Discover Your Skin Type

Our facial skin is naturally thinner & more sensitive than the skin on the rest of our body .. It is therefore ... on the face that the first signs of aging begin. The natural processes of the skin's decline in youthfulness is at first unnoticeable .. By the time we reach adulthood .. the life span of our skin cells has shortened significantly .. when we were children .. our skin cell life span was about 100 days .. as adults .. the average life span of skin cells is 1/2 of that (50 days)!

The earliest visible signs of ageing is more than likely going to be the appearance of wrinkles .. There are two types of wrinkles .. both signify the different stages of the aging process .. The timing in which they start to appear is related to genetics .. but can be accelerated by over exposure to sunlight, smoking, drugs, pollution, extreme seasonal changes, stress & dietary imbalances. By the time we reach ages:

20 to 25 - the appearance of small fine horizontal wrinkles are evident .. but faint .. could be found between the eyebrows & the outer corner of the eyes .. typically called 'expression' lines and are more dominate when smiling or laughing ...

25 to 35 - the existing 'expression' lines may start to become more visible in this time frame .. & you may start to see more 'expression' lines appear in places like the forehead & possibly around the mouth .. it is also possible at this time frame that gravity could take it's first toll by causing fatty cells to migrate downward.. causing faint vertical lines between the outer edges of the nostrils & corners of the mouth .. There may also be a slight 'softening' of skin on the face & neck ...

At 40 - Gradually the 'expression' lines & gravity lowering wrinkles become deeper & more harder to rid yourself of them .. Lack of skin tone may increase, especially around the neck area .. Our necks have fewer fat cells & sebaceous glands, necessary for proper skin hydration .. without proper hydration the skin on the neck is particularly vulnerable to the aging process ..

45 to 55 - Early changes in this time frame may include structural changes of the facial contours .. more than likely caused by bone thinning & loss of skin elasticity .. the collagen in the skin may still be intact .. but has become softer & dryer ..also at this time, the skins ability to retain moisture has diminished greatly. At this time period .. our rate of aging increases .. the skin becomes thinner & as the elastin continues to disappear, the collagen structure gets disrupted .. inevitably causing the skin to 'flatten'

55 to 65 - Significant lowering (gravity again .. ) of the skin towards the chin may have become apparent .. facial shape changes could be showing around the jaw line & chin. The skin texture of the face and neck has become thicker. The disruption of the skins collagen is continued & the cells that are responsible for restoring elastin in the skin may have disappeared completely ..

After 65 - As the skin continues to change structurally .. the skin's functions also change .. Healing takes longer, bruising shows more, the skins ability to flush toxins out slows down, sensitivity could be reduced, & blood circulation slows .. In time the skin may become more sensitive to infections & production of Vitamin D & protection from against the sun is impaired ...

In closing .. although aging may be genetically determined & ultimately inevitable .. the irreversible process can be slowed down with proper maintenance & preservation of the skin's structural & functional integrity ...

So treat your skin well .. and it will provide you with a life long glowing protection!