What happens to our skin as we age?

Do you have a friend in their late 20s who still gets carded? Is your neighbour over 40 but looks a decade younger? The truth is, being 20, 30, 40, 50 or older doesn’t look and feel the same for everyone. As we move through the decades, the key to appearing younger than we are is healthy, vibrant skin.

Natural process

Ageing is a natural process that we all go through and is obviously nothing to be ashamed of! Age affects our skin as much as any other part of our body. As we age, the structure of our skin changes, and it becomes more susceptible to damage.

What changes?

- Thickness. The first thing that you’ll notice as you age is that your skin becomes thinner. This is because the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, begins to thin out. This can make your skin look more transparent and can cause it to become more fragile. As a result, you may notice that your skin tears or bruises more easily than it used to.

- Elasticity. Another thing that happens to your skin as you age is that it becomes less elastic. This is because the collagen and elastin in your skin begin to breakdown. Collagen and elastin are proteins that give your skin its structure and elasticity. As they break down, your skin becomes less able to bounce back from wrinkles, lines, and folds. This can cause your skin to look saggy and wrinkled.

- Dryness. You may also notice that your skin becomes drier. This is because your skin’s oil glands become less active. This can lead to itching, flaking, and scaling. Dry skin can also make your skin more susceptible to irritation and infection, so it’s important to make sure that you keep your skin moisturised.

- Pigmentation. Another thing to watch out for as your skin ages is age spots. Age spots are flat, brown, or black spots that appear on areas of the skin that have been exposed to the sun. They are caused by an excess of melanin in the skin. Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin its colour. As you age, the cells that produce melanin become less active, but the cells that contain the pigment can clump together, causing age spots.

What you can do?

There's nothing wrong with ageing and if you're happy to love your skin as it is then that is wonderful! There is also nothing wrong with wanting to give your skin a boost or prevent the signs of ageing. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to help reduce these signs of ageing and keep your skin healthy and looking its best.

1. Wellness. Getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising and keeping hydrated are all super important.

2. Protection. Protecting your skin from the sun and using antioxidant rich moisturisers. Nature’s Antioxidant Crème will help to replenish and revitalise your skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and pigmentation. If you’re experiencing noticeably drier skin, then it’s well worth using our Moisture Boost Serum (which is also fantastic for brightening & encouraging cellular turnover) and/or our Intense Hydrating Crème which will boost collagen production and repair your skin barrier.
3. Nourishment. If you pay attention to your skin and take good care of it, you can help to reduce the signs of ageing. Establishing a great exfoliation routine to remove dead skin cells, dirt and bacteria is very important. There are numerous harsh chemical products that should be avoided, be kind to your skin while cleansing and exfoliating, try our Gentle Exfoliant and feel the difference.

Growing old is a blessing but there's nothing wrong with wishing to appear younger for longer. By taking amazing care of our skin we can look healthy and youthful for years to come.