Ingredients Your Sun Damaged Skin Needs
Sun damage is an inevitable part of life if you’ve enjoyed any time outside during your lifetime. Do you remember those long, lazy days at the pool or family vacations spent on the lake when you were younger? Dreamily floating on a raft and totally forgetting to put on any sunscreen, let alone reapplying it, was made a harsh reality at night with a sunburn that radiated heat and hurt when a sheet touched it. Fast forward 20 or 30 years and there’s probably some evidence of that fun in the sun starting to creep out on your face, arms, and chest. At the office we get asked a lot if there’s any way to reverse all of our sun damage? Unfortunately, it’s impossible to mitigate all accumulated damage especially once DNA mutations have occurred. Don’t lose hope though, there are steps and ingredients that can help reduce some of the visible aesthetic side effects and lessen future harm.
Since skin is our largest and most visible organ, it’s the outward barometer of how attractive and healthy a person might be. Even though beauty is a totally subjective idea, the concept of it is tied to youth. Youthful skin is typically characterized by even skin color, lack of wrinkles, tautness, and good hydration. When visible freckles, inflammation, sun spots, and wrinkles are noticeable our perceived age goes up unfortunately. Preventative measures are crucial for the long-term health of the skin.
Sunscreen
First and foremost, sunscreen needs to be applied every day. We recommend a broad spectrum product with at least an SPF of 30 and ½ teaspoon for the face and neck. One thing to keep in mind is that Let's be honest, nothing will block 100% of UVA and UVB rays but wearing it daily cuts down on the amount of physiological damage happening below the surface that can lead to long-term issues. Wearing daily sunscreen will help reduce brown spots, the visibility of melasma, keep scars from acting weird in the sun, reduce skin inflammation, and reduce your risk of skin cancer. There’s an adage that says, “the best thing you can do for your skin in your 50s is wear sunscreen in your 20s.” This rings very true but it’s never too late to start applying. For those of us living at high altitudes it is especially important to wear sunscreen because research models suggest an approximate 8 percent to 10 percent increase in ultraviolet intensity for each 1,000 feet of elevation across the studied altitudes.
Antioxidants
UV damage, specifically UVA light, has been shown to generate reactive oxygen specimens (ROS) within the skin that cause signs of aging. You’ve probably heard them called free radicals in every skincare commercial on TV since the 1990s. These molecules are super unstable and when they build up they begin to affect our natural antioxidant defenses in the skin, and not in a good way. Topical vitamin C is an abundant water soluble antioxidant that can downregulate the number of free radicals bouncing around in the skin and prevent further damage. Vitamin E is another plentiful antioxidant that sacrifices itself to prevent damage to the important fatty bit of cells. Ubiquinone is also a fat-soluble antioxidant like Vitamin E and not only protects against lipid peroxidation but also sustains Vitamin E’s effects. These ingredients can’t reverse the damage you already have but it can help prevent future stuff from developing as quickly.
Retinoids
Retinoid is an umbrella term for Vitamin A derivatives like retinoic acid, retinol, and retinal. These are some of the most effective actives in slowing the process of aging. “They are responsible for proliferation of the living layer of the epidermis, strengthening of the protective function of epidermis and reduction in excessive transepidermal water loss (TEWL)” (Zasada 392-397). It also prevents the breakdown of the ever important collagen, improves skin elasticity, counteracts the development of some precancerous conditions, and reduces pigmentation. It’s the closest thing to a miracle in a bottle
Nicotinamide/Niacinamide
Vitamin B3 is essential for overall good health. When it’s applied topically it helps to reduce DNA damage caused by UV irradiation by preventing ATP levels from dropping and inhibits cellular glycolysis. Some studies from the 1990s even showed that both topical and oral nicotinamide suppressed non-melanoma cancer formation. If that isn’t enough to convince you to use it, it's also anti-inflammatory, improves your natural lipid barrier which keeps skin better moisturized, regulates oil, evens out skin discoloration, has antioxidant capabilities, and reduces fine lines.
If sun damage is a big concern for you, consider incorporating these ingredients into your regimen. Many products have more than one combined together to reduce the number of bottles on your bathroom counter. When you do start these products don’t expect immediate results. These are marathon products that take up to 12 weeks to start seeing the first visible signs of improvement. If you’re interested in putting together a customized product program, please call Aesthetic by Design for a full skin consultation that includes a Visia picture to provide an in-depth analysis of your skin including the amount of photodamage.
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