Why do some people look old and others look young? Here are 6 reasons...

Beautiful things are always fleeting, and beautiful faces are always prone to leave unexpectedly.

But I don’t know if you have ever experienced this situation around you. Among people of the same age, some seem to be favored by time and look very young, while others look very haggard and old.

Why is this? What are the real causes of aging? What signals does the body send out when it ages? How can we delay aging and retain youth?

Without further ado, today we will explore these secrets one by one and start the road to anti-aging.

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6 possible reasons

Makes you age faster than others

The causes of skin aging can be divided into endogenous factors and exogenous factors. Endogenous factors are also called cell aging, which is an irreversible process over time. There are many exogenous factors. After sorting out, we have summarized the three major internal and external "killers" that lead to skin aging.

The three major internal and external killers of the skin. Image source: "Precision Skin Care"

1

The three major killers of skin aging

The three major internal "killers" are: "two transformations" (oxidation and glycation), "two highs" (high sugar and high oil) and staying up late.

1. "Two Changes" - Oxidation: The main causes of oxidation are external pollution, ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, smoking, etc. The important characteristics of skin oxidation are yellowing, loss of elasticity, dullness, wrinkles, melanin production, skin aging and other problems.

"Two changes" - glycation: The main cause of glycation is that the human body consumes too much sugar. The excess sugar cannot be consumed by the body. The free sugar in the blood reacts with the collagen in the dermis to produce a glycation reaction, causing the skin to become glycated, yellowed, darkened, and lose elasticity (hardened).

It is understood that the glycation process is irreversible. After protein denaturation, it will be converted into "advanced glycation end products" (AGEs). This substance will accelerate skin aging. This is also the reason why all kinds of skin care products are now anti-sugar.

Glycation reaction principle Image source: "Precision Skin Care"

2. “Two Highs” - high sugar and high oil: A high-sugar, high-oil diet will convert the body’s excess energy into fat and also cause a large amount of AGEs to accumulate in the body.

3. Staying up late: Staying up late is one of the main causes of skin oxidation and glycation. Skin cells regenerate during sleep at night. If you don’t get enough sleep, skin cell regeneration slows down, causing the skin to become dry, loose, dehydrated, rough, and produce spots.

2

The three external factors that cause skin aging:

The three major external "killers" of skin aging are mainly ultraviolet rays, insufficient moisturizing, and improper skin care. Compared with the three major internal "killers", the three major external "killers" occupy a more important position in skin aging.

The three external "killers" are mainly related to our skin care concepts. Lack of correct skin care concepts will lead to wrong skin care claims and behaviors, "missing opportunities" or "counterproductive", and ultimately causing great damage to the skin.

1. Ultraviolet rays: Only 20% of skin aging is caused by natural aging, and the remaining 80% is caused by photoaging. Almost all skin problems are related to photoaging. Long-wave ultraviolet rays (UVA, wavelength 320~400 nanometers) can penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis directly, causing the skin to produce active oxygen free radicals. Moreover, it can penetrate most transparent glass and plastics, causing the skin to tan and age. And the damage caused by ultraviolet rays to the skin is not a one-time thing, that is, every time we are exposed to sunlight without protection, our skin will be one step closer to aging.

The generation of free radicals. Image source: Precision Skin Care

2. Insufficient moisturizing: All skin problems can be traced back to the root cause, which may be evolved from the inconspicuous problem of skin dehydration. The stratum corneum is the first line of defense of our skin. It tightly guards the moisture in the skin and prevents the invasion of external microorganisms. When we moisturize the skin, we are actually taking care of our stratum corneum. As a "soldier", the stratum corneum needs enough "water" as a nutritional supplement, so that it can play the role of "protecting the skin".

3. Improper skin care: Many people have only a vague understanding of their skin type and condition, cannot judge their actual skin condition, and do not understand the underlying logic of skin care. As a result, they may choose products that are not suitable for them. Incorrect cognition and usage methods are more likely to lead to clogged pores, dry skin, pigmentation, and even sagging skin, which is also one of the causes of skin problems.

