When you become 30s ~ 40s, you might think, “Oh, my face doesn’t look the same as before. It seems to have aged more, the color looks a bit dull, and wrinkles are starting to appear around the eyes, right?”

Before facing these signs of aging, I didn’t know much about the characteristics of aging.

Whether we realize it or not, we are exposed to various substances that affect our skin for a long time.

Although we all have different skin types, some age faster than others.

There are several factors commonly known to influence aging.

Photoaging

First, we analyzed the lifestyles and skin measurements of 3,447 Korean women.

We looked for common factors among the bottom 25% of people with the most wrinkles and found that they were particularly exposed to ultraviolet rays, and another common factor was lack of sleep.

Among them, 43% did not use sunscreen, and those who did had significantly fewer wrinkles.

This is because ultraviolet rays accelerate skin aging. Therefore, in academia or the industry, this is called photoaging.

Photoaging is particularly evident on areas of the skin exposed to sunlight, such as the face, neck, and backs of hands.

Compared to what we usually think of as aging, photoaging starts earlier and is more severe. Its characteristics include more pronounced wrinkles, increased pigmentation, and a higher risk of skin cancer.

The photo compares collagen density in skin tissue.

In younger skin, collagen fibers are tightly packed, providing good support.

However, in aged skin, collagen is sparse, and there are white holes, indicating significant damage.

But if you look at the photo-aging part, there’s no collagen at all!

In severe cases of photoaging, ultraviolet rays penetrate the dermis, severely destroying collagen and replacing it with other substances. This shows that photoaging has a greater impact than we previously thought.

Do you feel a sense of urgency now that you’ve seen this picture?

Habits promoting aging

Now, let’s look at habits that promote aging.

1. First, let’s talk about sleeping habits. 55% of Koreans suffer from sleep deprivation of less than 6 hours, which leads to decreased vitality compared to those who get enough sleep.

2. Regarding alcohol and smoking habits, those who consume more than 7 glasses of soju per week or are smokers tend to have more wrinkles and reduced elasticity.

3. Smoking, in particular, is a major cause of aging after UV exposure, leading to a pattern of wrinkles known as “smoker’s face.”

4. Additionally, prolonged exposure to air pollution during the spring season can also contribute to skin aging.

How to look younger

1. Sunscreen

1-1 Tip/Tips for sunscreen[What to choose]

To prevent photoaging, sunscreen is essential, right?

But did you know there’s a proper way to choose sunscreen?

First of all, you should choose a sunscreen that can block both UVA and UVB rays.

Nowadays, there’s a lot of attention on sunscreens that can block UVA1, which is the longest wavelength of UV rays that can reach the deepest layers of the skin.

So, it’s recommended to choose such products. Typically, sunscreen products have SPF (Sun Protection Factor) indicated on them, which indicates the degree of protection against UVB rays.
Generally, SPF 15 or higher is recommended for daily use, while SPF 30 or higher is recommended for outdoor activities.

SPF 50+ is suitable for eyeshadow and in the US, products often have SPF 60+.

PA indicates the level of protection against UVA rays, and the higher the level, indicated by the number of ‘+’ signs ranging from 1 to 4, the better the protection.

However, US products usually don’t use PA; instead, if they’re labeled as broad spectrum, it means they block both UVA and UVB rays.

Additionally, ➋waterproof products are recommended for their long-lasting effect.

Waterproof products are effective not only during swimming but also against being washed away by sweat.

Nowadays, there are many products like All Day Long or Once-a-Day sunscreens, but the notion of applying sunscreen just once a day is misleading.

Sunscreen doesn’t maintain its effectiveness indefinitely, so it’s best to reapply every two hours, especially if it’s washed or wiped off.

Furthermore, when purchasing sunscreen, it’s advisable to choose a product containing antioxidant ingredients.

Skin damage from UV rays ultimately occurs because they generate reactive oxygen species within the skin, damaging it. Therefore, having antioxidant ingredients that reduce these reactive oxygen species is beneficial. (Common antioxidant ingredients include Vitamin E, Ferulic Acid, Polyphenols, etc.)

Hold on for a moment!

How does ROS(reactive oxygen species)/Free Radical affect to look younger?

: Reactive oxygen species refer to oxygen that enters the body and, through oxidation, attacks the tissues within the body, damaging normal cells.

In simpler terms, leftover oxygen in the body damages DNA, proteins, etc., leading to diseases such as cancer, dementia, stroke, and aging.

Especially in the case of ultrafine dust, which is about 1/20 the size of a pore, it can directly affect the skin because it can be transmitted not only through the respiratory system when we breathe but also through the skin.

This not only weakens the skin barrier function and exacerbates allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis but also significantly accelerates aging, which is a concern for us.

Through one study, it has been found that people residing near main roads are more likely to have more pigmentation and wrinkles on their faces due to exposure to fine dust.

Furthermore, we are exposed to dust and pollutants not only outdoors but also indoors. For example, substances emitted when cooking, grilling meat, or grilling fish are well known to be carcinogenic.

Not only that, but without us realizing it, we are also exposed to substances from various sources such as air fresheners, candles, mold, and printers, which have long-term effects on our skin.

So now that we’ve identified these causes of aging, we should be cautious, shouldn’t we?

Rather than pouring money into dermatology, changing everyday habits such as excessive drinking, smoking, and lack of sleep can help our skin bloom beautifully again.

