Are You Silently Aging Your Skin Without Knowing It? Here Are 4 Ways To Slow It Down

Hooray, it’s Saturday!

I had a flurry of activity this week that kept me away from the blog as well as social media, so I wanted to do a share as I am traveling this week.

This repost is longer than my usual blog, but worth the read as well as knowledge.

Aging gracefully is a blessing but let’s be honest, that doesn’t mean we want to show visible signs of aging any faster than necessary. 

In a perfect world, we would all age just how we envisioned we would, but the world is not perfect and the lifestyle choices we make combined with ever increasing stressors that surround our lives all contribute to making our skin age faster.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, Yeah, I’ve heard all this before and I already know it”. 

For sure, there are the obvious factors like smoking, too much alcohol, too much sun and not enough sleep. But there are other, less obvious factors that silently accelerate skin aging day by day.

Here are 4 factors that may be aging your skin faster and how to slow it down.

1. Make-up, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Don’t panic! We all use make-up and we’re not going to stop using them but here’s what you need to know.

Most make-up (industry calls them color cosmetics) contains ingredients our skin does not particularly like, for example talc, zinc oxide, bismuth oxychloride (try saying that 10 times) and more. 

Patrice Mercier is the head of Research & Development at Paris based cosmetics giant Sephora. He says leaving make-up on too long or not removing them properly is one of the biggest reasons for premature skin aging.

“In small concentrations, ingredients in make-up are not harmful to your health, but that doesn’t mean they’re good for our skin. The biggest problem is that make up tends create an ‘occlusive layer’ that traps moisture, dirt and oils inside your pores leading to proliferation of bacteria. Bacteria breeds free radicals which will break down your skin’s collagen and elastin which in turn leads to fine line and wrinkles.” 

“The worst is when we fall asleep with our make-up on, which is a BIG NO-NO because the longer you leave your make-up on, the greater the stress on your skin.” – says Patrice.

What it looks or feels like

Blemishes, uneven skin tone, intermittent breakouts, formation of fine lines & wrinkles

How to slow it down

Go ahead and wear your favorite make-up but try to keep it as light as possible and make sure to remove your make-up before going to bed. Make sure to properly remove make-up with a gentle make-up remover first but follow that with a wash-off cleanser to make sure your skin is completely clean. 

Better yet, try a cleanser that removes make-up but leaves your skin hydrated. 

Saranghae Nourishing & Moisturizing Oil + Foam Cleanser is a combination cleanser that will completely remove make-up and properly cleanse your skin in one step. Unlike other cleansers it will leave your skin soft and hydrated. Great way to save time and money!

2. Cupcakes Are Delish, Not So Great For Our Skin

You want a little treat after a long, hard day? Go ahead, but too much sugar in your diet can feed skin inflammation skin. Inflammation creates enzymes which work to break down your collagen and elastin which in turn leads to – you guessed it – fine line, wrinkles and sagging skin.

Dr. Anjali Mahto is a dermatologist and the spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation. She says inflammation is a killer because it’s a major skin stressor.

“Collagen and elastin provide our skin with a support structure. Enzymes caused by inflamed skin will destroy that support structure leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. Think of your skin like a balloon – you don’t want it to look deflated right?” – says Dr. Mahto.

What it looks or feels like

Formation of fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin

How to slow it down

You know what sucks? Sugar is everywhere – bread, flavored water, canned soups, cereals and the list goes on. Try using an app like NHS Be Food Smart which shows you how much sugar is added to packaged foods simply by scanning the barcode. A good guideline is that you should be consuming no more than 30g of sugar per day (about 4 tea spoons). Try adding foods rich in vitamin A like spinach and carrots. Your skin will thank you.

3. Your Skin pH balance Is Too Alkaline

pH stands for potential hydrogen and it measures the our skin’s acidity level. pH level 14 means our skin is highly alkaline and pH level 0 means our skin is highly acidic. If our skin is too alkaline it means our skin is depleted of oils and natural fats that protect our skin (it’s called the acid mantle). If our skin is too acidic it means our skin is inflamed and irritated leading to sensitivity and breakouts. The perfect pH for our skin happens to be pH 5.5 or slightly acidic.

