It is important that we embrace getting older and accept changes with age, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t do everything we can to prevent any unnecessary damage to our skin as we age. We often get asked “What’s the best thing I can do to prevent my skin from ageing? Of course, there’s no one magic answer, but we have some tips to help delay the signs of ageing and limit damage to skin:
Keep your skin looking its best no matter what age you are:
1. Cleanse
All good skincare routines start with cleansing. It ensures that the products you’re applying to the skin are effectively absorbed and therefore your skin is getting the maximum benefit from them. Make sure you chose the right cleanser for your skin type.
2. SPF
A good, high SPF is single-handedly, THE most important step of your skincare routine to prevent and delay the ageing process. We all know we should protect our skin with SPF on holiday, but the sun also emits harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays every day, all year round, even on grey, cloudy days.
The sun is the biggest cause of ageing of the skin, the UV rays penetrate deep within the skin to cause damage to elastin, reduce the amount of collagen present and generate free radicals which can attack DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) and this can affect the production of new skin cells. This can also affect the production of pigment, so you can get hyperpigmentation or dark patches. So, when you pop out for that dog walk, or nip to the shops, still apply SPF. Make sure you use a broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30 all year round. In the hot sunshine always wear a hat.
3. Antioxidants
Natural antioxidants can mop up the free radicals (Damage done by the sun) and stop them exerting their effects. If there are so many free radicals because there is so much sun exposure, then we need to use extra antioxidants to make up for this. This is where antioxidant serums come in. These could contain substances such as Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Ferulic acid or Vitamin E. The best antioxidant creams and serums can reduce the impact of free radicals by eight times. Many of our products contain anti-oxidants, but we also stock a specific range of serums. These are excellent in helping prevent ageing of the skin.
4. Exfoliation and skin renewal
Exfoliants help remove dead skin cells and promote skin renewal. Exfoliants not only accelerate the process of skin renewal as your skin ages, but they also help your skin to look brighter and fresher. We have AHA exfoliants for dry and sun-damaged skin and we have BHA exfoliants for oily skin, and for those that are more prone to break-outs or have inflamed or sensitive skin.
5. What’s inside also counts
Keeping hydrated and a healthy balanced diet is also important for the skin. Although water and a good diet alone won’t give you great skin or prevent ageing skin, keeping well-hydrated will help prevent dehydrated skin and eating a diet high in fruit, varied vegetables and rich in Omega oils and anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and E will benefit your skin greatly and help promote a clearer complexion.
So, although we can’t stop the ageing process we can delay the ageing process and reduce the impact of some of the worst causes of skin ageing, especially sun damage. Wearing a high broad spectrum SPF every day, sticking to a good skincare routine with products that are suitable for your skin type and using an anti-oxidant serum to help limit sun damage will all limit and delay the ageing process and keep your skin in its best condition.
If you would like to discuss an anti-ageing skincare routine with our Aesthetic Doctor, please contact the Hedox Clinic to arrange a free remote consultation on 0208 185 7273 or email us at info@hedoxclinic.co.uk