Skincare for Aging Skin
Updated Sep. 27th, 2023
What makes skin age?
Aging as a physical process is often quite independent of our chronological age. Two people of the same age may have considerably different physical effects from the passage of time. This physical aging of the body and its cells is known in the scientific community as senescence. In the simplest of terms, senescence is a progressive loss of the ability of our cells to respond to stress and maintain homeostatic balance.
When enough stressors happen, the cell cannot sufficiently respond to maintain homeostasis, and will succumb and die. Our ability to resist the different sources of damage and to replace any dying cells is the key to maintaining a youthful appearance. The most common stressors affecting the cells of our skin are free radicals, dehydration, and lack of sufficient nutrients and protein.
Free Radical Damage
Exposure to free radicals is the main cause of cell damage throughout our lives. Free radicals – molecules which contain an unpaired electron - cause damage to cell membranes, fats and any fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients due to their unstable and reactive nature. They can cause the death of cells, genetic alterations and in turn increase immune response to cells which have become unrecognizable due to damage. Although extremely difficult to avoid entirely, there are ways to protect against free radicals. We encounter them in air pollution, processed foods, UV rays from the sun (ultra-violet radiation) and cigarette smoke. Limit exposure to environmental pollutants and use natural products whenever possible. By quitting smoking, you can make a huge difference in overall health and life expectancy as well as improving the quality of your skin. Be sure to wear sunscreen and fill your diet with nutrients and antioxidants to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. For more information, please see our Skin Health article.
Antioxidants
To help neutralize the effects of those free radicals that you cannot avoid, ensure your diet is rich in as many antioxidants as possible. There are super-packed antioxidant rich foods like Superfruits, and Matcha that can easily be incorporated to your everyday diet to help protect the skin from the inside, out. Vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E are also excellent antioxidants that can protect the skin from damage. They can be incorporated into the diet or applied to the skin directly to help prevent aging. Coenzyme Q10 and Green Tea Extract are both extremely strong antioxidants that are frequently incorporated into skincare formulas to help prevent the visible signs of aging. For more information on many more natural sources, please see our Antioxidants article.
Skin Moisture and Hydration
One extremely easy way to help maintain healthy, youthful looking skin is simply to keep your skin well hydrated. The collagen matrix that makes up the tissues just beneath the skin is kept plump and plush by holding water. When we become dehydrated, this water disappears and fine lines and wrinkles appear deeper and more severe. The skin also then begins to look sallow and sag. Dehydration can be easily prevented by drinking at least 8 cups of water daily (2 litres). For more information on ways to stay hydrated beyond just drinking water, please see our Electrolytes article. To help support a healthy collagen structure underlying the skin, and thus to plump out wrinkles, many anti-aging products will contain Collagen, or Hyaluronic Acid.
Skin Elasticity and Fats
The membranes that form the outer layer of each cell of our bodies, and thus each cell of our skin are made up of phospholipids. Phospholipids are molecules made up of a fat and water-soluble molecule bound together. How flexible and soft our cells become is determined by the fats found in our cell membranes. Because our body manufactures phospholipids from the fats in our diet, it is essential that we take in soft and fluid fats like Omega 3-6-9 Fats, while avoiding the stiff and rigid saturated fats. In this sense, when it comes to fats, we literally are what we eat! How do you want your skin to be?
Oils and Maintaining Hydration
In addition to moisturizing from the inside out, it is important to help the skin maintain its own moisture balance. Unprotected skin quickly loses moisture when exposed to heat, sunlight, and dry weather conditions. In the summer, it is often sun damage that causes the most problems, while in the winter it is the dry, artificially heated, indoor air. One simple way to seal moisture into the skin is to use protective oils topically. Each person will swear by some different combination of natural oils for protecting moisture content in the skin, but most often it is a matter of finding what works best for your particular skin type. Some examples of common skin moisturizing oils are: Jojoba Oil, Seabuckthorn Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Oil, Almond Oil, Rosa Mosqueta (Rosehip Oil), and Olive Oil. The degree that each absorbs into the skin and moisturizes is slightly different, and some may last longer than others as well. Shorter lasting oils should be applied several times a day, while longer lasting ones can be used once or twice daily. Aloe Vera is also commonly used as a skin moisturizer, although it is faster acting and will not have the long-term protection provided by oils. Please see the individual articles on each moisturizer for more information.
Other Moisturizers
There are an incredibly vast number of artificial moisturizers available on the market that go by any number of names created by the manufacturer, but most are petroleum-based products. There are also many forms of glycerin, another synthetic product, that is used to make skin products more spreadable on the skin and to moisturize. Some of these products are toxic, some are hormone disruptors, and most have not been studied sufficiently for their long-term health effects. Generally speaking, it is preferable to seek out natural skincare options to avoid any unintended effects. Many synthetic moisturizers will also contain alcohol to promote a sensation of faster absorption, or to dry and tighten the skin. Using alcohol on the skin dries it out and damages the outer layer, actually increasing dryness and creating a dependence on the product. Unless you are looking for extremely strong tonifying effects, avoid the use of products that contain alcohol. Witch Hazel can be used to tonify and tighten the skin, without the negative side effects.
Essential Oils
There are a wide variety of essential oils that can be used on the skin and diluted in other oils for added benefits. Some can be used for mental-emotional balancing, while others can directly reduce redness in the skin and help prevent damaging inflammation. Commonly used essential oils in cosmetics are: lavender oil, chamomile oil, geranium oil, bergamot oil, and rose oil. Other oils are used simply for their aromatherapy benefits. For more information on each of these oils, please see our Essential Oils article.
