How to prevent premature aging?Updated a year ago
And now, the real question - how do you prevent premature aging?
- Sunscreen: The #1 anti-aging product forever and always. Sunscreen actively stops the sun’s rays from impacting the skin and forming free radicals in the first place. Check out our top sunscreens for recommendations that block both UVA and UVB.
- UPF-rated clothing, hats, and sunglasses: Another excellent sun protection strategy is to literally cover up. Hats with a UPF rating (a measurement of sun protection for clothing) are excellent for preventing sun damage and compensating for potential sunscreen failure. Wearing sunglasses can also help protect your eyes, and if you find yourself squinting a lot in the sun, it can prevent wrinkles from that type of repeated movement.
- Moisturizers: Moisturizers are underrated - even the simplest formulas are incredibly beneficial for keeping the skin resilient, which allows it to continue regenerating in a healthy manner. It also keeps the skin feeling good and has the short-term ability to keep the skin looking plump and smooth.
- Use antioxidants: Antioxidants are compounds that actively counteract the damaging chain reaction caused by free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Vitamin C is one of the best of the bunch, but it’s also quite unstable, which is why it has to be packaged in a format that keeps it fresh for longer. That said, there are many other excellent antioxidants in skincare that still work even if they’re not as powerful. They include niacinamide, green tea extract, and vitamin E, just to name a few.
- Retinoids: Retinoids, and especially the more clinically researched ones like retinol, retinaldehyde, and tretinoin, are unique in that they don’t just help prevent premature aging, but they also reverse signs of skin aging in general by stimulating new collagen production deep within the skin. That’s why we created the Enzyme-Active Retinol Serum, which contains the most potent cosmetic retinoid in existence.
- Chemical exfoliation: When done well, exfoliation improves the skin renewal process by removing damaged dead skin cells from the surface. This not only helps skincare products penetrate better but it also actively improves dermal thickness, which correlates with a reduction in wrinkle size and stronger, firmer skin. It’s no surprise that using exfoliants with ingredients like glycolic and lactic acid has been found to visibly reduce markers of photoaging like wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
- Avoid irritation: Causes of skin irritation are highly individual, but finding ways to avoid it is key for preventing premature aging, especially if you have sensitive skin. The best way to avoid irritation is to avoid your individual triggers while following a gentle skincare routine suitable for sensitive skin.
- Live well: We could probably write a whole series of blogs about what living well means, but we’re not wellness experts - we’re skintellectuals. Generally, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, consuming a nutritious diet, exercising, sleeping enough, avoiding stress, and taking care of your mental health are all habits that will help prevent your body’s premature aging, which will impact how your skin looks.
Get ahead of the curve with anti-aging skincare
Premature aging is an unwelcome surprise. Dealing with the natural aging process is already hard enough, so how dare the sun make it worse with its shiny onslaught of oxidative damage?
In this case, the best offense is defense. Preventing premature aging is all about protecting your skin, so you can keep looking great for your age (and not necessarily trying to look younger).
Plus, gearing your skincare routine towards age prevention can have other benefits, like protecting you from skin cancer and keeping your skin barrier intact.
If you’re already following most of the tips we mentioned in the article, like not smoking and using sunscreen, you’re well ahead of the curve! That said if you want to kick it up a notch, check out our anti-aging Mini Molecular Super duo, which features our Retinol Serum and Vitamin C Superserum. You never know, they might even reverse some of your existing signs of aging!