Skin Aging
As we grow older our skin gradually becomes drier. Women who use cosmetics will notice that, although in their teens and twenties they found preparations labeled as suitable for greasy skin most satisfactory, 20 years later preparations for dry skin seem to suit them better. This is because of the slowing down of the output of the sebaceous glands. In fact, the explanation for differing skin types is even more complicated than this, as oily or greasy material is also produced by the epidermal keratinocytes, and contributes to the protective waterproofing of the skin and to its suppleness. This oily or lipid material from the sebaceous glands and keratinocytes also helps the body retain water by preventing evaporation of water from the skin surface. So both lipids and water, acting together, are important in preventing skin from drying out. Moisturizing creams can therefore be very light-acting, mainly by improving water retention, or much heavier, for example night creams, which mainly contain oils and heavy emollients. From the age of about 40 onwards, skin care is mainly directed towards preventing dryness. A dry skin is a wrinkled skin and wrinkles are generally associated with "ageing", something most people would like to delay as long as possible.
We cannot replace the skin, so it makes very good sense to look after it as well as possible, and to begin this care early in life. This is particularly important now that in developed countries many of us can expect to live well into old age. It is important to distinguish between what is inevitable, or intrinsic aging, which we cannot prevent and must accept more or less gracefully according to our personality, and other features seen on the skin of older people that are partly preventable or can at least be delayed.
What causes the "aging" changes on the face, and why does the covered area look younger?
The answer is exposure to sunlight, which causes "photo-ageing" that, unlike intrinsic aging, can be at least partially prevented or delayed. One of the best demonstrations of the importance of photo-aging is a comparison of the skin of someone who has lived all their life in Northern Europe or the northern US with that of a relative of a similar age who emigrated to Australia or to the southern part of the United States early in life-the relative who emigrated will usually look older for their years because of the weathering and ageing effect of constant sunshine on the skin.
La Roche Posay Active C XL Anti-Aging Cream