How to nourish, protect and support your skin.

The journey to healthier skin begins with essential nutrients that have the ability to circulate, stimulate, protect and support your skin daily. It is vital to create a comprehensive daily skincare routine that contains ingredients that will feed your skin, not work against it. An important ally in your search for great products is a skilled skincare practitioner – someone who can help you discover the products that work for your skin. In addition to a daily routine, a great way to amplify skin health and appearance is by undergoing skin rejuvenation treatments by a trusted skincare professional. There are many innovative skin treatments that are non-invasive, yet very effective. Having a skin-boosting treatment every four to eight weeks can help keep skin at its healthiest, optimal functioning state.

Boost Blood Circulation for Glowing Skin

The skin’s activity, repair capabilities, and appearance are all dependant on immune support, antioxidants, and nutrients from its blood supply. There is no skin condition that is better off with less blood flow. Your lifestyle choices and daily skincare regimen have a dramatic influence on your blood circulation. Stress, caffeine, vitamin K, and horse chestnut all restrict blood flow to the dermis (the second layer of skin where aging and skin conditions occur). The top layer of the skin, the epidermis, has no vessels for blood flow, so it relies on the dermis for proper nourishment. It is important to choose skincare products with circulation-enhancing ingredients like niacinamide (vitamin B), and retinaldehyde (vitamin A). Just as our bodies begin to thin without proper nourishment, so does our skin without proper blood flow. Our skin needs a constant supply of antioxidants and nutrients to function optimally and circulation of blood is what delivers these vital ingredients. That is why using nutrient-rich skincare products without added chemicals and fillers is so important.

Stimulate Fibroblasts to Tighten and Brighten

The key remodeling components in the skin are called fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are the cells that make collagen, elastin and glycosoaminoglycans (GAGs). The most well known GAG is hyaluronic acid. All of these are critical to youthful, healthy looking and properly functioning skin. The most effective fibroblast stimulator in existence is vitamin A. The most potent and least irritating form of vitamin A is called retinaldehyde. To create profound visible change in the skin, be sure to use an effective form of vitamin A on a daily basis. Some other powerful fibroblast stimulators include vitamin C and niacinamide.

Nourish and Protect with Antioxidants

When we hear the word protection, we immediately think sunscreen; however, protected skin goes beyond just using sunscreen. The skin’s best protection is happening at the cellular level and involves a constant replenishment of antioxidants. The most potent antioxidants are glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and vitamin C. If you are looking for a powerful anti-aging program, then your product should contain these super antioxidants, which reduce damage and allow the skin to rebuild itself, resulting in a thicker, healthier dermis. Research has revealed that one of the primary reasons cells age is the damage to DNA caused by free radicals. These super antioxidants have the ability to repair and protect DNA by elevating levels of the body’s natural free-radical fighters. Let’s take a closer look at these super antioxidants.

Glutathione: Glutathione (GSH) is one of the most important molecules you need to stay healthy both internally and externally. Your body produces its own glutathione; however, poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all can deplete your glutathione.

Superoxide Dismutase: Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme that repairs cells and reduces the damage done to them by superoxide, the most common cell-damaging free radical in the body. SOD is found in both the dermis and the epidermis, and is key to the production of healthy fibroblasts (collagen and elastin building cells). Studies have shown that SOD acts as both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in the body, neutralizing the free radicals that can lead to wrinkles and precancerous cell changes.

Support Your Skin: Feed it Daily

Following the strategies listed above will help you build a powerful anti-aging program that will support your skin on a daily basis. Products and treatments containing vitamin A, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, catalase, vitamin c and niacinamide will accelerate your skin’s health by increasing blood flow, antioxidant acitivity, fibroblast acitivity, and immunity. The result: healthy, beautiful, well supported skin.

Although the world of skincare can be daunting, there is good news. There are now transformational skincare lines that contain all the vital nutrients and antioxidants that our skin needs. Skin rejuvenation treatments continue to evolve in new and exciting ways as skincare practitioners and dermatologists begin to understand the importance of working with the skin. The trend toward combination and layering treatments will allow practitioners to reduce the frequency of sessions while enhancing the results.

The goal is to create positive profound change in the skin without compromising it. Some innovative treatments to look out for are the osmosis vitamin A infusion peels and medical facials. These treatments use the most potent and least irritating form of vitamin A, plus a customized infusion to give skin a kick start. On your journey to healthy skin, remember to nourish, protect and support it.

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