One of our bodies' most profoundly impressive parts is often the first we take for granted. It’s easy to look over our skin and see what appears to be an infinite number of imperfections. But how can you say that about our most significant line of defense against sickness, injury, and environmental assaults?
Every day, your skin is on the defense - heat? Let’s regulate that. Pollution? Keep that out! Pathogens? Don’t even think about it. It’s an endless task of protection, and sometimes, we get a little sidetracked about how hard our skin works, so we throw shade at it at the first sign of wrinkles.
Although no one likes the signs of getting older, it does show how effective our body is at keeping us safe. But those signs of aging might often mean your skin may need extra support. Rather than think of wrinkles or sunspots (and other signs of aging skin) as a not-so-subtle hint you’re getting older - it might be time to realign your thinking with the impressive power of your biology. Early signs of aging often are physical expressions, such as your body underperforming and suggesting precisely what you need to function at optimal health.
Ready to discover practical and effective ways to prevent wrinkles and combat signs of aging? Check out our top list for maintaining optimal skin health and begin to incorporate these strategies into your daily routine.
1. Don’t underestimate the power of hydration
One of the most powerful things we can do to improve our overall health is to drink more water. The average adult only consumes less than 4 glasses of water—that’s a far cry from typical recommendations that range from 8 glasses to a gallon! 1 Hydration is not just for our organs, which need it to help filter out toxins, keep cells functioning, regulate temperature, and so much more. Our skin needs it, too!
Aside from keeping your skin hydrated, water also helps maintain skin elasticity.1 As we age, our skin's elasticity starts to fail, and it doesn’t quite bounce back like it used to. That’s typically what we see when we notice our skin beginning to wrinkle! Before purchasing expensive skincare products, check your hydration levels and incorporate a couple of extra glasses of water into your daily routine.
2. Get your body (and your face) active!
It is well-documented that working out can help fight signs of aging.2 Strength training and cardiovascular exercise have potential benefits that extend from heart health to improving overall quality of life. But there are also a ton of benefits of regular exercise for your facial muscles! 3
It might feel strange or awkward at first, but focusing on ‘face yoga’ or other activities that stimulate the muscles in your face can improve blood circulation and cell turnover to fight typical signs of aging. Even just a few moments in the day of looking in the mirror and practicing isolated facial movements can radically improve the appearance of aging on your skin. You're combating wrinkles and skin laxity by helping reduce muscle atrophy in your face.
3. Increase your vitamin D and sunlight
Taking care of your skin can mean taking preventative measures to reduce signs of aging - and one of the best ways to do that is by using natural sunblock options. The energy emitted from the sun is a form of radiation, and long-term exposure damages our skin. However, humans - and just about all of life on Earth - have evolved to rely heavily on our sun for many physiological processes. One of the critical ways our body has evolved with the sun has a lot to do with vitamin D. Although we can consume vitamin D in our diet, our skin is well equipped to generate it ourselves thanks to our relationship between the sun and our skin. This form of vitamin D is powerful and has several benefits for our health, ranging from signs of aging on our skin to strengthening our bones.
Adding a daily ritual for a few minutes of full-spectrum sunlight exposure is essential. Spending just 10-15 minutes a day out in the sun before you cover up or toss on sunscreen is equivalent to about 15,000 IU of vitamin D3 (not to mention it gives you a healthy, age-defying glow!). It is also helpful for regulating mood and hormones, improving sleep, and modulating gut health.4
4. Channel inner health for outward health
Signs of aging (especially premature aging) might be a way your body is communicating an issue elsewhere. Our skin has an uncanny way of sending out warning signals that something is impacting our internal health, and nowhere has this been more evident than with gut health.
Because our gut microbiome has a very close relationship with our skin microbiome, signs that our gut ecosystem is in turmoil may be telegraphed right to the surface of our skin.5 When our diet lacks vital nutrients or is even sensitive to certain foods we normally consume, these issues can permeate our skin and transform the landscape of our skin microbes, disrupting their balance and causing skin irritation, which may even display as early incidents of aging.5 The skin's constant response to irritating microbes on its surface can cause stress, disrupting normal cell function and reducing the skin's ability to maintain health and regenerate.
Determining the status of your gut health may be one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to make changes to your skincare without investing in countless products that boast ‘results’ without treating the source of the issue. Although taking care of your skin and including topical retinol, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid-rich products may support your skin cells, if your diet is harming their ability to function - you’re not likely to see results that match your investment.
5. Incorporate supplements into your routine
There are several powerful natural ingredients on the planet that have beneficial properties for aging. Some help increase cell turnover (allowing your cells to replicate and refresh).* Others support the skin's cell membrane, and others trigger Sirtuins, a family of proteins that support DNA and allow the cells to stay healthy longer.*
If you've completed your Viome test and received your results and recommendations, you may see several impressive ingredients, such as NAD+, collagen, turmeric, and CoQ10, each targeting different processes. These are all highly effective supplements; we've seen the research! However, without a healthy functioning gut microbiome, your body may be unable to absorb or utilize them. That's why we focus on restoring and maintaining a balanced gut microbiome through precision nutrition so that your body can fully absorb the benefits of any supplement regimen.
The key is to embrace your body's innate wisdom as the key to true anti-aging. The most effective strategies harness your unique biology, not artificial interventions. By nurturing your body's inherent capabilities and supporting them with targeted nutrition, you unlock vibrant health and timeless beauty from within. Let this guide you in cultivating skin that's not just youthful, but optimally functional.
References
Palma, L., Marques, L. T., Bujan, J., & Rodrigues, L. M. (2015). Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 8, 413–421. https://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S86822
Alam, M., Walter, A. J., Geisler, A., Roongpisuthipong, W., Sikorski, G., Tung, R., & Poon, E. (2018). JAMA dermatology, 154(3), 365–367. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.5142
Garatachea, N., Pareja-Galeano, H., Sanchis-Gomar, F., Santos-Lozano, A., Fiuza-Luces, C., Morán, M., Emanuele, E., Joyner, M. J., & Lucia, A. (2015). Rejuvenation research, 18(1), 57–89. https://doi.org/10.1089/rej.2014.1623
Alshahrani, F. M., Almalki, M. H., Aljohani, N., Alzahrani, A., Alsaleh, Y., & Holick, M. F. (2013). Dermato-endocrinology, 5(1), 177–180. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.23351
Salem, I., Ramser, A., Isham, N., & Ghannoum, M. A. (2018). Frontiers in microbiology, 9, 1459. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01459