Take a guess – what pH level do you think is the most common for most of us? 

Most of us show pH levels between pH 6 and pH 8, or slightly alkaline (same as baking soda). This is a problem because it means that our pH levels are unbalanced. 

The reason is because soap and most cleansers are alkaline. When we use alkaline washes, soaps and cleansers (which is the vast majority), the products immediately begins to erode our skin’s structure destroying hydration crucial for our skin health.

Peter Lee is the President & CEO of Saranghae (which means I love you), a popular Korean skin care company. He says that maintaining a balanced pH level is one of the main factors in promoting healthy skin.

“When our pH levels are too high for too long our skin loses resiliency. Over time, this manifests itself into visible signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, uneven tone and sagging skin. Maintaining our optimal pH level is not difficult but it’s something most of us don’t really think about. Just maintaining our optimal pH level of 5.5 will make huge improvements in our skin.” – says Peter.

What it looks or feels like

Dry, irritated and sensitive skin. Formation of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and sagging skin

How to slow it down

First, we need to stop using alkaline cleansers that tend to dry out your skin. Choose a cleanser that doesn’t strip our natural oils and helps to moisturize at the same time. The Saranghae Nourishing & Moisturizing Oil + Foam Cleanser is a gentle oil + foam cleanser that leaves your skin soft and hydrated. 

Second, start using a pH balancing toner. The Saranghae Perfect Balance Tonermaintains your optimal pH level of 5.5 every day. It’s simple and effective.

4. Lack Of A Consistent Skincare Routine

We shouldn’t be surprised that there are no shortcuts to flawless skin. Knowing what to do is one thing, but applying that knowledge consistently everyday is what really gets us results. 

Korean beauty is currently the hottest skin care trend because we all seem to want that dewy, glowing skin that Korean women seem to have but Peter Lee, the CEO of Korean Beauty brand Saranghae says there’s actually a simple reason for why more women in Korea seem to have flawless skin.

“To Korean women skincare is a ritual. Obviously the quality and efficacy of products are important but the average Korean woman uses a 10 to 15 step routine and spends up to an hour a day. They enjoy the process more than actually looking for a specific result.”

“I personally think this is a bit excessive and that is why for our North American customers Saranghae developed a complete 5 minute, 5 step anti-aging routine that is just as effective as a 10 step routine. It saves time and money. But the point is overnight miracle treatments don’t exist. We need to consistently give our skin some love to get the result we want. You will be amazed at how healthy and beautiful will skin will look and feel with a consistent skin care routine.” – says Peter

What it looks or feels like

Formation of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and sagging skin. Skin that looks brittle and deflated. Congested and ashen looking skin especially you’re not cleansing properly. 

How to slow it down

An effective skin care routine doesn’t have to take an hour a day nor does it have to cost the farm. It’s best to keep it simple and you should be incorporating a routine that helps your skin with 5 key steps:

1. Cleansing that helps to moisturize 
2. Helps heal and maintain collagen & elastin 
3. Helps regenerate new skin cells & protect outer skin 
4. Specific eye treatment because our eye area is especially sensitive 
5. Helps calm inflammation & soothe our skin 

The Saranghae Complete 5-Step Anti-Aging Routine addresses these key 5 steps in only 5 minutes a day at a great price. 

For those of you looking for help with specific skin concerns such as wrinkles, spots, uneven skin tone and sagging skin, Saranghae promises to deliver visible results within 45 to 60 days (results will vary depending on individual). But more importantly, Saranghae deliver and maintain healthy skin that will stand the test of time.

To lean more about Saranghae, here are their social sites as well as website:

Instagram

Facebook

Website: http://www.lovesaranghae.com/

Sending relaxing weekend vibes!  💋

Photo credits:  Saranghae and Pinterest