Anti-Aging Skin Care

Getting older is not a sickness, but our bodies and our skin are more vulnerable to disease as we age. The cell division process does slow down with age. This means that there may not be enough new cells to replace the old cells that have died or suffered damage as we get older. Free radicals, heredity and environmental factors contribute to how well our skin will age.

The free radical theory, as it relates to aging, has been the subject of a great deal of research. Free radicals are atoms that are unstable and highly reactive. They attack our cells and cause them to malfunction. Then it is possible that our own immune systems may attack the damaged cells as if they were foreign invaders. Free radicals can cause skin cancer and contribute to wrinkles. Antioxidants lower the activity of free radicals. A diet that is high in antioxidants is very important in the fight against free radicals. Try to include berries of all kinds, especially blueberries, and all fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet. Also, skin care products that contain essential fatty acids will help to smooth the skin and prevent damage by free radicals.

Heredity is another important factor when it comes to how well our skin will age. One way to tell if we will be looking sixty when we are seventy-five is to take a look at our parents and grandparents. Unfortunately, we do not have much control over the heredity factor when it comes to our aging skin.

The other factor is our environment. We do have control over this factor. Environmental pollutants such as exhaust from cars and chemical exposure can speed up the aging of our skin. Another big one is sun exposure and smoking as well as exposure to smoke. Lack of proper skin care can cause our skin to show signs of age more quickly. Always wear SPF protection on your skin and stay out of tanning beds.

Thankfully, there are anti-aging skin care products that can help significantly with the visible signs of aging such as wrinkles. Choose skin care products that can penetrate the top layer of skin and get to the dermis which is where wrinkles begin. Look for skin care products that contain retinoids, vitamin C, and copper peptide.

Sheryl Armstrong, http://www.skincaretek.com (source: ezineArticles.com)

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