The Five Causes of Skin Aging

Skin Care Tip of the Day: Skin aging is due to:

- Decreased circulation-It’s a fact that blood flow slows down as we age, resulting in the loss of skin vibrancy and natural radiance. What will help? Regular facials, skin care products containing vaso-dilators (try Revitalizing Ginseng Toner) and exfoliants all will help increase blood circulation to get your skin glowing. Also, avoid smoking as this is one of the main culprits of dull, tired skin.

-Muscle atrophy-The pull of gravity through the years causes the muscles of the face to sag, especially those that are never used. (Did you know that you have 53 muscles in the face?) It’s extremely important to exercise the muscles beneath the skin so the skin will be tighter and more firm. What will help? Check our Bio Visage Lifting Facial. It exercises 32 of the 53 muscles in the face. What won’t help? Some people believe that moving your face around in certain expressions will exercise the muscles of the face. We don’t recommend this because you weaken the elasticity in the skin during the process…

- Repeated facial expressions-As briefly mentioned above, anytime you move your face (squinting, laughing, smiling, talking, yawning) the creases that are made in the skin eventually set in, resulting in lines and wrinkles. What will help? Yes, of course our faces were meant to move, but you do want to avoid facial expressions that are unnecessary.  Don’t put off getting your eyes checked as squinting from blurry vision will most definitely accelerate wrinkles around the eyes. Also, be sure to wear sunglasses when outdoors since brightness causes squinting!

- Environment-Pollution, smog, sun, second-hand smoke all contribute to the aging process. As a result of this exposure, your body creates harmful free radicals which are the underlying cause of aging. Read more about free radicals. What will help? Wear SPF every day, 365 days a year, rain or shine, inside and out. Limit your exposure to second-hand smoke (thankfully many indoor places are now smoke-free), apply topical antioxidants to the skin (Vitamin C & E Complex) and take vitamins internally.

-Lifestyle-You may be surprised to know that approximately 25% of aging is genetics and 75% is up to you—your lifestyle choices. One of many studies that we have seen proving this theory is on identical twins. Two sisters, who would under normal circumstances, age exactly the same. But in this case, one sister was a heavy smoker and a tennis coach who had spent a lot of time out in the sun. The other sister was a non-smoker and had an indoor job most of her life. The smoking sister looked easily fifteen years older because of the years of smoking and sun damage. So lifestyle choices really do matter. What will help? Live a healthy lifestyle by eating foods high in nutritious value and high in antioxidants, avoid smoking and second-hand smoke, get 7-8 hours of sleep at night, get regular facials to lessen stress (and of course, get your skin healthier) and wear SPF daily. Be sure to keep reading our blog, Twitter and FaceBook posts as we’ll keep giving daily skin care tips!

Read our A-Z Guide to Anti-Aging.