There are a number of factors – both intrinsic and extrinsic – that influence the first signs of skin aging.
Intrinsic aging is an inevitable physiological process that results in thin, dry skin, fine wrinkles, and gradual dermal atrophy, while extrinsic aging is caused by external environmental factors such as sun exposure, air pollution, smoking, and poor nutrition, resulting in wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity. Additional extrinsic aging factors are excessive alcohol use, poor hydration, sleeping position, habitual facial expressions, and of course gravity. [SOURCE]
The sooner you start taking care for your skin the easier it will be to delay the signs of aging. The right skincare choices in your 20s will help you to prevent premature aging and maintain healthy youthful skin for much longer!
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Anti-aging skin care for your 20s
1. Sun protection
The top cause of premature skin aging is UV radiation. Exposure to UV rays causes damage to skin, such as drying out the skin and breaking down collagen. UV exposure may account for up to 80% of visible signs of aging in the skin, including dry appearance, wrinkling, thinning, and pigmentation. [SOURCE]
One of the most important steps in your anti-aging routine should be using sunscreen everyday, whether being outdoors or indoors (because UV rays can penetrate glass).
The easiest way to incorporate SPF in your daily skincare routine is to use tinted sunscreen like this HydraTint Pro Mineral Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 36. Not only it provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection SPF 36 with a lightweight all-mineral formulation, but also gives the skin a long lasting hydration. It also contains powerful antioxidants that help protect the skin from other aging factors such as pollution, IR rays and blue light. And it is winner of SHAPE “Best Tinted Moisturizer 2021” Beauty Award!
2. Regular cleansing
Skipping skin cleansing not only causes acne and breakouts, but can also accelerate aging. Korean women which are famous for their beautiful and glowing skin are obsessed with proper skin cleansing. They know that it’s the foundation of skin care and the first step towards the ultimate goal – soft and dewy skin.
Regular skin cleansing not only removes all pollutants and bacteria accumulated throughout the day (which also cause oxidative stress), but also helps skincare products to enter the skin and work more effectively.
3. Moisturization
The skin’s hyaluronic acid starts to decrease in the skin in as early as twenty years of age and is reduced to half by the age of fifty. (SOURCE) The reduction of hyaluronic acid results in less moisture and appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Study shows that application of topical product that contains different forms of hyaluronic acid twice a day significantly improves the overall skin appearance, fine lines and wrinkles and increases skin moisture just within 1-4 weeks.
When choosing a hyaluronic acid product look for the ones that contain several forms of hyaluronic acid (low molecular weight combined with medium molecular weight), as they work in different layers of the skin, and working synergistically provide maximum hydration. This is what helps plump up the skin and smooth out wrinkles.
Alastin Hyaluronic Acid Immerse Serum contains two different size molecular weight Hyaluronic acid forms which penetrate into different layers of the skin offering optimal hydration. Moreover, it contains a proprietary Octapeptide-45 that helps the skin’s ability to naturally increase its own high-molecular hyaluronic acid production deep within for long-term skin plumping, anti-aging, and hydration benefits. Daily use of this serum minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (and complements dermal fillers).
This is one of the most effective Hyaluronic acid serums on the market and also a winner of best skincare product awards (winner of New Beauty “Best Hyaluronic Acid” award and winner of Oprah Daily’s 2022 O-ward for “Best Hydrating Serum”).
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4. Anti-aging diet
Healthy, glowing skin starts with how we eat. Incorporate plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables rich in antioxidants to help protect the skin from free radical damage. Try to limit your alcohol intake and drink plenty of water everyday to keep your skin hydrated.
