As a skin care therapist with over 15 years of training and experience and as a woman who has noticed changes in my own skin, I’ve observed that in spite of product advertising claims or what skin care experts seem to espouse, the first noticeable signs of aging is not fine lines and wrinkles, its the propensity to look tired and unrested.
Something just resonated when you read this. So many of us can attest to the fact that as young people we were able to go several nights with little to no sleep, toss it back until the trees swayed, neglect to drink enough water and still jump out of bed at 7am to make our 7:45am class looking fresh as a 19 year old peach. Sure it eventually caught up to us but depending on genetics, it took awhile to notice.
The truth is, the aging process starts in our 20s and we gradually continue to age over time. There are intrinsic (natural) factors such as changes in the connective tissue that reduce the skin's strength and elasticity, blood vessels of the dermis become more fragile and sebaceous glands produce less oil as we age. Extrinsic (external) factors include smoking, sun exposure; overuse of certain products and ingredients, climate and allergies.
But the good news, no the GREAT news is that as the largest organ of the body, our skin has the incredible ability to regenerate itself to vibrant health. It is an integrative process that involves conscious thought of the food, minerals and water we ingest as well the ingredients we use on our skin and hair 70% of which is absorbed by the skin. Think about that!
Finally, we must consider how we manage stress; the amount of rest we’re getting, which is detrimental to the body system and the processes that occur during this stage. And finally, enough cannot be said about being aware of unprotected sun exposure. I believe is it healthy to receive small doses of sun daily but take care to use a great sunblock because you’re never completely blocking out the sun (worshippers).
Hear me, there’s no need to be discouraged or resentful of father time and whatever you’ve done or not done to your skin up until now. New cells are waiting to be born and old ones reawakened and recharged. Sagging collagen and elastin fibers sit in wait for a jolt of fibroblast. Our skin is thirsty for super antioxidant rich ingredients packed with the kind of energy that fuel Olympians. As for me, I plan on aging gracefully with the brilliant science of Mother Nature on my side and what I’ve learned along the way.