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Active Skincare and Premature Skin Ageing: Secrets for Success
Premature skin ageing is a concern for many people. It occurs when the natural ageing process is exacerbated by environmental and lifestyle factors, causing us to look older than we really are. Premature ageing typically manifests as fine lines, wrinkles, photo damage, and loss of volume and elasticity.
In this blog we will outline the steps you can take to tackle premature ageing and how you can use active skincare to get your youthful glow back.
What causes premature skin ageing?
Before we think about how to use active skincare to address premature ageing, it is important to establish what causes skin ageing in the first place.
Skin ageing occurs naturally as we get older and our bodies slow down the production of collagen and elastin, the building blocks of our skin. Damage to the skin also takes a toll on appearance, and as we age our repair mechanisms slow down, making it harder for the skin to bounce back.
Key ways that damage occurs to the skin include:
- Sun exposure – UV radiation in sunlight can cause serious damage to your skin. Not only does it cause pigmentation, wrinkles, liver spots and more, prolonged exposure also puts you at risk of skin cancer. If you are someone who likes to tan or if you frequently neglect to wear sunscreen, avoiding sun exposure is one of the most important steps you can take for your overall health as well as your skin’s appearance. Wearing sunscreen daily on your face is advised.
- Environmental pollutants – as we go about our lives we are exposed to many contaminants, especially in cities. Heavy metals, exhaust fumes and industrial emissions can linger in the air, potentially causing harm and reactivity in the skin. It is important to reinforce the skin barrier and provide a layer of protection to help prevent this damage.
- Free radicals – pollutants may cause additional damage due to free radicals. These are reactive atoms that cause oxidative stress in the skin, essentially triggering chemical reactions that harm your cells. Antioxidants in skincare will work to bind with these free radicals, helping to prevent them from reacting with your skin. The damage caused by oxidative stress is linked to signs of ageing such as wrinkles and grey hair.
- Smoking – smoking causes serious damage to every part of your body by restricting blood flow and exposing you to a cocktail of harmful chemicals. It is strongly correlated with premature skin ageing and often results in distinctive damage, such as “smokers’ lines” around the mouth. If you smoke, quitting will be crucial to avoiding further premature ageing.
- Other lifestyle factors – premature skin ageing can be caused or exacerbated by a range of other factors, including dehydration, poor diet, lack of exercise, chronic stress, and failure to get adequate sleep. If you are concerned about premature ageing, your first step should be to consider lifestyle changes you can make to improve your overall health.
How to use active skincare to address premature skin ageing
Once you have addressed lifestyle factors that might be causing you to look older than you feel, the next step is to put together a skincare regimen that will help protect, restore and repair the skin. You will need a range of products and specific ingredients to tackle all aspects of ageing.
Read on to see the ingredients and products that we recommend. Take note of your skin type and concerns before you start, as some products will be more suited to you than others. For instance, if you already wear sunscreen and have naturally dry skin, you will need to focus more on hydration and barrier protection, whereas if you have excessive photo damage you will need to focus more on SPF and brightening products.
- How it works: Sunscreen helps to prevent skin ageing by providing protection from UV radiation. Wearing sunscreen daily is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your skin’s health and appearance.
- Recommended product: Superstar.
- Our Superstar sunscreen provides broad spectrum SPF 50+ protection. It is a physical sunscreen, meaning it uses micronised zinc to scatter incoming UV radiation and prevent it from penetrating the skin. It is specially formulated for the face, suitable for everyday use, and can be used by all skin types.
- Tip: Superstar can be used as a base for make-up. Dispense a pump and warm the product by rubbing between your fingertips. Once it turns clear, pat it onto the face and apply your make-up as normal.
- How it works: The skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest and most delicate on the body. It is often the first to show the signs of ageing or damage. Look for retinol or peptide creams to help hydrate and rejuvenate the eye area, which will address the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles.
- Recommended products: Eye Do and Eye Dream.
- Eye Do is an AM/PM eye cream that features copper peptide as its star ingredient to perk up the skin’s appearance. It can be used daily by people of all skin types. Eye Dream is our PM-only retinol eye cream that stimulates rejuvenation and repair while you sleep.
- Tip: For the ultimate at-home eye treatment, apply Eye Do in the morning and Eye Dream in the evening.
- How it works: Retinol stimulates collagen production, essentially forcing your skin cells to regenerate more rapidly to produce a refreshed complexion. This rejuvenating effect can address the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, uneven complexion, and more. Retinol is an essential part of most anti-ageing regimens and the optimal type of Retinol to use is an Encapsulated Retinol for best delivery and absorption.
- Recommended product: Dream Team Regular 0.625 or Dream Team Advanced 1.25.
