Skin Aging Management

The aging process is a combination of factors.

• Expressions and facial movements over time lead to the development of ‘dynamic’ wrinkles where structural fibres such as collagen and elastin become aligned in a particular direction. E.g. laughter lines, frown lines.
• Lines become deeper and more permanent as our skin’s ability to retain moisture reduces through age related reduced manufacture of various skin ingredients such a skin lipids and hyaluronic acid.
• Reduced production of Hyaluronic acid leads to a reduced capacity to hold water and also allows youthful short chain collagen fibres to come together and bind into longer more rigid collagen which leads to an older face shape.
• Elastin production also decreases and gravitational effects then lead to sagging and bags and more pronounced ‘functional’ wrinkles and lines.
• A build up of lymph and an increase in pigmentation coupled with ongoing gradual damage causes skin imperfections such as thread veins, plaques, age marks and dark under eye bags.

The speed at which these changes happen vary with each individual and genetics have a lot to do with this, but free radical activity damages all these structures over time and constant bombardment ages us all, but some are more resistant to their effects than others. However reducing free radical stress is a major part of sustaining and promoting youthful looks. Free radicals are damaging chemicals produced as a bi-product of most chemical reactions in the skin and they are also generated by exposure to many external, environmental and dietary things such as in alcohol, cigarettes and particularly UV radiation.

So in essence we need to:

A) Control the loss of Hyaluronic acid and stimulate new. Ideally before levels have reduced so that wrinkles form and collagen fibres start to bind together
B) Maintain the quality, type and level of collagen and elastin and promote renewal.
C) Enhance the lipid components in the skin to support barrier function and skin cell viability.
D) Reduce exposure to and the generation of free radicals by mopping them up before they do damage
E) Improve oxygenation of tissues and also lymph drainage to remove toxins from the skin.

Below, we discuss these key skin attributes and product choices you can combine to combat the aging process.   

– For further product information on specific areas such as lymph drainage, protecting and promoting optimal cell function and managing more specific areas such as thread veins, erythema and pigmentation please see Synchrovit EL®, Synchrorose® and Thiospot®

This molecule captures and loosely retains water in the spaces between skin cells, making it available to sustain skin cell integrity (life). (Like an apple wrinkles when it loses moisture, the skin can do the same.)  This causes a major change in the structural proteins such as collagen and elastin whereby they become less fluid, longer and more rigid, giving an older face shape. Therefore it is important to sustain HA levels in the skin, which can be achieved using Fillast® daily.

Click here to read more about Fillast®

These are the other two key structural molecular chains produced by fibroblasts alongside hyaluronic acid. Collagen in younger skin is shorter chain more fluid by nature and this  is  known as collagen type III. Over time as hyaluronic acid levels drop it collagen binds together to become longer chain more rigid collagen type I. Elastin levels reduce over time leading to less elastic skin. Fibroblasts slow down over time and so production of collagen and elastin is compromised resulting in decreased skin quality, sagging and aging. Boosting fibroblast activity and supplying raw materials in form fibroblasts can use to make new collagen and elastin is critical is slowing the aging process.

Click here to read more about Terproline®

Stimulating fibroblast activity in a high hyaluronic acid environment increases the proportion of collagen produced that remains as type III. A high hyaluronic acid is achieved by using Fillast® , see above for more information.

The membranes of skin cells and the oils produced by the skin also have an important role to play in maintaining skin cell integrity (life) and influencing the aging process. Lipids are a critical component in maintaining the structural shape and moisture retaining functionality of  the skin. Over time and due to factors such as hormonal changes, life changes and medication, the skin can become lipid deficient. Supplementing lipids in the skin so new skin cells are made with a high lipid density is essential for any anti-aging regimen. Ceramides and natural ingredients that release ceramides can be used by the skin to produce more lipid dense tissue.

For more information, please look at the Hydratime® & Nutritime® section

Living your life, including drinking alcohol, consuming food, smoking, exercising and being exposed to external influences like polluted air and especially the sun creates chemicals which are absorbed into the skin where they damage cellular (and sub-cellular structures such as the cell nuclei) and hasten the death of cells. These damaging chemicals are known as ‘free radicals’ and can also create inflammation at a cellular level, thus leading to alterations in pigment production, resulting in early age spots.

To slow down the effect of free radicals, antioxidants – or free radical scavengers should be used. Antioxidants are chemicals which neutralise free radicals and prolong cell life. The difference between the level of free radical activity versus the level of antioxidant activity is called oxidative stress.

Powerful free radical scavengers (antioxidants) are molecules such as vitamin C and its derivatives, but these only work in the parts of the skin containing water as they only dissolve in water. Vitamin C does not operate in the fat (lipid) parts of the cell as they are not liposoluble, a derivative of vitamin C that can be absorbed across membranes is ascorbic acid.

Alpha-Lipoic acid is the most powerful known free-radical scavenger and will operate in ALL parts of the skin, including the lipid-soluble parts. Octadecadioic acid (dioc acid) is also a powerful antioxidant and has the ability to resist the inflammatory triggering of hyperpigmentation and thereby stabilise pigmentation.

Sustaining skin cell life at the optimum level is important and so is promoting new cell creation and controlling cell death. Lipoacid contains alpha lipoic acid, ascorbic acid and dioc acid and can help sustain skin cell integrity. 'Dioic' acid is particular good at stabilising pigmentation and hence helps resist age related pigment changes.

In summary we all suffer to varying degrees all of the above. To define your skin aging regime think about your lifestyle, your skin type and condition and determine how to mange your particular situation, discuss how you can combine these products together or following each other to achieve your best solution to the aging process. Older skin types can also benefit from this plan and maybe also introducing clinical treatments such as peels to help restore skin structure and improve skin function.

Click here to read more about Lipoacid®

Anti-Aging Protocol Overview Matrix