Remember these 5 points for anti-aging

Avoid 10 years of detour

After reading the 6 reasons that lead to skin aging, I believe everyone has some ideas about how to fight aging. If you want to fight aging correctly, don’t be anxious and blindly follow others. You can start from the following 5 aspects.

1

Daily anti-sugar

Anti-sugar is beneficial to delay skin aging. In daily life, first, you can use anti-glycation skin care products, such as skin care products containing carnosine, lipoic acid, aminoguanidine and other ingredients, which can inhibit the glycation reaction of the skin;

The second is to do a good job of anti-oxidation. During the glycation reaction, free radicals will also be involved, so anti-oxidation can help anti-glycation. On the other hand, glycated collagen loses its effectiveness, while anti-oxidation can promote the production of new collagen and improve glycated skin;

The third is to reduce the intake of added sugar and control the intake of processed products, such as milk tea, cakes, beverages, etc., to avoid the accumulation of AGEs and delay skin aging.

However, it should be noted that anti-sugar does not mean rejecting or limiting sugar. Sugar, as one of the substances that provide nutrition to the human body, is an indispensable nutrient. According to the latest version of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)", adults should control the amount of added sugar to no more than 50 grams per day, and it is best to control it below 25 grams.

2

Get enough sleep

Maintain 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day, develop regular sleeping habits, and stay up late less.

3

Take good sun protection to prevent photooxidation

When going out, avoid the time period when ultraviolet rays are strongest: from 10 am to 4 pm. Whether you are exposed to the sun for a long time or a short time, it is recommended to take some sun protection measures. Applying sunscreen, wearing clothes and hats, sun umbrellas, and sun masks are all common items for sun protection and skin care.

In addition, if conditions permit, some antioxidants can be used appropriately.

Recommended sunscreen factor image source: "Precision Skin Care"

4

Keep your skin moisturized

A reliable moisturizing step can protect our skin barrier and improve the skin's absorption capacity. The correct way to moisturize is to replenish water first and then moisturize.

Many people may wonder how to judge whether a moisturizing product is good or not? In fact, there is a very simple way, that is to try it locally on the face or body. The feeling of the skin is the best answer. A good moisturizing product can make the skin feel moisturized, smooth and elastic for a long time. Moisturizing products should be selected according to factors such as age, gender, and skin type.

In addition, drinking plenty of water, maintaining a balanced and adequate diet, getting enough sleep, and paying attention to sun protection are all conducive to the health and beauty of the skin. If you still feel dry skin after using moisturizing products every day, you can strengthen the moisturizing measures for the skin, such as using a moisturizing mask every day.

5

Use skin care products correctly

① To use skin care products correctly, you must first understand the order of skin care. We have sorted out the 7 steps for correct skin care in the morning and evening. (You can operate according to the actual situation. For example, people who don’t wear makeup can skip the step of removing makeup. Friends with oily skin can choose between lotion and cream. Masks can be used every day according to their own situation.)

7 steps for morning skin care Image source: "Precision Skin Care"

7 steps for night skin care Image source: "Precision Skin Care"

② On the premise of following the right order, we also need to understand how to make the skin absorb better. Based on our experience, here are the 7 golden rules that affect skin absorption, in order to help everyone complete skin care more efficiently.

7 Golden Rules

1. Suitable. The first rule is always suitable, and suitable is above all else! Everyone's skin has its own characteristics. When you know what your skin type is and learn to read the ingredient list, you will choose the product that suits you.

2. Concentration. When choosing skin care products, pay attention to the concentration and dosage. It is irresponsible to talk about the effect without considering the concentration.

