How to Keep Aging Skin Healthy

The quest for youthful skin can be a tricky one, full of an overwhelming amount of advertising and products promising ‘miracle cures’. At Puristry, we take a more sensible approach to aging - skin ages, and that’s a fact. However, with organic plant-based ingredients and a holistic understanding of what ‘aging skin’ actually means, it’s possible to pump the brakes on present and future damages that accelerate aging. With these tips in mind, you can be the most glowing and youthful you.

So What Does “Aging” Skin Entail?

Aging skin is the result of several simultaneous processes, which unfold slowly over time. Once you reach your thirties (although everyone is different), your body’s metabolism starts to slow down, and this causes the levels of collagen and elastin in your skin to become less abundant. This is why we lose our round baby faces as we get older, and is also the reason that our skin starts to appear thinner and looser with every passing year.

The loss of collagen is compounded by pollutants in the environment which cause skin cells to accumulate free radical damage over time. Technically, a free radical is a molecule that has a single unpaired electron in the outer shell, meaning that it’s highly unstable and prone to bonding with other molecules in the body. This disrupts the normal function of proteins, which make up the 3-dimensional structure of our skin. This disturbance to protein functioning leaves us with compromised skin cell membrane performance, which translates into less collagen, less efficient repair on the cellular level, and a weaker lipid barrier.

But that’s not all (unfortunately) - the process of skin aging also involves a variety of other micro-processes. Broken capillaries (blood vessels) can cause redness and uneven skin tone, and as the lipid barrier becomes less functional, dryness seriously increases.

The Importance of Maintaining Moisture in Aging Skin

As we enter into our fifties and sixties, the issue of dryness becomes a central concern. Environmental factors play a part, as do hormonal changes. Decreased estrogen levels around menopause result in significantly reduced sebum production, meaning that our skin can start to feel rough and irritated, and tiny lines will become more apparent around the eyes and mouth. But when you start to see these signs of extreme dryness, don’t despair - there happens to be a cornucopia of rich humectants and moisturizers that are produced by a variety or plants, fruits and flowers.

Plant-based moisture and hydration should take center stage in your anti-aging routine–products that will give your skin cells a boost with free radical fighting antioxidants, and up the functioning of your lipid barrier through plant oils that mimic your skin’s natural sebum barrier. With this in mind, consider facial oil as an important step in your PM routine. It’s key for delivering antioxidants and essential fatty acids deep into your epidermis, which enable healthy protein structure on the cellular level, effectively reversing the process of a wrinkle becoming a permanent fixture on our skin. Our Restorative Facial Oil is a must-have anti-aging formula for this reason, with a base of jojoba seed oil, a deeply nourishing oil with a chemical structure similar to sebum, meaning that it’s nature’s perfect moisturizer for the human epidermis.

Keeping Aging Skin Sufficiently Hydrated

It’s important to keep in mind that moisture and hydration need to be a key component of every step of your skincare regime (not just the moisturizing step). This means that you should look for cleansers and toners that are based around hydrating ingredients. Puristry’s Nopal Cactus Cleanser is an extra gentle formula that’s kind to mature skin, with a soothing and anti-inflammatory aloe water base and organic citrus oils to brighten and cleanse your complexion without drying it.

Whatever your go-to cleanser is, the takeaway is that you should be looking for formulas that contain plant oils. Steer clear of chemicals, particularly chemically laden anti-aging ingredients that promise to ‘strip’ and ‘slough’ away old skin. These formulas often consist of lab derived acids (common acids are glycolic and synthetic alpha-hydroxy acids), which, when applied in high concentrations, can leave mature skin with extreme redness, clinical dryness, and even mild chemical burns. Anti-aging is best approached with gentle, kind, and skin-loving ingredients that don’t promise to blast or burn anything off, but rather work with your skin’s natural chemistry to heal existing imperfections and reduce future aging signs.

Incorporating Caffeine into Your Routine

Last key piece of advice? When it comes to anti aging, sun protection is everything. When you expose your dermis to UVA and UVB rays, even if you don’t get a sunburn, you’re damaging the collagen in your epidermis. Free radical damage is one serious upshot of sun exposure, so it’s important to opt for products that are full of antioxidants, like our Yerba Mate Eye Cream and Vine Therapy Serum, both formulas that will counter UV damage and reverse micro signs of aging. In addition to free radical damage, discoloration, sun and liver spots, and the development of a leathery and rough texture over time are all symptoms of sun exposure. To avoid these skin woes, you’ll also need to opt for a daily sunscreen product all year round, not just in the hot summer months. Physical protection is also key, so make sure you stow a sun hat in your overnight bag or backseat, to keep skin protected during unplanned outdoor adventures.

Remember, healthy skin is beautiful skin - no matter your age!