What really happens to your skin when you age

SKIN CONCERNS

What really happens when your skin ages

From tiny creases along your eyes to increasing dullness, we go deep beneath the surface to discover what’s really happening to your skin’s appearance over time.

Maybe you’ve noticed that your skin isn’t as bouncy as it used to be recently. Or it’s the surprise appearance of little dry patches that doesn’t seem to go away, even though your skin has always been perfectly balanced. Change is one of life’s few constants, and that applies to your skin too — even if you can’t always see what’s going on. Here’s what’s really happening when your skin ages, and how you can help prevent these visible skin aging signs to keep your skin looking gorgeous.

It loses its natural glow

Radiant skin glows naturally, but maintaining it takes work. As you get older, your skin gets thinner and drier, and has a harder time getting rid of old dead skin cells from the surface. Over time, these skin cells build up to give you a dull, ashy appearance — basically, the gunk on your face starts stealing your glow.

Reclaim your radiance with a clarifying toner using Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids, which helps remove dead skin cells to reveal healthy, youthful-looking skin beneath. A gentle nightly massage while applying your moisturiser will also boost blood circulation to your face for a rosy-cheeked flush that looks like you’ve just stepped out of a facial.

Keep your skin glowing with gentle toning and diligent sun protection.

It starts to feel rough

Excess oil can make your pores look larger than usual and give your skin a bumpy appearance.

If you’ve noticed that your skin is rougher than you’d like, it may be because of large pores. This happens when sebaceous glands beneath the skin produce more sebum, or natural oils, than your skin needs. Excess oil can make your pores look larger than usual and give your skin a bumpy appearance. As you get older and collagen production slows down, your pores also get less support from the structural proteins and appear bigger over time.

When it comes to skin texture, some folks are luckier than others. Oil production is stimulated by factors such as hormonal imbalance and diet — which means that if you have oily or combination skin, you might be more prone to large pores.

The good news? No matter what’s your skin type, good skincare habits go a long way to smooth skin texture. Keep pores tiny-looking with a double-cleanse routine at the end of the day to remove makeup and sunscreen, and add a clarifying essence for smooth skin. Finally, control oil production with a moisturiser suited to your skin type — go for lightweight lotions or emulsions that will hydrate without blocking pores.

It gets uneven with hyperpigmentation

Whether they’re known as dark spots, sun spots or brown spots, all spots interfere with a crystal clear complexion. Most sun spots also stay invisible – deep beneath the surface of your skin – taking up to a decade (or even two!) to show up. That means that by the time you hit your 30s, spots formed in your teens from UV exposure will start appearing on your skin. Hormonal imbalances caused by pregnancy, birth control, or just natural aging also trigger melanin production, the pigment that causes dark spots.

If you’ve spotted any hyperpigmentation, reach for brightening ingredients such as prune extract that are known to help prevent melanin production caused by UV exposure.

Serums or essences containing prune extract can help prevent melanin production caused by UV exposure.

It gets less firm

Firm skin is chock-full of two structural proteins, collagen and elastin, which keep your skin strong and resilient. But production slows down as you age — from your 20s onwards, your skin contains less collagen. The elastin you do have also degrades and becomes less resilient over time.Fortunately, there are ways to delay this visible sign of aging. Sun protection is key to preserving your skin’s firmness, as UV exposure accelerates the degradation of collagen and elastin. Protect your skin both indoors and out with a broad-spectrum sunscreen that shields both UVA and UVB rays.

It starts to create fine lines

Have you noticed tiny creases around the corners of your eyes or cheeks? These fine lines are caused by repeated muscle movements such as smiling and laughing, which create grooves in your skin that deepen over time. They can be made worse by environmental factors such as pollutants and sun exposure, which deplete collagen and elastin fibre that give your skin its structure.Besides applying sunscreen religiously, you can reduce the appearance of wrinkles with a moisturiser that’s suited to your skin type. Moisturise twice a day to hydrate your skin, and finish with a serum containing peptides to prevent the appearance of wrinkles.

Quick tip

Staying well hydrated also keeps your skin firm and bouncy, so make sure you keep up your water intake while using your favourite moisturiser twice-daily.