anti-ageing ingredients which have an active effect on your skin, and can help to promote the production of collagen and elastin to make skin appear more youthful. It can also minimize the depth of wrinkles with peptides. We are also huge advocates of SPF, because when it comes to premature ageing, limiting sun damage and exposure is the best thing you can do for your skin. 

What Makes Skin Look Older?

Just why, oh why, does it seem that folks of the same age can look so radically different from one another? Maybe you’re a 35 year old who regularly gets mistaken for a hooman in their twenties – and if you are, then we salute you – but it can work the other way too. It’s no fun being fun, funky, and forty, and having folks assume you’re a few years beyond that.

So why do certain hoomans skin appear more aged than others?

There are a lot of factors which can contribute to the appearance of ageing in the skin. Some of them are controllable, but others aren’t.

How Much Of Skin Ageing Is Genetic?

Scientists and geneticists still debate the percentage and amount that genetics can be attributed to ageing. Some sources suggest it’s as little as 10%, some suggest it’s to do with the variations in the gene MC1R (nerdie bit), but there is a certain amount of skin ageing which we’re stuck with, in much the same way that genetics can account for your propensity to develop acne. 

There’s not much we can do about genetics, apart from mourning or celebrating them, but there are other factors at play as well. When we talk about skin ageing, we’re talking about intrinsic factors (genetics, and fate, babies) and extrinsic factors (the results of life in the fast lane). 

Dermal Cells Losing Connections

The dermis (your skin) contains a lot of complicated parts, including collagen and elastin – the structural proteins that give your skin its plumpness and snap (pluuuuump and SNAP!). As we age, the connections between these proteins weaken, and degrade, meaning that our skin’s tone becomes laxer.

This process happens to everyone – at different rates, depending on – you guessed it – your genetics, but this can also be heavily influenced by lifestyle factors.

UV Damage to Skin

Sun exposure can degrade collagen and elastin in your skin, making it appear older. If you don’t wear a high factor SPF, this will be particularly noticeable. It’s important as well to limit the amount of time that you spend in the sun – wearing SPF is not utter immunity. Being sun-safe is still key, because it’s not just about skin ageing. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland.

Pigmentation is also sun-related. You know what we mean – sun spots, age spots, and what people can cutely mis-term freckles (although freckles do exist!).

As well as wearing a high-factor, broad spectrum SPF, you should avoid the sun during peak times, wearing sleeves and hats, and don’t forget about wearing an SPF on your lips, ears and neck too! 

Skingredients Skin Shield SPF 50 PA+++

This is where Skin Shield comes in handy. Skingredients Skin Shield SPF 50 PA+++ is your broad-spectrum SPF and day cream. It’s lightly moisturising, protects against the HEV blue light from phones and screens, and has a peach tint to stave off that white pallor that can come with other SPFs. It’s perfect as a primer before makeup, or to wear in place of it if you just fancy a light base. 

It provides protection from UVA, UVA, HEV, and infrared rays, as well as being protective against pollution, and anti-ageing.

It’s not just your everyday SPF, it’s also your sun-protective one for holidays and can even be used on babies. Everyone knows baby skin needs MORE of a glow… We wouldn’t need to be sarcastic about babies if their skin wasn’t so damn great.

Smoking

After the natural processes of ageing and sun exposure, smoking is actually thought to be the greatest predictor of facial wrinkling in men and women. 

The nicotine in cigarettes contributes to the narrowing of blood vessels, which impairs blood flow to your skin. Without the blood to transport it, skin can lack oxygen and vitamins like vitamin A – key for healthy skin turnover and renewal. 

The chemicals present in cigarettes can also damage collagen and elastin, and as a result of this, the processes of ageing in your skin are sped up. Essentially, every time you smoke, your whole body becomes inflamed due to the influx of free radicals that NO amount of antioxidants could truly tackle. Chronic inflammation throughout your body means that your skin will age faster. Sorry! 

That’s not all – the physical act of smoking can cause dynamic wrinkles – wrinkles due to repetition of an action, inhaling through a cigarette.

Sleep

Getting or not getting enough sleep can make the world of difference, and it has a genuine effect on your perceived age. In a study on sleep and skin function, results suggested that with poor sleep, the skin’s barrier does not have an opportunity to repair fully. Poor sleep was also shown to increase fine lines and the appearance of ageing, and of course, is connected with puffiness and darkness in the eye area. For anyone who has had a newborn, then you know just what we mean. 

Stress

Stress works to slow our skin’s natural renewal process. It can also trigger premature ageing on a cellular level, prompt excess oil production, leading to breakouts – which are not strictly ageing, but not something which we generally aspire to.

Cortisol (the stress hormone) can also lead to inflammation, which can worsen inflammatory skin conditions, like rosacea, acne, eczema – basically, no matter what way we look at it, stress it not good for the skin! Stress can come in lots of different forms too – think about the stress of planning a wedding. This can negatively impact your skin, and coming up to a wedding, this is the last thing you need – and the cycle repeats!

Anti-Ageing Skincare

The Skingredients range is an anti-ageing range, but certain products within it are really stand-out when it comes to preventing premature ageing, due to their rockstar ingredients. 

Skingredients Skin Veg is a hydrating, highlighting, anti-ageing serum. It contains a patented pro-collagen peptide which helps to stimulate the production of collagen in the skin. It also contains sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid – ideal for keeping skin plump and super hydrated. 

Antioxidants are molecules which fight free radicals in your body, and we can also apply them topically to the skin, meaning they will pair with unstable molecules and fight away the dangerous free radicals. Skin Veg is crammed with free radicals in the form of botanical and veggie extracts. 

Applying antioxidants to your skin can fight free radicals, and neutralise reactions which might otherwise induce or aggravate skin conditions. They can also diminish signs of ageing, reduce inflammation, brighten skin tone, and even help skin to repair your skin from damage! Skingredients is full of potent anti-oxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin A, green tea extract…

Skingredients Skin Protein follows Skin Veg in order of application. This is a vitamin A-rich serum. Vitamin A is one of the most important ingredients when it comes to preventing premature ageing of the skin. It is a super powerful antioxidant, which fights free radicals and protects your skin from further damage, too! It reduces oil production, speeds up cell renewal, and can even diminish the appearance of pore size. Vitamin A can help to reduce the appearance of the depth of fine lines and wrinkles, and the cell turnover rate can also be very important when it comes to ageing skin. 

Following both of these serums with Skin Shield SPF 50 PA+++ is a great move towards protecting your skin from premature ageing, and addressing some of the factors which can make your skin look older! Protecting our skin from sun damage is one of the most important things that we can do in order to keep our skin looking youthful for longer. 

SPF protects your skin from UVA, UVB, HEV and infrared. UVA is a type of radiation from the sun which is year-round, and comes through the windows. Exposing yourself to UVA light without protection is a great way to go about sun damaging your skin. Protecting your skin from UVA rays is also very important when it comes to avoiding skin cancer. 

Skin Shield also contains niacinamide which is a powerful antioxidant too – ideal for a final attack on the free radicals in your skin!

SPF every day is a great way to avoid looks like this one: 

… and that’s our goal at all times!