Aging Gracefully: Your Skin and Anti-Aging

Cosmetics through the Eyes of a Scientist…

Dr. Ebru Karpuzoğlu

Published on Lilakutu in June 2012.

Aging Gracefully: Your Skin and Anti-Aging

From Ancient Rome to the Middle Ages, humanity has strived to overcome aging, preserve eternal youth, and maintain its irresistible allure. The birth of legends like the Fountain of Youth; Cleopatra’s legendary milk baths enjoyed in the shadow of Egypt’s mysterious temples, the various herbal mixtures tried by Roman women and Ottoman sultans—all had one goal: to prevent skin aging and capture eternal beauty!

Today, the goal remains the same! While no one among us has achieved eternal youth, some cosmetic products, developed with various advanced technologies offered by science, can provide astonishingly miraculous solutions.

The skin reflects the first signs of natural aging on its surface, and during this period, products that renew and support the skin play a significant role in improving and maintaining skin quality.

Therefore, dear ladies, understanding the scientific mechanism of skin aging and developing cosmetic products based on these data, and their selection by the user, is quite important.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Our Skin, Aging, and External Factors

We all love sunbathing for long hours under the hot sun, enjoying a sneaky cigarette, and indulging in feasts filled with various fried foods and delicious desserts. But can these have an effect on our skin aging? I hear some of you saying, “No way.” But yes, they can! :)

We can categorize skin aging into two general classes:

1. Premature or early aging due to external factors, including physical, chemical, and mechanical environmental influences or UV-induced photoaging.
2. Chronological internal aging related to increasing age.

Sunlight (UV), smoking, alcohol consumption, and a poor diet high in fats and sugars are the primary external factors contributing to skin quality deterioration [1, 2]. External factors can initiate, accelerate, or increase aging. Premature/early aging is particularly seen in areas continuously exposed to these effects, such as the face, neck, and hands [3, 4]. Cigarette smoke has been shown to have a phototoxic effect on the skin, leading to early aging [5]. The characteristic structural changes on the skin caused by photoaging and external aging factors can be summarized as irregular dryness, dark or light pigmentation, pallor, deep lines, skin laxity, and loss of skin softness [6]. In areas not exposed to mechanical or UV influences, such as the face, hands, and neck, aging, dryness, and wrinkles are more likely to develop due to genetic and hormonal internal changes [7].

Time is Ticking: Our Skin’s Homeostasis and Functional Changes

Before moving on to this section, I should briefly explain what “homeostasis” means. Homeostasis is the “dynamic balance” where the internal living environment continues under the most suitable and normal conditions. The functions of skin homeostasis include protection [immune system], skin permeability, skin water balance (moisture), and the absorption of externally applied substances. Factors initiating aging can disrupt the skin’s homeostasis, leading to functional changes observed as a decrease in the skin’s barrier function, cell and collagen tissue renewal, and immunological response [3].

One of the primary homeostasis functions of the skin is its barrier (permeability) function, which retains moisture in the skin while also providing permeability for externally applied substances (such as personal care products) for maintenance and healing [8]. The barrier function decreases with advancing age and increasing photoaging, causing the skin to lose moisture more quickly and become dry. Dry skin is characterized by a reduced lipid structure and a delay in the barrier’s ability to renew itself after irritation [9]. Increased dryness and loss of barrier function can lead to flaking, irritation, redness, and cracking, as well as rapid aging and hypersensitivity to improperly chosen personal care products [9].

Collagen plays an essential role in maintaining skin elasticity. It has been observed that collagen production significantly decreases with excessive exposure to UV rays. The degradation of elastic fibers containing collagen, which supports the skin’s youthful and flexible appearance, plays a major role in skin aging and especially in wrinkle formation [8]. Menopause or a decrease in the female hormone “estrogen” can lead to dryness, wrinkles, collagen degradation, and loss of elasticity in the skin [10].

