As another holiday comes and goes, you expect to be stuck with a few extra pounds. But research shows that tighter jeans may not be all you’re left with… in fact, the New Year could come with a new set of wrinkles, too.
Why? Well, for starters you have the season’s low humidity: Research shows that skin is more prone to irritation, inflammation and water loss during the winter months-and you can always count on increased chapping, cracking and dryness once the cold weather is here to stay.1-3
Then there’s the extra stress and busy schedule that come along with that holiday to-do list. Chronic stress coupled with lack of sleep can send your levels of the hormone cortisol off kilter-resulting in thinner, more sensitive skin that’s slower to heal, while causing bags and dark circles that will weigh down your eyes all season long.4-5
Finally, never underestimate the influence of your diet. All of those sugary holiday snacks add up to higher blood glucose levels-paving the way for the build up of excess amounts of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), along with the inflammation, abnormal changes to delicate tissues and premature aging they can cause.6-7 These AGEs damage your skin’s structural integrity-leading to less elastic collagen and loss of skin tone, which is related to lower levels of an important natural skin-nourishing substance called hyaluronic acid (HA) .8-10
HA is a critical element in all of your body’s tissues and fluids. It serves as a lubricant for your eyes and as a key component of both your joints’ cartilage plus the synovial fluid that serves to cushion and protect the joints. HA also serves as a powerful moisturizer for your skin, where it can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water-providing a youthful complexion with smoothness, softness and elasticity. It also plays a critical role in wound healing.
Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid (HA) levels take a nosedive with age, accumulating only in deeper layers of the dermis and leaving your skin’s outer surface drier, thinner and looser.11 Add in the harsh insults of winter-from cold winds outside to moisture-zapping heat inside-and dry, sagging and wrinkle-prone skin is virtually guaranteed if you aren’t careful.
The good news is that simply keeping your skin nourished during these next few months can help to undo the damage the cold, dry winter conditions can cause-putting the brakes on premature aging in the process. And one of the best ways to do that is to use HA, such as VRP’s HA serum, which increases endogenous HA in the dermis and attracts a water layer on top of the skin surface to protect against water loss. You might also add Facelift Serum-which lifts and tightens loose skin, protects against oxidative stress and fosters collagen repair. Use HA on your entire face and neck to replenish all-over youthful elasticity and protect against the thinning, dryness and oxidative damage caused by cold weather, stress, lack of sleep and daily UV and pollution exposure.
References:
1. Loffler H, Happle R. Influence of climatic conditions on the irritant patch test with sodium lauryl sulphate. Acta Derm Venereol. 2003;83(5):338-41.
2. Kikuchi K, Kobayashi H, Hirao T, et al. Improvement of mild inflammatory changes of the facial skin induced by winter environment with daily applications of a moisturizing cream. A half-side test of biophysical skin parameters, cytokine expression pattern and the formation of cornified envelope. Dermatology. 2003;207(3):269-75.
3. Uter W, Gefeller O, Schwanitz HJ. An epidemiological study of the influence of season (cold and dry air) on the occurrence of irritant skin changes of the hands. Br J Dermatol. 1998 Feb;138(2):266-72.
4. Zervolea I, Pratsinis H, Tsagarakis S, et al. The impact of chronic in vivo glucocorticoid excess on the functional characteristics of human skin fibroblasts obtained from patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol. 2005 Jun;152(6):895-902.
5. Altemus M, Rao B, Dhabhar FS, et al. Stress-induced changes in skin barrier function in healthy women. J Invest Dermatol. 2001 Aug;117(2):309-17.
6. Berge U, Behrens J, Rattan SI. Sugar-induced premature aging and altered differentiation in human epidermal keratinocytes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007 Apr;1100:524-9.
7. Ahmed N, Babaei-Jadidi R, Howell SK, et al. Glycated and oxidized protein degradation products are indicators of fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2005 Oct;28(10):2465-71.
8. Thirunavukkarasu V, Nandhini AT, Anuradha CV. Fructose diet-induced skin collagen abnormalities are prevented by lipoic acid. Exp Diabesity Res. 2004 Oct-Dec;5(4):237-244.
9. Lohwasser C, Neureiter D, Weigle B, et al. The receptor for advanced glycation end products is highly expressed in the skin and upregulated by advanced glycation end products and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. J Invest Dermatol. 2006 Feb;126(2):291-299.
10. Okano Y, Masaki H, Sakurai H. Dysfunction of dermal fibroblasts induced by advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and the contribution of a nonspecific interaction with cell membrane and AGEs. J Dermatol Sci. 2002 Sep;29(3):171-180.
11. Meyer LJ, Stern R. Age-dependent changes of hyaluronan in human skin. J Invest Dermatol. 1994;102:385-389.