- These PM-only serums contain potent Encapsulated Retinol to help restore and refresh the skin. Few ingredients rival retinol for anti-ageing potential, and our Dream Teams have been specially formulated to be gentle and suitable for all skin types.
- Tip: If you have not used retinol before, or if it has been a long time since you used it, be sure to introduce it into your regimen gradually. Start with a lower concentration and use every other night, slowly increasing frequency to nightly use.
- How it works: Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can mitigate the effects of free radicals and environmental pollutants to reduce damage that causes premature ageing. It can also have a noticeable brightening effect on dull or pigmented skin. As Vitamin C can be a very volitile ingredient we recommend using a Stabilised Vitamin C for optimal results.
- Recommended products: Next Level and Bright Star.
- Next Level is our AM-only Stabilised Vitamin C serum that is ideal for providing daily antioxidant protection. Our face treatment Bright Star also contains a Stabilised Vitamin C to address the appearance of pigmentation and sun damage.
- Tip: Vitamin C can enhance the effects of SPF. Wear Next Level in conjunction with Superstar each morning for the ultimate sun smart regimen. Applying Bright Star in the evening can then address existing photo damage.
- How it works: HA holds over 1000x its own weight in water, allowing it to provide deep and lasting hydration to the skin.
- Recommended product: Glam Squad.
- Glam Squad is our HA and Vitamin B serum that provides hydration and support to the skin. It is suitable for all skin types and often considered a daily essential for overall skin health.
- Tip: As a water-based product, be sure to apply Glam Squad as one of the first steps in your regimen. You can then seal it with your other products.
- How it works: As we age, our body naturally produces fewer peptides. By introducing peptides into the skin through active skincare, the skin is supported to produce collagen and avoid the effects of free radicals, leading to a refreshed complexion.
- Recommended products: Eye Do, Next Level and Star Quality.
- Eye Do contains a range of powerful peptides that target signs of ageing in the eye area such as fine lines and dark circles. A brightening peptide can be found in our Vitamin C serum Next Level and our anti-ageing moisturiser Star Quality to help address dullness, poor texture, and photo damage.
- Tip: There are many different peptides that are used in skincare. Be sure to check precisely which peptide a product contains to confirm it is suited to your skin.
- How it works: AHAs are chemical exfoliants that remove dead skin cells from the top layer of skin, helping to improve the complexion and stimulating the skin’s natural renewal systems.
- Recommended product: Quiet Achiever
- This leave-on exfoliating gel contains five botanical AHAs to promote cellular turnover. It can particularly improve dull and mature skin by refreshing the complexion.
- Tip: Alternate using Quiet Achiever with a retinol product like Dream Team. We recommend applying Quiet Achiever in the morning and Dream Team in the evening so you can get optimal benefits from stimulating skin cell turnover.
Ceramides
- How it works: Ceramides are lipids that can be found naturally in the skin. They work to maintain the health and integrity of the skin barrier. Applying a ceramide-rich product can enhance the skin barrier, protect against environmental pollution, improve hydration, and aid skin repair and renewal.
- Recommended products: Star Quality and Date Night
- Star Quality is the ultimate anti-ageing moisturiser in our range. It uses ceramides alongside a range of nourishing oils and butters to provide deep hydration, protection and repair. For an additional skin boost, try our leave-on deep hydration mask Date Night, which also uses ceramides to promote hydration and rejuvenation.
- Tip: Date Night can be used as often as you need it, whether that’s once a week or every night. It is particularly recommended for dry skin types to mitigate premature ageing. Simply apply in the evening whenever you feel you need a boost.
- How it works: As a form of Vitamin B, niacinamide is a versatile ingredient that provides a host of benefits and is suitable for all skin types. It is particularly favoured for promoting overall skin health and resilience, making it a staple for anti-ageing regimens.
- Recommended products: Glam Squad and Superhero
- Glam Squad contains niacinamide to promote and enhance its hydrating formula. Our lightweight wrinkle defence moisturiser Superhero also contains niacinamide as a hero ingredient.
- Tip: Glam Squad and Superhero can be used together both AM and PM for round-the-clock hydration, barrier protection, and antioxidant action.
Once you have settled on a regimen, remember to apply your products consistently. You’re not going to see overnight results, especially if you are fighting against a lifetime of extensive damage. Ensure you consider lifestyle factors such as smoking and sun exposure to give your regimen the best chance of producing optimal results.
If you need help putting together an anti-ageing skincare regimen, our friendly dermal clinicians will be happy to assist. Simply visit here to book a consult. Alternatively, you can take our Skin Quiz at libertybellerx.com.au, which will help you identify which products are best for you.
