When Should You Start Worrying About Wrinkles?

It seems inevitable. Sooner or later you’ll wake up, look in the mirror and there they’ll be: the little grooves and fine lines that inspire dread about getting and looking older. It may hit you like a ton of wrinkly bricks one day, but those alarming signs of aging have been creeping up on you since your early twenties. It’s time to activate a battle plan.

A study conducted by Olay pinpointed the tipping points of skin in each decade, and it’s all downhill after 20. In your twenties, you’ll experience a decline in antioxidant response. Your thirties bring a decline in skin’s bioenergy. In your forties there is an increase in cellular senescence. And the barrier function of your skin declines in your fifties. And in your sixties? The study claims an “acceleration of all of the above.”

It all sounds hopeless, but knowing is half the battle. In Photoaging, a book on the physical signs of aging written by researchers from Seoul National University and the University of Michigan, the aging process of skin is characterized by the alterations in the functionality of skin, rather than simply by gross morphological changes. Knowing this and the ages at which those functions start to falter, your wrinkle worries can be transformed into a plan of action.

Decline In Antioxidant Response

Cutaneous aging, according to a study published in Mechanisms of Aging and Development, falls into two main categories. Intrinsic aging is largely determined by your genetics and extrinsic aging is caused by environmental exposure, primarily solar UV radiation. UV light can stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, which can advance the aging process in skin, encouraging wrinkles and dark spots.

When ROS get out of hand, your skin’s natural antioxidant defenses can’t keep up. Reducing your exposure to UV radiation by daily, conscientious use of an effective sunscreen is the first step in battling the declining antioxidant response that sets in during your 20s. Topical application of products rich in antioxidants, like the fulvic acid in Fulom’s skincare line, can boost antioxidant response and help mitigate those pesky signs of aging.

Decline In Bioenergy

We’ve been thoroughly warned that our metabolism is going to take a hit when we reach our 30s. “You won’t be able to eat like that in a few years,” our well-intentioned but often snarky-sounding elders cautioned us as we tucked into an extra large, extra cheese and pepperoni pizza. But what they don’t tell you is that when you hit your thirties your skin is going to be as tired and sluggish as your newly downtempo metabolism.

As we age, the energy in our cells powers down like a fading battery. As this cellular bioenergy decreases, free radicals are left unchecked. Blasting those free radicals with a super dose of antioxidants can combat the signs of aging, as can loading up on vitamin B3, which regulates the condition of the skin, especially when it comes to the visible indications of getting older.

Increased Cellular Senescence

Senescence is the process of degradation that comes with age. It serves as a stopwatch for aging cells; at a certain point, the just stop rebuilding themselves. It’s suspected that cell senescence can contribute to aging, not only by senescent cell buildup in tissues, but also by limiting cellular regeneration.

Regenerating collagen, skin’s natural structural system, can be crucial in warding off those age lines in your forties. Vitamin E solutions in skincare have been shown to bump up collagen and fill those lines. Collagen supplements are available, too, to give you a leg up on aging from the inside out.

Decline In Barrier Function

The function of your skin’s natural barrier hinges on the delicate balance of pH levels. And that pH changes as you age, particularly after age 70. But it’s not just the passage of time that can upset the acidic pH balance of your skin. Harsh soaps and chemical detergents can throw the whole thing out of whack. In a study of the skin of infants published in Dermatology, alkaline soaps greatly increased the pH, which could impair the ability of the acid mantle to stop bacteria and preserve hydration.

To avoid this, stick with gentle cleansers like Fulom’s Face and Body Cleanser that won’t disrupt your skin’s pH balance. Using a cleanser that mimics skin’s 5.5 pH will keep that acid mantle healthy and your skin’s barrier functioning properly. Pair the cleanser with Fulom’s Wrinkle Cream and you have a transformative skin care regimen for skin tightening, preventing wrinkles and reducing the appearance of fine lines. 

Armed with the information you need to stave off the signs of aging, you can wipe away that worry and focus your time and energy on the joy of living your best life, no matter your age.