All skin goes through a natural ageing process through the decades. Some of the changes are inevitable, others, fortunately, are perfectly preventable.

20 years ago, it was believed that the speed and degree to which your complexion crinkled was based largely on your genetic inheritance. We now know differently. Modern skin care can improve your skin if you start to help your skin now.

IN YOUR TEENS

Up until puberty, your skin should look bright and clear. But already the effects of ultraviolet light are even being indelibly etched onto your epidermal blueprint, but the damage won’t become apparent for some years yet-if at all-provided you start wearing SPF 15 everyday. The good news is that despite of the increased oil and subsequent spots, cell generation is still running at its all time high of about a 28-day turnover, the dermis is still plump, and its collagen and elastin are still perfectly cross linked and coiled. However, as adolescence strikes, those pesky hormones, which are responsible for the dramatic change through the body, also boost the production of the natural skin oil, a more negative side effect of this increased oil is the dreaded spots.  As the sebum flows freely from the sebaceous gland, dead skin cells adhere to it and the skin and hair pores get blocked up. An uninfected blocked pore is blackhead, while ones infected with bacteria become red raised pimples you can help prevent spots by washing your face with specialists over the counter washes. Try Neutrogena black head eliminating face gel.

IN YOUR 20’s

Your  twenties should be another reasonably stable time for your skin now any teenage spots should have subsided you probably won’t have any facial lines but if you look in the mirror as you talk, laugh or scowl you will see where you expression lines will form however your epidermis is still plumped and should hold up well turnover of new cells may have slowed slightly from its 28 day peak. If you are wearing sun –filtering day creams your skin is protected, but if not it is your dermis that the greatest changes are taking place. The daily wear and tear wrought by UVA radiation could now be taking the bounce and spring out of your collagen bundles and elastin coils. Production of collagen is slowing; the bundles are less uniformly cross linked, elasin coils less tightly sprung.

 
IN YOUR 30’s

From as early as mid twenties, you may start seeing dark blotches particularly if your on the pill or pregnant. Hormones may play a part but any irregular pigmentation is worsened by UV light so slap on that sunscreen fade discoloration and brighten a dull complexion with a gentle aha products such as dermalogica daily resurfacer, alternatively vitamin c, beaberry and liquorice all help even skin tone and fade brown spot

Your complexion starts to lose some of its youthful bloom as cell turnover slows down.

A cosmetic alpha hydroxyl acid (aha) will soon get you glowing again the epidermal cells are suffering more mutations. Picked up through environmental damage, although signs of this damage may not yet be visible., if you haven’t worn them yet, then starting to use high SPF day creams now will not only keep any further damage, but can actually give your skin a chance to do some repair work. Remembering that your dermis is beginning to lose some of its volume and bounce, collagen fibres are no longer as efficiently meshed and the elastin coils aren’t quite as tight.

 
In your 40’s

Sebum production is markedly reduced; skin becomes thicker as more dead cells hang on longer after their useful life. Some light exfoliation will help; you might like to investigate some of the retinoid (vitamin a derivative cream) preparation.
This is the decade during which if you haven’t been using regular sunscreen, earlier sun damage really become apparent if the discovery that ultraviolet rays, and not the natural ageing process are to blame for many of the changes has come too late for you be reassured that you can still give your skin a chance of repairing itself by using SPF 15 daily will help to slow down the formation of wrinkles, age spot and also spider vein retinol has been lauded for its line-fading properties, but can occasionally cause irritation. If you have sensitive skin try to use a cream that has peptides which will boost the skin self repair mechanism.

 
OTHER FACTORS IN THE AGEING PROCESS

It is not only the sun that prematurely ages the skin, anything disrupts your skin. Optimum daily routine usually pollute it or generates excessive free radical activity will also speed up its rate of decline

Cigarettes smoke: If you are a smoker and can’t give up you can fortify your skins free radical quenching capacity with antioxidant face creams and your entire body defence mechanisms with a diet rich in vitamins A, C and E.

Pollution: The airborne toxins in urban and industrial environment have a similar action to cigarettes smoke. They deprive you and your skin of oxygen and generate free radicals. It is now considered a worthwhile safeguard to wear daily sunscreens supplement with antioxidant vitamins to help offset the effects of pollution.

Alcohol: If you drink more than moderate amounts on a very regular basis the constant dilating of the facial blood vessels alcohol put lots of pressure on the collagen and elastin of the dermis which support the walls of those blood vessels. It also robs your skin of vitamins and minerals, and for this reason it is often known as anti nutrient.

 
Diet

Despite the number of supplements available at the chemists and supermarkets promising to bestow beautiful skin upon you, however your skin may be the last organ to benefit from the nutrients you ingest, it is thought that as little as 1% of vitamins and trace elements become available to it, however the most important vitamins for the skin is vitamin C, E thiamine, zinc, selenium and calcium.

Your Very Own Personal Anti-Ageing Prescription

Skin

In your 20’s

Darphin instant Lumiere brightening moisturizer for day and garnier skin naturals is regenerating for night.

In your 30’s

Estee lauder future perfect anti-wrinkle radiance moisturizer for day and prescriptive custom concentrate skin tone correcting serum for night.

In your 40’s

Lancôme primordiale optimum visibly smoothing moisturizer for day and Olay regenerists night recovery for night will do the trick.

Lips

In your 20’s

Before applying lip sticks protect and soften the lips daily with origins, a perfect world antioxidant lip guardian with white tea.

In your 30’s

Pump up the volume with Elizabeth Arden ceramide plump lip moisture cream.

In your 40’s

Soften lines with Chanel ultra correction lip or Estee Lauder perfectionist correcting concentrate for lip lines.

Eyes

In your 20’s

Shield with clinique advanced stop signs eye preventive cream.

In your 30’s

Repair and brighten with La Prairie light fantastic cellular concealing brightening eye treatment.

In your 40’s

Rejuvenate with Yves Saint Laurent contour expert lifting and anti puffiness eye care.