Pablo Picasso once famously declared that “Youth has no age”, and it’s hard to disagree, especially given the strides the beauty industry has made in their anti-aging technology. Ok, so Picasso probably didn’t have concealer or foundation in mind when he delivered that quote, but it doesn’t mean one can’t interpret it mean that no matter how high that number next to your birthday crawls, feeling and looking young is still well within reach. Understanding anti-aging technology in cosmetics starts with pinpointing what exactly it is that causes aging in the skin, and then working backwards to try and slow that process.
So, what does cause aging in the skin? Well, for one, the sun has its slow, cumulative, negative effects on the skin over the course of a lifetime. The sun’s UV rays, along with pollutants in the air and smoking, cause harmful free radicals that oxidize cells and damage DNA, which, in layman’s terms means: wrinkles. Another cause of aging is glycation, caused by an excess of sugar in the body over time, where protein molecules link with sugar molecules in the body. Glycation can cause a lack of suppleness and elasticity in the skin, rendering it flabby and soft. While these processes are, to a certain extent, inevitable, the effects of them can be slowed down the right products.
The first tool on your anti-aging tool belt should always be sun protection. And you don’t have to stop at sunscreen; you can buy makeup products by companies like it Cosmetics from b-glowing that offer the full coverage ofan amazing foundation but with 50+ SPF. And, when looking for either sunscreen or products with sun protecting capabilities, make sure you get one that is “broad spectrum”, meaning that it protects you from the adverse effects of both UVA and UVB rays. Also, another thing to keep in mind if your skin is sensitive is that you’re going to want what’s called “mineral” or physical sun protection, as opposed to chemical sun protection.
Above, we mentioned that oxidization is the main factor in skin aging, so it should come as no surprise that the next thing you’ll want to look for in anti-aging products is antioxidants. Antioxidants can occur naturally in things like green tea or grapeseed, and are offered by Vitamins C and E. Another thing to look for are replenishers like hyaluronic acid, which ensures the skin retains moisture, staying firm. Anti-glycation – the process of slowing down glycation (again, mentioned above) – is something to look out for in the future, but is still a field currently in need of a lot of study. Finally, products that reintroduce collagen into the skin are sure to smooth over wrinkles and keep skin looking supple and youthful.
Age is a pretty arbitrary thing, as many people feel younger or older than they really are, sometimes depending on their mood, sometimes on the time of day. Fighting signs of aging is as natural as aging itself, and with the plethora of research on the topic scientists are constantly learning how to stay on the cutting edge, in order to offer that natural solution to you.