Why does our skin age and what can we do about it

Life may begin at 40 for some people but, regardless of how positive your outlook, unless you take care of your skin your outsides won’t match your insides.

Like every other organ in the body, skin is made up of cells that suffer from deterioration as we age. Loss of elastin and collagen mean that skin is no longer full, plump or taut. Loss of moisture and natural oils means it is also drier and that deep wrinkles begin to set in.

As if this weren’t enough, environmental damage accelerates the process through oxidative stress and photo ageing. While we can’t fight the process, we can do our best to minimise the visible effects of ageing.

With this in mind, here are griffin+row’s top tips to help keep you looking your best for longer:

Keep Skin Moist

Hot on the heels of photo ageing is dehydration. The human body is comprised of approximately 60% water, with skin having approximately the same levels. Without adequate hydration, cells don’t function properly with poor cell turnover resulting in dry, unhealthy skin.

What’s more, as the skin is one of the few organs exposed to the elements, as well as the internal processes of the body, it requires hydration from both inside and outside to keep it in optimal condition.

Keeping the body hydrated from within is fairly common sense; drink an adequate amount of liquids, preferably water, at regular intervals throughout the day.

Avoid gulping down large amounts of water and then leaving long periods in between. Sipping regular and often is the best way to keep hydrated.

Hydrating from within involves ensuring that the skin is kept moist and protected from the elements. Natural botanical oils, such as those found in griffin+row Nourish and Enrich moisturising creams, are high in antioxidant properties and help provide a protective barrier.

Tip: griffin+row Hydrate spray helps prepare the skin to receive the benefits of moisturiser as well as amplifying its effects once applied.

A Nutrient Rich Diet

One of the best ways to get your insides to match your outsides is to ensure you consume the optimum amount of vitamins and minerals for your age and lifestyle.

Eating a healthy balanced diet goes a long way to ensuring you achieve the RDA of vitamins and minerals that are vital for healthy glowing skin.

Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants which help to fight the effects of free radical damage caused by oxidative and environmental stress. Cranberries, Blueberries, and Goji Berries are particularly high in antioxidants and also help regulate blood sugar levels.

Foods rich in Biotin such as nuts and eggs help to promote the production of keratin, while many seeds and pulses are high in zinc which is necessary for healthy tissue repair.

Unsaturated or good fats, such as those found in avocados and fish, help skin to produce essential fatty acids which in turn support collagen and elastin production.

Tip: Unsweetened dark chocolate is high in both zinc and antioxidants, just don’t eat too much of it!

A Strong Foundation

One key item in our makeup cases can help protect skin from ageing in a number of ways. Foundation provides a barrier to pollution by trapping dirt and particulate matter and helping protect the skin’s natural acid mantle.

Foundation also works to enhance the action of moisturisers by providing an additional barrier to seal moisture into the skin. In addition, most foundations now include an SPF of 15 or higher, ensuring your skin is protected from UV rays.

However, it is essential that all makeup is removed at the end of each day to stop particulate matter from reaching the skin and causing damage. griffin+row Cleanse is a soluble cleanser designed to remove makeup, oil, and dirt while keeping the skin’s natural slightly acidic pH of 4.5 to 6.2.

While foundations can’t stop the free radical damage caused by oxidative stress, they can help prevent additional free radical damage caused by pollution and therefore help slow the ageing process.

Tip: A moisturiser containing botanical extracts, such as griffin+row’s Nourish or Enrich, is high in antioxidants and helps to fight the effects of free radical damage.