Although it is inevitable that as we age your skin will start to show signs of damage, you can control how much toll your skin takes. You must know what to do and just as importantly what not to do!

Sun exposure is the foremost sign of the visible aging of your ski … far more than all other factors combined. UV rays from the sun are the primary cause of wrinkles, pigmentation, sun spots, reduced skin elasticity, the degradation of skin texture, and many other signs of skin aging. In fact, many scientific estimates have shown that up to 80-90% of how young or old you look for your age is due to how much sun exposure (damage) you’ve sustained. rs.

According to the World Health Organization’s report called “Sun Protection: A Primary Teaching Resource”, up to 90% of visible changes in the skin are due to sun exposure (damage). The authors of the report stated, “Chronic overexposure to the sun can change the texture and weaken the elasticity of the skin. Sun induced skin damage causes premature wrinkling, sags and bags, and easy bruising.”

In another study concentrating strictly to the face, 298 Caucasian women were divided into two groups based on their history of sun exposure: either sun-seeking, or sun-phobic. They were also graded on the four main categories of visual aging signs: wrinkles/texture, lack of firmness of skin tissue, vascular disorders, and pigmentation unevenness. The goal of the study was to determine how much of the visual signs of aging were due to sun and ultraviolet exposure as opposed to other external factors such as gravity and pollution, or lifestyle factors like diet, tobacco, illness, and stress.

The objective of this study was to distinguish between skin changes produced by natural aging and skin changes produced by habitual sun exposure.

As it turns out, skin changes brought on by age are readily distinguishable from skin damage caused by sunlight. Sun exposure damages five major parts of the skin.  This damage can cumulatively be termed dermatophilosis, and it involves the epidermis (actinic keratosis), dermis (solar elastosis), blood vessels (telangiectasia), sebaceous glands (solar comedones), and melanocytes (diffuse or mottled brown patches).

The consequences of sun exposure are both cosmetic and medical. “Cosmetic changes include leathering of the skin, increased wrinkling, and reddening. Medical changes include more frequent development of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer, development of innumerable keratoses of various sorts, and the tendency of sun-damaged skin to get more easily irritated and bruised.

In yet another study, two populations of people—one from a high sun exposure environment, and one from a low sun exposure environment—were examined. The two groups were examined for hyper-pigmentation and wrinkling using high-resolution digital video imaging. As expected, the people from the environment with high sun exposure had darker skin, higher facial hyper-pigmentation, and more facial wrinkles. Most significantly, the number of wrinkles was highly correlated with the total hours of life spent outside. 

There are other factors including smoking and environmental pollutants.  Smoking ages, the skin and most evident around the mouth and lips.

What can you do about it?  First and foremost, wear a natural sunscreen anytime you are out in the sun… boating, gardening, lying on a lounge at the pool or beach.  A maximum sunscreen should be used on sun sensitive areas of the skin (nose, shoulders, face, décolletage) and a moderate sunscreen elsewhere.  We recommend SPF 8 or 15 for the moderate protection and SPF 30 for maximum protection.  The big advantage for Absolutely Natural is that all products are free of harsh, toxic chemicals.

Secondly, you must take care of your skin at night after exposure.  Absolutely Natural’s evening protocol using our two aloe products is paramount.  Proper usage will help heal any damage done in the sun and properly hydrate skin.

Finally, your daily regimen should include our Facial products (especially the repairing lotion) and shampoo, body wash and lotion that won’t strip the skin of natural oils.

Best regards,

Charley