How to get the best skin possible for your age

In my opinion, the most effective way to care for your skin and minimise the signs of ageing is to use products that work in harmony with the natural function of your skin and support the growth and renewal of healthy skin cells.

To better understand why, it is helpful to understand a few basic facts about the skin structure. The skin consists of three layers:

Epidermis – the top layer of skin that performs the function of cell renewal, protecting against environmental damage, preventing moisture loss and protecting the body’s inner cells and organs. This is the cell layer that skin care helps to treat and hydrate.

Dermis – The middle layer of the skin containing collagen and elastin, blood capillaries, nerves, hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous (oil) glands.

Subdermis – A layer of fatty tissue that cushions the skin above it.

The factors that affect the condition of your skin include:

• Natural process of ageing
• Nutrition and water consumption
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Stress
• Over exposure to the sun
• Temperature extremes and wind
• Pollution and toxins
• Products applied to the skin

Some of these factors we can control easier than others. Effective skincare that supports the natural function of the skin is one key factor that we can easily control. The range that I’d love to use as an example to show how, is AEOS energised organics.

Improve the pH balance of your skin

Look for products, like the AEOS range, that help restore and maintain the correct pH balance of the skin. A healthy skin requires a level of approximately 4.5 – 6.5, with the ideal being 5.5 (slightly acidic) on the pH scale. This allows the protective action of the skin to be more effective, which affects its appearance.

The Importance of gentle Exfoliation

New skin cells form at the base of the epidermis and slowly move upwards, flattening out as they mature. Extreme exfoliation methods expose under layers of immature cells which have not completed their growth and journey to the outer layer. Due to these layers not being fully mature they are therefore far more vulnerable to damage from external pollutants and the sun, one of the major factors in ageing and dry skin. This is why the AEOS exfoliant is very mild, offering the possibility to gently ‘polish’ the outer layer of the skin, encouraging the skin’s natural renewal process, whilst delivering hydration.

Why We Need to Replenish

The top layer of the skin contains keratin, a protein that helps to keep the skin hydrated by preventing water loss. When water loss occurs, the skin can appear dry and flaky. This can be because of the lack of hydration causing the keratinocytes not to develop correctly (the dry flaky skin being the result of the cells ‘curling up’ rather than lying flat against each other).

The epidermis as a whole also contains enzymes that require water to promote the removal of dead cells. The spaces between the cells are packed with lipids (fats) and the cells themselves consist of amino acids and salts which are water soluble and assist the cells in retaining a balanced moisture level, slowing down any water loss. This ‘natural moisturising factor’ helps the outermost layer of the epidermis to regulate natural water loss by preventing water evaporating from the deeper layers of the skin. This is where AEOS products are so important in delivering moisture, along with the active ingredients, in a cumulative way to the different layers of the skin. The active ingredients of AEOS (such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids) are offered in a natural way via organic plant ingredients which are more readily received by the layers of the skin when it is slightly moist, rather than dry, hence the importance of using a face mist prior to applying a serum and moisturiser.

Making the choice to gift yourself a minute of me-time at the beginning and close of each day for a skin care ritual with effective plant extracts is one of the most simple and practical ways to promote a healthy plump and radiant complexion.

What’s your regular regime to look after your skin?