Factors that affect how your skin ages and how it's well within your control!
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The most important factor affecting how your skin ages and it’s well within your control!
Many of us believe that how our body ages, and specifically how our skin ages is based on genetics. In fact,Scientific research tells us that this is mostly incorrect!!! And this is great news!
Of course I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that genetics plays a factor in how our bodies age. We all start with a genome, thanks fifty percent to our mother and fifty percent to our father. From there; we journeythrough life making choices on a daily basis about what we eat, our activity level, our sleep routine, stress level,hydration and many other factors. Each of these choices sends communication signals to our genes.
If we make healthy choices we turn on strong genes and turn off weak genes.
Similarly, if we make unhealthy choices we turn on weak genes and turn off strong genes. If we consume artificial food additives, come into regular contact with harsh chemicals, use air fresheners, ignore our body’s need foradequate sleep etc. we are sending signals to our body that turns on weak genes.
Our genes are like a book with many pages. We can choose what pages to open . Therein, our daily choices either lead us further to health, or further to disease.
Our genes are not our destiny!
I have to admit I truly dislike the word anti-age and prefer to replace this with the words “optimizing health”. When it comes to optimizing the health of our skin there is no factor as important as the status of our overall health. If you regularly read my blogs and follow me on instagram you know I am a big proponent of using high quality medical-grade skin care, having monthly medical facials, and being diligent with yearly microneedling treatments to stimulate collagen synthesis. But, if you don't optimize your health & wellness you are paddling upstream.
Your skin cannot and will not hide poor health!
When we make poor daily health choices the outcome is always some sort of vitamin and mineral deficiency in thebody. In fact, in the early stages of poor health your blood tests may be normal. This is because the blood must maintain itself in a very narrow ph level of 7.35 - 7.45, so if there is a vitamin and mineral deficiency the body will pull what it needs from its tissues to maintain this narrow ph level. So while the blood tests are normal, the body is already in a nutrient deficit.
This shows up very quickly in the most magnificent organ called our skin.
Acne, Dermatitis, Rosacea, Keratosis Pilaris and many other skin conditions are linked to specific nutrientdeficiencies. When these nutrients are replenished in the body, inflammatory skin conditions improve dramatically.And then (and only then) in conjunction with specific nutrient dense topical skin care and in-clinic skin rejuvenation treatments the results for skin health are truly remarkable.
You can start on the road to optimizing your skin health today by incorporating my top five suggestions into your daily routine:
Eat whole foods only and avoid processed foods. Most people tell me that they eat a “healthy diet” and avoid processed food. Yet when I ask my clients to keep track of everything they eat and drink for 5 days ,including how many times they open a package or open a can to prepare a meal they are most oftensurprised at how much processed foods dominate their daily intake of food.
Drink 2 Liters of water per day. Every single reaction in the body (and there are billions a day) requires water. So just do it!
You must prioritize sleep - and the magic number is eight! You may not get eight hours every night but you should be getting close to this most nights. Did you know that our brains have a separate lymphatic system from the body and scientific studies have shown that this works only at night while you sleep. No wonder when we are sleep deprived we cannot think straight.
Think about everything you come into contact with every day and try to avoid as many chemicals aspossible. This is a tough one as there have been over 80,000 chemicals invented in the last one hundredyears. Think about what you put on your body, in your body, what is in the air where you spend most of your time.
Finally, try and spend as much of your day in the present moment. It is my number one mental health tip and is truly beneficial for “slowing down time” and bringing one peace and happiness. When you are out of theconstant “flight or fight mode” that is continually stimulating our adrenal glands our body’s can finally enjoy “rest and digest”.
Yours in great skin health!
Carmen Edwards, BSc, FNP
Skin RNI Owner & Founder