Looking for some relatively easy ways to keep your skin looking and feeling young and vibrant? Elisabeth Neal P.A.-C is particularly interested in pre-juvenation, which means focusing on delaying skin aging for as long as possible.
Elisabeth says, “A lot of sun damage that we acquire isn’t from just one or two sunburns. It’s decades of low level accumulated damage. Limiting and preventing UV exposure on a daily basis is step one to preventing premature photo aging of the skin.”
Naturally, the best tool we have to do this is sunblock, so the first element of any pre-juvenation routine is to make sure that you apply sunblock to the face and other exposed areas of skin every single morning. The day you start that habit, the longer your skin will keep the look and feel it has today. Elisabeth recommends a transparent zinc oxide-based product that is safe for sensitive skin and won’t cause breakouts. Hats and photo-protective clothing can also help!
At night, Elisabeth recommends using a retinol product, which is designed to help repair some of the damage we already have, while constantly fighting against the march of aging skin cells.
“It works by renewing and refreshing the top layer of skin cells at an accelerated rate. Fresher cells that have less DNA damage make their way to the surface much faster, so the skin looks and feels fresh, smooth, and more firm over time. Retinol products are ‘marathon medicines’ that you use for the long-term. The earlier you start, the more marked improvements you will have.”
Elisabeth notes that retinol products can be irritating to the skin initially, so it’s important to use them with a moisturizer. Look for hyaluronic acid in the ingredient list. It draws water into the cells themselves and delivers a healthy plumping effect that can make your skin glow while limiting the dryness and peeling from the retinol. It is important to note that you do develop a tolerance in the skin to the irritation over time, so all the more reason to start early!
By combining sunblock during the day with retinol at night, with ample moisturizer as needed, you can keep your skin looking and feeling its best over the long term. Start young to stay young!
For additional tips and techniques, including cosmetic procedures to prevent skin aging (Botox, chemical peels, and microneedling), schedule a consultation today.