Alright! Now that we’ve identified the issues, let’s also explore some alternatives, shall we?

So, let’s now take a look at how we can delay aging through different methods.

And ➍ there are also many multifunctional products (including whitening, wrinkle improvement, and UV protection functions), so choosing these products can be wiser.

1-2 Product Types

The type of sunscreen can vary depending on where it is applied.

For example, stick-type productsare good for areas where it shouldn’t run, like around the eyes. Sprays should be avoided on the face because they can be inhaled. Sensitive skin is recommended to avoid the Gel type.

1-3 How to Apply Sunscreen

Regarding how much sunscreen to apply, you might be wondering, right?

Generally, there’s something called the teaspoon rule. You use about 5ml, which is the size of a teaspoon used in cooking, for each body part. For example, one for the face, one for the front and back of the torso, one for each arm and leg, totaling 9 teaspoons for the entire body.

Areas that are often overlooked, like the ears, eyelids, and neck, should not be missed. Pigmentation tends to develop heavily in these areas over time, so it’s best to apply sunscreen thoroughly.

If you’re someone who exercises a lot, you might find your ears heavily sunburnt. In such cases, it’s advisable to reapply the same amount every 2 hours when engaging in outdoor activities.

Research on how much sunscreen people actually use shows that they typically use about a quarter of the recommended amount.

This means that even if you apply SPF 30, the effectiveness is greatly reduced, showing only about SPF 3 effectiveness.

While SPF is important for sun protection, using a sufficient amount is particularly crucial.

Additionally, it’s good to apply sunscreen on cloudy days or indoors under strong indoor lighting or in front of monitors. And please don’t hesitate to discard products that have been open for more than a year as they may cause adverse effects due to oxidation.

Moreover, covering up is much more effective than just applying sunscreen.

Nowadays, the UV protection capability of clothes is indicated by a numerical value called UPF, which is often marked on outdoor products.

A regular white t-shirt that we wear has a UPF of about 5 (equivalent to SPF 4).

For leisure activities, it’s recommended to use products with a UPF of 40+ or higher, and if it’s 50+, it means it blocks almost 98% of UV rays.

Even with this protection, it’s best to avoid outdoor activities during the strongest sunlight hours from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Next is retinol.

Retinol is also called vitamin A1, is a fat-soluble vitamin in the vitamin A family, which, when applied to the skin, converts to retinoic acid, a substance that acts in various layers of the skin. Dermatologists love this substance.

Because Retinol has a special function that only it can perform. It’s about normalizing aged skin.

Are you curious about how retinol works and which products are the best?

You can check it through the link below ⬇️

2. Anti-pololution skincare

Next is anti-pollution skincare. These days, the name anti-pollution in cosmetics that blocks or removes fine dust or harmful irritation is often used.

This could be a long story, so I’ll leave you a link below, so please check it out~!

But there are a lot of different anti-pollution cosmetics.

In a wide range, cleansers, creams, ampoules, and serums that help cleanse or block the sun are also anti-pollution, and it is also anti-pollution that strengthens the skin barrier function or forms a film that protects the skin.

And antioxidants, moisturizing, promoting collagen synthesis, pigment control, and anti-inflammatory action are all antifouling.

It can be said that it’s anti-pollution to reverse what’s gone bad like this, but in a narrow sense, the real anti-pollution products usually refer to cleansing (removing pollutants) and antioxidant products(enhancing skin barriers and minimizing skin damage).

And it’s a ‘facial cleansing tip’, and on days when fine dust is severe, double cleansing is recommended to remove harmful substances from the skin.

The reason is that if you wash your face thoroughly, you can remove ultrafine dust that has melted into your pores through sebum, so it’s good to wash your face first with an oil or balm type and then with a cleanser.

And as another recommended method, the harmful substances on the surface are easy to remove because grain, charcoal, and clay masks have good adsorption power.

And applying enough moisturizer is also part of anti-pollution care because studies have shown that applying enough moisture cream can create an antioxidant effect.

As mentioned above, ‘anti-oxidation’ will be one of the things that cannot be left out of antifouling skincare.

Let’s also point out antioxidant cosmetics once again.

In general, you know that “anti-inflammatory” is “to get rid of the inflammation”, and “antibacterial” is “to get rid of the bacteria”, right?

But isn’t it ambiguous when it comes to antioxidants? It can be ambiguous because oxidation is a concept that occurs inside cells, not visible. In short, you can understand that external harmful stimuli create oxidation, that is, free oxygen, and skin diseases (wrinkle, skin cancer, skin aging, etc.) are created through free oxygen.

Is ROS(Reactive Oxygen Specie)/Free
Oxygen the cause of aging?!

So how can we reduce ROS(Reactive Oxygen Specie)/Free Radical?

This could be a long story, so I’ll leave you a link below, so please check it out~!

The remedy for eliminating reactive oxygen species is antioxidants.

So, while these antioxidants are indeed present in our skin (such as glutathione, vitamin E, polyphenols, etc.), they are weak and disappear when exposed to UV rays.

Furthermore, as we age, the production of glutathione decreases.

Therefore, since the antioxidants naturally decrease in the skin as we age, it is beneficial to consume or apply antioxidants externally

Representative antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, tocopherol, p-coumaric acid, coenzyme Q10, polyphenols, and more.

3. Supplements recommendation for skin

Finally, here is a list of health supplements recommended by dermatologists for specific purposes:

1. Improving Skin Density and Elasticity