Rose hip oil; man, oh man, this stuff is AMAZING! I have calcium build up near my eyes and lids. I was told to see a skin specialist to get them removed; however I happened to speak to the right person at a health store and she mentioned to use this oil after washing my face and apply with water, massage into the face at night before bed and it got rid of ALL those pimple like bumps! I did not need to go to a skin specialist. I always use this stuff now and tell others of its great benefits.
The video was very informative. I learned a lot and will try to incorporate some of what I learned into my daily routine. Thank you.
Hello Ophelia,
Glad to see you also enjoyed our video. Supplements that you take internally along with the right ingredients topically can help your skin stay plump, vibrant and age gracefully. Another important tip, is when applying Hyaluronic acid topically, apply it to damp skin and then use a rosehip oil over top to lock in the moisture.
If you'd like to find some of our favourite natural skin care, check out Sukin on our site, they have lots of great options:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/catalogsearch/result/?q=sukin
Stay glowing & have a healthy day
I found this article to be a very informative read. I have used many of the recommended supplements over the years and one that I notice particular improvements in the quality of my skin would be borage oil. I take 1 tsp daily and it eliminates the winter dry skin itch and also seems to help with wrinkles and just gives a plumpness to the skin. At age 51, and having used it for the last ten years, it has helped significantly. Though rather expensive for an oil, you do not mind spending the money when it works. After having read this article, I may try to incorporate some Coenzyme Q10 and greentea to see if they may have an impact on my skin.
Hello Sandy,
We're glad you enjoyed this article and thank you for sharing what's worked for you. Green tea is a great drink to add to your diet for better skin as is coQ10. Sea Buckthorn or antioxidants are also great things to add in to keep your skin healthy & glowing.
Have a healthy day!
This is a terrific article and will be my go-to reference page in days to come - packed with good info. Thank you.
I have rosacea and allergies so I have to be careful what I use on my face. Among many things, I tried coconut oil but found that was greasy and clogged my pores. Almond oil made my face red for over an hour! What finally worked for me is olive oil mixed with drops of tea tree oil. A little goes a long way. I use this at night and in the morning I use Sukin Rosehip oil. Love this - great product! Finally I have something that does not activate my rosacea. I appreciate that eyedropper too. This would make a good stocking stuffer for my girls & daughters-in-law.
Hello Jean,
We're glad you found our articles too :)
We work hard to provide you with the knowledge to make the best choices for your health. Natural skin care products generally work well for sensitive skin because they use less ingredients and often don't have added fragrance. If you'd like to learn about more natural products to support rosacea, check out our article here:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/rosacea/
Have a healthy day!
This article is extremely gratifying. Over the years, I have found a little piece of information here, a little guidance on supplements there. This article puts many of those fragments together into an easy to follow daily routine. As well, this article adds new supplements that fill in gaps that have been missed. I see the positive results of my efforts every morning with fresh, lovely skin. Hyaluronic Acid Serums, in addition to the HA supplements, have been the game changer.
Hello Katerina,
We're thrilled you've been enjoying our articles, that's what we work hard for, to be your go to place to learn about your healths needs. HA is an important component to healthy, hydrated skin and our natural production can deplete over age as our skin can't hold onto moisture like it once could.
Stay healthy & well!
Wow, this article was eye opening for me! I always thought I knew that stress contributed to aging but I had no idea what the actual stressors were (i.e. hydration? Really!) I always find myself dehydrated but had no idea that it was actually aging me! I loved how the article highlights all the main reasons for aging and also tells you how to combat these and specifically outlines types of foods or products to use. Very good article, life changing!
Hello RoseWithThorns,
Thank you for your kind comment, we love to hear that our articles are not only informing, but teaching people about their health and how to take charge. Indeed, hydration is important for your health on a variety of levels, but keeping the skin hydrated is what keeps it plump, glowing and lowers the risk of fine lines.
Have a healthy day!
Can anyone shed light on why I'm suddenly having a lot of grey hairs pop up? I'm just in my mid-thirties and no one in the family has a history of it. Could it be some supplements I'm taking or a deficiency?
Hello,
Thank you for your question. Nutritional deficiencies can easily cause greying of the hair. The most common deficiency is B12. Since people are rarely deficient in one single B vitamin, it's usually best to take a B complex, which works in your favour anyway since other B vitamins are also important to prevent/reverse greying (B6, B9, etc.) Other nutritional deficiencies that can contribute to greying hair include zinc and vitamin D. If you'd like to learn more about the B vitamins, check out this article:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/vitamin-b-4/
Stay healthy & well!
I have found that supplements like EFAs, b-complex and silica are far more effective for dry and aging skin than any creams that are applied topically. And National Nutrition is a great place to buy these supplements because they offer great prices, varied selection and a large array of high-quality nutritional information on their website. I have found it very convenient to order from them, because it is fast, easy and their customer service is wonderful!
Hello, Eliza,
We're glad you enjoyed this article, indeed proper skincare has an inside-out approach to it too. Depending on what's causing dry or aging skin, nutrients taken internally may warrant better results; however if it's environmental irritations or surface-level dry skin, then topical products may provide more soothing or hydrating effects. Omega supplements are great to take for your skin because the fatty acids provide hydration for the skin and they're lipidic, like your skin's natural barrier; therefore, they can help keep your skin barrier in tact over time. You may also enjoy this article on toxic skin care ingredients to avoid:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/toxic-skin-care-ingredients/
Have a healthy day!
We all know that we can not avoid or escape of aging and this video helps me understand why we age so fast and how not taking care of it in early stages can contribute. Thank you for this video, I learned some information from it and I will try to adapt it. Thank you very much.
Hello Belinda,
Taking care of your skin can not only keep it youthful, but healthy, radiant and hydrated. Taking care of your skin is important since it protects your body, but unfortunately free radicals, pollution and other factors take their toll on your skin. You can learn more about anti aging as a whole in this article and support your body from the inside out: https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/aging/
Stay healthy & well