Before we talk about how you can start to change the appearance of your skin today, (less wrinkles, less fine lines, tighter, and more glow- sound good?!).. I will be talking to you about why you age. Why you start to develop fine lines, then deeper wrinkles and finally there is NO hope to look youthful without a facelift to reverse the damage done.Skin just like other organs degenerates over the years, is a biological certainty that needs to be embraced, and so anti-ageing needs to be approached with wisdom, balance and self-love.To put an impressive fight against ageing it is necessary to understand how better skin works as an organ and how it ages.

Your skin is an amazing, multilayered organ, protected by a couple of barriers. These layers moisten, nourish, shield and protect your skin from the constant bombardment of toxins and environmental factors which lead to premature aging. The coating of your skin is an acid mantle, which keeps your skin slightly acidic at a relative level of pH 4 to 5. This level of acidity keeps away hosts of bacteria while supporting good flora, making it hard for infection and bacteria to penetrate and thrive. The lipid layer is a thin layer of fatty oils secreted by the sebaceous glands, protecting your skin by maintaining moisture so you don’t dry out- showing off any fine lines or wrinkles.

Wrinkles emerge and become more pronounced as skin ages. As early as age 25, you can begin to see the signs of aging. The skin is slower in its ability to heal. Small abrasions and cuts take longer to disappear than they did in your teens. Old cells are replaced more slowly. As we reach our mid-forties, we begin to see more drastic changes in our skin as we experience hormone fluctuations. Skin begins to thin and become more fragile and sensitive. Having strong skin is a key factor in wrinkle prevention. The integrity of collagen and elastin compounds in the skin is most important. Collagen makes up 75 percent of our skin; it is the main structural component that gives our skin strength and elasticity. Elastin helps skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. An accumulation of environmental factors damages the skin and causes wrinkles. Damage to collagen and elastin coils reduces the elasticity and strength of the skin. The skin will attempt to repair collagen and elastin damage if the proper nutrients are present and the rate of damage is not overwhelming. However, too few nutrients and too much damage can overwhelm the skin, causing wrinkles to form. Add in gravity, which causes jowls and drooping.

eyelids, and you have age wrinkles.

These layers are kept in prime condition through specific nutrients, minerals, vitamins and hydration. But as time goes by, your skin undergoes biological, chronical and internal changes. Lifestyle is also a large factor in your cellular integrity which can directly attribute to whether you start to age prematurely or not.

Our skin requires certain vitamins, minerals, hydration, and nutrition to maintain suppleness, form, and function and fight against oxidization and free radicals. Vitamins C and E are great examples. Biotin and zinc are great protectants against UV rays for your skin. All together, these “antioxidants” neutralize the harm caused by free radicals, so they aren’t able to rob, steal healthy living cells causing rapid cellular degradation.

Maintaining a youthful appearance and turning back the clock from years of damaging habits, without paying the hefty cost, is an uphill battle for most people.

But first, here’s a quick run-down of some of the 5 best vitamins for your skin!

1. Vitamin A is a great wrinkle fighter. It is one of the best overall age-fighting vitamins with over 700 clinical studies on retinoid alone.

2. Vitamin B can increase the production of two key skin barrier protectants: fatty acids and ceramides. This vitamin keeps moisture in and agents of age out!

3. Vitamin C not only plays clean-up to neutralize free radicals that cause wrinkling, sagging and loosening of skin but also helps firm and smooth skin.

4. Vitamin E if vitamin C is the cleaning crews of vitamins, E is the mafia. This “protector” vitamin not only helps neutralize free radicals, but also aids skin in retaining moisture, while protecting the UV defense.

5. Vitamin K can possibly lighten dark circles under your eyes. Start with some K today for younger looking and brighter eyes. Up with clothing or using a natural sunscreen.