What Is Inflammaging And What Can You Do About It
Inflammaging is the term that’s used to describe skin ageing that is caused by inflammation. This low-grade, chronic inflammation breaks down the architecture of your skin within your dermis which leads to the loss of hyaluronic acid, collagen, and anti-ageing molecules, including chondroitin, that causes the loss of skin elasticity and wrinkles. It can also cause inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne-like breakouts and eczema.
But what causes inflammaging and what can you do about it? In today’s post, we’ll be discussing the main contributing factors along with the helpful changes you can make to achieve healthy, more balanced skin.
What Causes Inflammaging?
Inflammaging can be caused by many factors, from your lifestyle right through to your diet even your current skincare routine.
Stress
Our everyday lives are more stressful than ever before. With smart phones and social media, we live in a world where we’re expected to be accessible 24/7 and find it hard to unplug. Our lives are also much busier than before as we try to balance family, work, and social commitments. Not to mention, we have the normal everyday stressors to deal with such worries about finances, politics, illness, accidents, and loss.This causes chronic low-level inflammation that really affects our skin, and even our overall health.
Pollution
Pollution accumulates on your skin throughout the day and causes an impaired skin barrier function. This impairment leads to the breaking down of collagen and oxidises the lipid layer in your skin - this leads to skin sensitivity, an uneven skin tone, premature ageing, and dehydration.
UV and Blue Light Exposure
UV rays not only cause premature ageing, but two types of UV, UVA and UVB, have also been proven to increase the risk of skin cancer.
UVA - has a longer wavelength and is associated with accelerated skin ageing.
UVB - has a shorter wavelength and is associated with sunburn.
UVA and UVB rays affect your skin differently, but both are harmful. Exposing your skin to UVA and UVB rays without adequate skin protection causes damage to the DNA in your skin cells and produces genetic defects, or mutations that can lead to skin cancer and premature skin aging.
Blue light or High Energy Visible Light (HEV), which is the light emitted by electronic devices like phones, tablets, and computer screens, can stimulate photo-ageing which leads to a weakened skin barrier, inflammation, and skin discoloration.
Diet
The food that you eat is a huge contributing factor to inflammaging – diets that are high in starches and sugars are triggers for your body’s inflammatory response. Also, diets that are high in fat delays the healing of your skin by promoting oxidative stress – a factor that is associated with ageing and even the development of skin disease and cancer.
Lack Of Sleep
During the night, your skin cells go through a reparative and renewing process. Without adequate sleep, your skin cells don't get the chance to go through this essential routine. Additionally, a lack of sleep raises your cortisol levels, which in turn triggers inflammation and the breakdown of your skin's structural proteins (like collagen and elastin).
Overusing And Under-using Your Skincare Products
Proper cleansing is essential to remove impurities from your skin - like pollution or traces of makeup that cause skin congestion. But overusing harsh skincare products, like physical and chemical exfoliators, causes damage to your skin barrier leading to inflammation.
What Are The Signs Of Inflammaging?
The signs of inflammaging can be quite visible on the surface of your skin. You'll notice issues like darker under-eye circles, enlarged pores, signs of redness, loss of volume, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, dehydrated skin, and skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and acne. However, a lot of these skin complaints can be symptoms of the normal ageing process which can make inflammaging a little more difficult to diagnose on your skin.
If inflammation is at a high level, your skin isn't able to retain water, and the level of hyaluronic acid that's naturally in your skin begins to deplete, leaving you with very dehydrated, dull skin.
How Can You Combat The Effects Of Inflammaging?
Inflammaging treatment to prevent inflammaging is much better than having to treat it, so taking preventative measures will help you to keep your skin protected, balanced, and healthy:
Wear An SPF Daily
Protecting your skin daily should be an essential part of your skincare routine. Ensue to use a high quality, broad-spectrum SPF. Our skincare experts using factor 50 for very high protection.
Get Consistent Quality Sleep
Ensure you're getting quality sleep every night. Aim for 7 - 9 hours per night.
Eat A Balanced Diet
Eating a balanced anti inflammaging diet that's full of whole foods will help you to get the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you need to support a healthy body and healthy, glowing skin. Ensure to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods that tackle free radical damage, and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and water-giving foods, like watermelon, cucumber, and peaches.
Try To Limit Your Stress
Stress has a profound impact on your health as well as your skin. Limiting stress as much as you can is helpful in preventing inflammaging. Taking time to rest and unwind is important, and taking a moment to be present and enjoy the moment can work wonders. From relaxing self-care rituals to walks outside in nature, or disconnecting from social media for an evening, try to incorporate stress-busting routines into your daily life.
Five Skincare Products To Help With Inflammaging
iS Clinical Cleansing Complex
This lightweight cleanser is powerful but still gentle enough for hypersensitive skin.
The formula works to thoroughly cleanse your skin of impurities and bacteria with a balance of bio nutrients, mild resurfacing ingredients, and antioxidants, the cleansing complex deeply cleans whilst resurfacing your skin and helping to minimise your pore size.
The cleansing gel also contains vitamin A to help boost collagen fibre production, and vitamin E to prevent damage to your skin caused by free radicals from UV exposure.
Advanced Nutrition Programme Inflammaging Duo
Formulated with skin-friendly bacteria and Omega 3, this duo helps to prevent the signs of ageing and reduce inflammation from the inside out.
Recommended for anti-ageing, uneven skin tone, and dry skin, the supplements help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles whilst supporting collagen formation and healthy gut flora.
With four unique strains of bacteria that have been specifically selected by ANP's skin researchers, the supplements nurture the close connection between your skin and gut for optimal skin health.
ESPA Clean & Green Detox Mask
Purify, refine, and balance your skin with this plant-based, nutrient-dense greens formula.
The clay mask is blended with broccoli seed oil, extracts of spinach, kale, kaolin, and spirulina. With a rich blend of vitamins, minerals and omegas, the formula works to detox your skin, refine your skin texture, and keep your skin looking shine-free.
Heliocare 360 Gel Oil-Free SPF 50
This oil-free, dry touch sunscreen is clinically proven to protect against UVA and UVB rays.
Containing advanced filters and a Bioshield System, the formula provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA, UVB, visible light and IR-A (infrared radiation -A).
Further enriched with Heliocare's Fernblock® FC, the SPF contains powerful antioxidant activity, and is supported by actives that repair sun damage (like DNA damage and premature skin ageing).
Blended with anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and sebum controlling technology, the formula is ideal for normal, combination and oily skin types.
Environ Focus Care Moisture+ Vita-Antioxidant Hydrating Oil Capsules
These intensive oil capsules contain antioxidants and vitamin A in an easily absorbable oil-based formula to leave your skin feeling silky smooth, healthy, and glowing.
Working to energise and hydrate your skin and promote the production of healthy collagen and elastin, the formula works to improve the general health and wellbeing of your skin.
Want to stick around a little longer and read another post? We think you might enjoy these Top Self Care Beauty Products To Help You Switch Off For Earth Hour on Saturday 25th March at 8:30pm.