3. Dosage. First of all, it is important to make it clear that if you use a bottle of essence for half a year and a bottle of water for a year, and then feel that the skin care products have no effect, then it is not surprising at all, because the dosage is not enough. Use the "re-application method" to re-application on the parts of the skin that are prone to dryness, such as the nose and cheeks, to strengthen the skin's hydration over and over again, thereby enhancing the skin's absorption capacity and promoting the absorption of subsequent skin care products.

4. Temperature. When the outside temperature rises, blood circulation speeds up and the skin's absorption capacity also increases. Usually, the skin's absorption capacity is slightly better in summer than in winter. The "covering and pressing method" we created also uses this principle to increase the body surface temperature to promote the absorption of skin care products (see the figure below). Washing your face with warm water also helps absorption.

Comparison of skin absorption before and after using the pressing method. Image source: Precision Skin Care

5. Sequence. If the sequence is wrong, the product will be wasted. The sequence determines the effect.

6. Duration. The longer a skin care product stays on, the stronger its absorption is, so long-stay products such as lotions and creams must be used.

7. Humidity. The stratum corneum will not lie. If you help it replenish moisture, it will help you complete the absorption task better. The 5 "golden 30 seconds" is to use humidity to achieve twice the result with half the effort in skin care. The higher the hydration, the better the skin absorbs. The effect before and after can differ by 5 to 10 times. Therefore, use enough water and reapply more than 3 times. Full hydration can produce better skin care results.

The "golden 30 seconds" of precise skin care are several time windows of "best absorption effect" in the skin care steps. There are a total of 5 "golden 30 seconds". Grasping the 5 "golden 30 seconds" during the skin care process can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

5 “Golden 30 Seconds”

The first "golden 30 seconds": 30 seconds after cleansing and drying the face. At this time, the face has just been washed and some moisture on the skin surface has not evaporated. At this time, the moisture content of the stratum corneum is very conducive to the subsequent nutrient absorption. If it exceeds 30 seconds, the evaporation of moisture on the skin surface will take away the moisture of the stratum corneum, and the moisture content of the stratum corneum will decrease, and the absorption effect will decrease. In these 30 seconds, quickly add toner to the skin to maximize the hydration of the stratum corneum and better soften the stratum corneum to better absorb the nutrients in the subsequent skin care steps.

The second "golden 30 seconds": 30 seconds after replenishing toner. In the same way, after hydration, the stratum corneum has the highest moisture content and the best absorption effect, so quickly replenish the skin with essence.

The third “golden 30 seconds”: apply eye cream within 30 seconds after applying essence.

The fourth “golden 30 seconds”: apply lotion within 30 seconds after applying eye cream.

The fifth “golden 30 seconds”: apply facial cream within 30 seconds after applying lotion.

There are 5 "golden 30 seconds" between every two steps. There is no need to rush to apply sunscreen, just apply it 20 to 30 minutes before going out to ensure that it can form a film.

Have you ever lamented the traces of time when facing the mirror? Everyone loves beauty, and skin care requires long-term persistence. In the matter of anti-aging, learn the right method and grasp the golden period of anti-aging. Maybe we can't achieve rejuvenation, but we can make the skin have anti-aging ability as early as possible, keep "frozen age" as much as possible, and retain youth.

Precision Skin Care

Heart Power Series: A Guide to Self-Healing after a Breakup

How to correctly judge your skin quality and condition? How to choose the right skin care products for yourself? How to establish a scientific and effective skin care habit? This book uses numbers as a carrier to decrypt the skin code. The ten principles and methods of precise skin care, six "first and last", five "golden 30 seconds", three "halfs" that determine skin quality and condition, seven golden rules that affect skin absorption, seven steps for correct skin care, "4837" precise skin care method... Behind each number is an efficient rule for achieving precise skin care.

This book will help you easily establish your own skin care logic, develop the most suitable skin care plan for yourself, and become more confident and beautiful on the road of skin care. Together, we will explore the secrets of precise skin care and create healthy and beautiful skin.

Planning and production

Source: Book "Precision Skin Care", Science and Technology Press of China

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin