Note: The following is important information on how to prevent premature-aging. I’m not suggesting you don’t live your life to the fullest. Enjoy your life and do the things you love to do, skiing, hiking, the beach, being in the sun, etc. However, it is necessary to protect your skin and skin barrier to maintain heathy beautiful skin for the rest of your life.

I can tell you to the day I started my anti-aging quest. On my 25th birthday my brother came over for dinner. He handed me my gift and said, “How does it feel to be a quarter of a century old?” That night I asked my mom if I could use her cold cream.

You are never too young to start taking care of your skin. The number one anti-aging treatment you can do to prevent further damage is sunblock, use it everyday. Sun damage begins early and accumulates throughout your lifetime.

The sunburns, the unprotected exposures of childhood, and your teen years matter, but so does the exposure you get today. Every sunburn you have ever had is there, lurking beneath your skin, and will show up as you age.

The second best prevention is taking care of your skin barrier. As an esthetician for over 27 years, I’ve seen just about every issue with skin. I have always believed that it’s a better choice to prevent issues, rather than try to fix it later on, that goes for just about everything in life. The two biggest skin concerns I see in my treatment room are acne and anti-aging.

Young women are now asking about anti-aging. They want to know how to prevent wrinkles. I have noticed this request being asked by younger clients every year. It used to be that clients would start asking about the age of 35-40, when most women shift into peri-menopause.

“My mom isn’t aging well, she looks about 20 years older than she is. What can I do to prevent this from happening to me?” I’ve been asked that question hundreds of times. It’s simple really, start taking care of your skin.

What is pre-mature aging?

When your skin shows signs of aging much earlier than normal for your actual chronological age. This can be caused due to lifestyle choices or environmental damage. Common signs are, fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. Sun spots or dark patches on the face, hands, and chest. Dry, dull, skin that loses its natural glow. Loss of skin firmness or sagging.

The main causes of pre-mature aging are:

• Sun exposure without UV protection — causes the majority of visible skin aging, sun damage breaks down skin fibers, which cause wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
• Smoking — contributes to reduced blood flow to the skin, starving it of oxygen and nutrients.
• Not enough sleep — can interfere with the skin’s overnight repair and recovery system.
• High stress — which releases hormones, including cortisol that interferes with collagen production.
• Poor Nutrition, especially eating too much sugar.

Many see the most rapid changes in your skin between the ages of 45 to 55. During this time frame, structural shifts begin, which cause accelerated collagen loss, and shrinking facial fat pads, these changes combined create noticeable sagging and deeper wrinkles. Pre-mature aging can start much earlier.

So how do you prevent it?

Getting to know your skin barrier:

Our skin is the largest organ of the human body and it needs to be well protected. Your skin barrier is your first line of defense against environmental stressors and irritants. It also protects against the loss of one of the most important things in the human body, water. A healthy skin barrier not only holds water in, it also keeps out bacteria, dust, and pollution.

The outermost layer of skin is called the Stratum Corneum. Think of it as a brick wall. It consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by lipids. This is your skin barrier. Without a skin barrier, the water inside your body would escape and evaporate.

Healthy skin doesn’t need to be scrubbed, peeled, and exfoliated into submission. Your goal is to remove what the skin no longer needs without repeatedly damaging the barrier. Your skin barrier is there to protect you.

A damaged skin barrier commonly causes dryness, tightness, flaking, redness, burning, or increased sensitivity. Over-cleansing, harsh exfoliation, hot water, low humidity, and some skin conditions can weaken the skin barrier. Barrier repair usually focuses on gentler cleansing, regular moisturizing, and avoiding triggers that irritate the skin.

How to protect your skin barrier:

If your skin is soft and dewy, and feels comfortable, your barrier is healthy and working well. If you start to notice any of the signs of a damaged barrier, immediately start following the steps below to repair it. All of these repair steps are good to follow every day, even with a healthy barrier.

If you have skin that is red and irritated, flakey, itchy, or dry, you may be experiencing a damaged skin barrier. You can repair your barrier with the following steps.

• Don’t over exfoliate — How does your skin react to exfoliating? Is it red, tight, and irritated? Then stop what you are using and try a gentle non abrasive product. My favorites are a mild Lactic acid cleanser or mild enzymes. They get the job done and don’t irritate your skin. Only gently exfoliate once a week. When your barrier is strong you can move to two days a week.
• Avoid harsh acids — Once your barrier is stable you can try introducing these products slowly if you wish.
• Moisturize twice a day with a good gentle hydrating moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid. Avoid all moisturizers with acids when your barrier is compromised.
• Always wear sunblock — always.

Facial and Body Protocol for a Healthy Skin Barrier:

1. Cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser. Avoid any cleanser with harsh acids. Glycolic or Salicylic acids. You do not want to strip your skin’s natural oils. I prefer a Lactic acid cleanser. I recommend Peachy Clean by Relax & Wax, a 1% lactic will gently remove dead cells and not harm your skin.
2. Do a second cleanse. The first cleanse removes make up and any debris on your skin. The second cleanse cleans your skin. Rinse well and pat dry.
3. Apply your toner. Toner is one of the most misunderstood steps in skincare. A well formulated toner isn’t there to simply to remove leftover cleanser. It helps refresh and condition the skin after cleansing, adds hydration, and prepares the skin for the products that follow. I use and recommend PDRN Rebalancing Toner.
4. Apply your serum. If you are using more than one serum, start with the lightest weight first. Depending on your skins needs, for prevention and maintenance Age-Defy Professional PDRN Renewal Serum. For skin correction PDRN Intensive Serum. Just a dime size will do.
5. Apply your Age-Defy PDRN Dermal Repair Creme for prevention and maintenance. PDRN Intensive Repair Creme for visible signs of aging.

Why PDRN?

It’s simply the most exciting anti-aging ingredient available. It was first used in Italy and Korea for internal wound healing. It’s extremely hydrating and is designed to strengthen and improve your skin barrier. If you want to slow premature aging, slow down the aging process, this is the product for you. There are several PDRN products on the market. They are not all the same. Each of the ingredients in Age-Defy Professional are formulated with percentages proven to give you the results you want and need.