In aging skin, wound healing slows down, and the strength of the immunological response, which protects the skin against external factors, gradually decreases. When the number of immune cells that belong to our protective immune system decreases and their functions deteriorate, the skin cannot provide the necessary defense against external factors, leading to unwanted sensitivity and irritation [11]. In such cases, when skin homeostasis is disrupted, the skin will do its best to return to its former state and normalize the system. To reduce the wear and tear on the skin against aging factors that increase over time, in addition to chronological aging, it is necessary to reduce external factors (UV, smoking, and alcohol consumption), eat well, and use appropriate products.

Do You Need to Use Anti-Aging Products Continuously?

The cumulative wear and tear of years, environmental conditions, lifestyle, and eating habits determine how quickly our skin will age. Yes, us… As you can see, aging is inevitable, but delaying aging and becoming more beautiful as we age is in your hands. When you wake up in the morning, do you want to see a dry, neglected, wrinkled face in the mirror, or a soft, moisturized, happy face?

Unfortunately, most of us do not start using anti-aging/anti-wrinkle products until we see the first wrinkles and lines on our face. Even if we start, we neglect or do not use them with discipline. Generally, anti-aging products contain ingredients that delay and mitigate skin aging, and the main purpose is to reduce the first wrinkles “before other wrinkles form.”

Regardless of your age, using a suitable skincare and anti-aging cream will greatly benefit your skin’s elasticity and health, and help prevent the aging process. By using the right products at the right time, you can prevent skin aging, reverse your skin age, and achieve a well-maintained and vibrant complexion that becomes more beautiful over time.

Additionally, to support the cosmetic products you use for your skin’s health and appearance, consider your diet and smoking habits, and support your skin from within. Increase your physical activity, ensure quality sleep, and avoid stress. These positive changes in your lifestyle will help not only your skin but your overall health as well.

There are no unchangeable, fixed, “carved in stone” rules for using anti-aging creams and products. However, to guarantee the best results and get your money’s worth, the job falls on you. Regular and continuous use of the anti-aging product that best meets your skin’s needs will help you achieve the desired result. To get clear results from your anti-aging cream, you need to use the product regularly for “at least” 30 days. In some cases, you may notice changes before 30 days, but remember that the results will be visible after a certain period.

Another important point is choosing the most suitable product for your skin and following the usage instructions. A good wrinkle cream should contain ingredients that help renew and increase the elasticity of your skin. Collagen, which supports the elasticity of your skin, is the supportive tissue protein. Its production decreases with advancing age. While using your anti-aging cream, you are providing external support to your skin, helping it look more elastic, vibrant, and healthy.

As I mentioned above, dry skin can accelerate the formation of wrinkles and fine lines. By using your anti-aging product without interruption, you are helping your skin, whose barrier (permeability) function and moisture have decreased, to maintain its maximum moisture balance.

Nowadays, even in anti-aging applications such as aesthetic surgery and Botox, which are becoming increasingly popular, repeated treatments are recommended continuously to maintain the youthful appearance. At this point, our key words are repeated and continuous… Why? Just like time, skin aging is a continuous natural process… When you stop using your anti-aging products, you may see signs of dullness, sagging, and fatigue on your skin over time. Because time doesn’t stop, it keeps moving forward. Our skin cannot withstand time on its own and continues to age naturally.

In summary, by regularly taking care of our skin with anti-aging products, paying attention to proper nutrition, avoiding smoking, alcohol consumption, and sun exposure, we can slow down the effects of time and live “agelessly” at every age in the most beautiful and healthy way.

Note: This article is not intended to replace prescriptions, medication, medical, or therapeutic advice. Therefore, for health-related issues, please consult professional healthcare personnel.

Sources

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3. Kohl E, Steinbauer J, Landthaler M, Szeimies RM: Skin ageing. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2011;25:873-884.
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5. Placzek M, Kerkmann U, Bell S, Koepke P, Przybilla B: Tobacco smoke is phototoxic. Br J Dermatol 2004;150:991-993.
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8. Elias PM, Ghadially R: The aged epidermal permeability barrier: basis for functional abnormalities. Clin Geriatr Med 2002;18:103-120, vii.
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10. Hall G, Phillips TJ: Estrogen and skin: the effects of estrogen, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy on the skin. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005;53:555-568; quiz 569-572.
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