Issue link: http://www.finelinesmagazine.com/i/1192395
www.ascpskincare.com 9 At home: Maintain even skin tone with an at-home regimen of skin care products designed to help brighten the skin. The regimen should contain a mild glycolic acid to exfoliate, and licorice extracts, willow bark, and orange water to help soothe and restore skin softness. In Your 50s Age spots may intensify. Hormonal changes, meaning a decrease in estrogen and/or increase in androgens, may lead to breakouts. Sebum production is dramatically slowed, depriving the skin of natural moisture. At the spa: Help invigorate and tone the appearance of mature skin with a multiphase facial designed to exfoliate and restore essential moisture. Look for a facial that includes an enzyme micropeel to remove surface skin cells. At home: Follow a thorough skin care program that includes a day and night serum, a skin-softening daily moisturizer, and a weekly treatment mask. In Your 60s, 70s, and Beyond Your genetic disposition to certain skin types/problems will become evident (e.g., bags under the eyes, double chin, and pigmentation). The effects of intrinsic aging versus environmental aging are now visible. At the spa: Incorporate professional eye treatments into your monthly facial program. Look for treatments based on the latest advances in skin care, as well as clinically proven ingredients that work to combat visible signs of sleep deprivation, aging, and environmental damage. Look for those that utilize natural extracts of gingko biloba, gotu kola, dipeptides, tetrapeptides, and chrysin to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles in the delicate eye area. At home: Incorporate a day, night, and eye cream formulated to firm the appearance of the skin, as well as address the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Look for formulas that contain organic aloe vera and gingko biloba. Education is Key Professional estheticians care about their clients and believe their most important job is educating clients about how the consistency of proper skin care—both professional and at-home—is the secret to maintaining healthy, youthful- looking skin. Listen to your skin care professional! She wants you to look and feel your very best—at every age. ▪ A Cascade of Events A step-by-step rundown of how skin ages • The average moisture content of the stratum corneum is slightly decreased. • Drier skin manifests in fine lines. • The epidermis thins out. • The dermal papilla, which is the anchor of the epidermis, flattens out, resulting in loose, tissue-like texture. • Cell renewal rate slows down, slowing healing. • Circulation is impaired. • Desquamation becomes uneven, affecting the evenness of skin tone. • The visual characteristics of the stratum corneum, its color, and its translucency change (becoming more opaque) and move from pink toward yellow and gray. • Environmental exposure and changing metabolism impact the structural proteins, making skin less elastic and less firm. • A lifetime of repeated movement results in "expression lines" around the eyes and mouth. • Wrinkles form at the dermal layer of the skin due to a degradation of the elastin structure. • Elastin loses its "snap," allowing skin to become laxer and loose looking.