What Does Age Defying Mean, Anyway?

There are a lot of hype words that get frequently used when discussing skin care products. One of the more common phrases that you’ll see on many different products is “age defying,” but have you ever wondered what that means, exactly? 

MiamiMD has just the explanation that you need, and what you should be looking for in an “age defying” skin care product.

Skin Basics

Let’s start with some basics about the skin.

To begin, the skin is made up of multiple layers. While each of those layers are made out of their own sublayers, for all intents and purposes, we’ll focus on the big three: the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis (or subcutaneous). 

The innermost layer of skin, the skin that is closest to the bone, is the hypodermic layer. In this layer, you’ll find important components of the skin like fat, blood vessels, sweat glands, and some hair follicles. It also contains cells that are part of the immune system, like macrophages.

The middle layer, or dermis, has even more blood vessels as well as the majority of hair follicles, nerves, and oil glands. When you cut your skin and it bleeds, that’s a sign that you have gotten through the top layer and into the dermis. Most of the connective tissue in the skin is found in the dermis, as well. 

The top layer, or the layer that is exposed to the elements, is the epidermis. In the epidermis, you can find pigments (known as melanocytes), proteins, and skin cells. You can touch the epidermis with your bare hands, and it is this layer that gives us our skin tone and makes us “waterproof,” so to speak.

In between each of these layers, and in between each of their sublayers, are collagen fibers. Those collagen fibers help to support the skin and keep it firm, and combine with elastin to keep it supple and flexible. 

If you think that our skin isn’t that important, consider the fact that it is by far the largest organ that we have (there is about 20 square feet of it, all told!). It protects us, moderates our body temperature, and allows us to feel sensations like heat, cold, and touch itself.

How Aging Affects The Skin

With those layers of skin in mind, let’s look at how aging actually impacts the skin. We’ll start from the inside and work our way out.

The hypodermis starts to show changes in the amount of fat that it produces and maintains. This drastically affects the “cushion” that the hypodermis can provide to the skin, which is part of why people feel so much colder the older that they get. The fat in the hypodermis layer is the body’s insulation, so less “padding” means less warmth and less protection from injury. 

Moving up a layer, the biggest change in the dermis is in the sebaceous glands. As we get older, our sebaceous glands (also known as “oil” glands) produce less and less of the natural oils that keeps the skin moisturized and supple. 

While men tend to experience this much later in life (around the age of 80 or so), women tend to start noticing a decrease in their natural oil production around menopause. The blood vessels present in the dermis also tend to become much more fragile, which is what makes it so much easier to bruise as we age. 

And, in the epidermis, the sublayers that make it up start to thin out. In addition, the pigment that is present in the epidermis tends to decrease, leading to paler skin that can almost look translucent in older people. It’s the thinning of the epidermis that leads to that “crepey” look.

Are There Any Factors That Add To Aging?

The number one factor that adds to giving the skin an “aged” look is sun exposure. The sun is actually a direct reason for so many of the symptoms that give people pause as they age — dark spots, wrinkles and fine lines, and thin, sagging skin. In fact, some studies even show that the sun is responsible for up to 80% of the visible signs of aging.

Most of this is due to one of the specific types of ultraviolet rays that can be found in sunlight: UVA. UVA is most directly related to aging skin because it acts most directly on the epidermis. With repeated exposure, UVA rays tend to thin the epidermis, making it much more likely for fine lines and wrinkles to form.

That’s why wearing sunscreen is so important. Every time you leave the house without it, you age your skin just a little bit more. If you can prevent some signs of aging by using a simple, easy to use product, why wouldn’t you?

Another factor that can be significant in prematurely aging the skin is smoking. The more you smoke, the more your skin will be impacted. Most of this is due to the nicotine in tobacco, which is a vasodilator. 

When allowed to impact the skin, nicotine slows down the amount of blood flow to the skin, which can also impact the amount of collagen that it can produce, leading to wrinkles. Lack of blood flow can also lead to dull, less resilient skin. Plus, quitting smoking is just good for you overall, skin health aside.

But How Can I Defy My Age?

We all know that age really is just a number, but try to tell that to the skin! 

Although genetics can play a significant role in how and when the skin ages, all skin goes through the same process at some point. However, with the right skin care products, you can hold back the tide of time as long as possible (and even reverse the signs of it, in some cases). 

That’s what is meant by “age defying” — it’s not letting your age dictate how you look or how you feel about yourself.

When it comes to using skin care products to help you look and feel your best, MiamiMD’s Age-Defying Lift & Firm Cream is a great place to start. 

With Age-Defying Lift & Firm Cream, you’ll be able to create a look that can defy the years. The cream works to restore the skin’s firmness, volume, and elasticity, targeting and then restoring thin, sagging skin within minutes. Thin, crepey skin gains volume and thickness, helping to restore a youthful glow and appearance to the skin, no matter what age you start. 

It achieves this result by using three active ingredients: Progeline, Matrixyl 3000, and Argireline. 

Progeline is an age-defying breakthrough, working to dramatically reduce a “toxic” protein that has been scientifically linked to the aging process and specifically to thinner skin. Studies done on Progeline have shown that a majority of women included in the study showed an increase in the volume, firmness, and skin density while using the formula. This is incredibly promising for women who are hoping to defy the visible effects of their own age. 

Progeline is added to Matrixyl 3000, which is a potent age-fighting peptide that can send signals to help replace lost collagen in the face. As you know, collagen is an incredibly important component in helping to firm and thicken the dermis, which can make the skin look years younger and be more resilient, also fighting off the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

And finally, Argireline. Argireline is an impressive addition that builds on everything that Progeline and Matrixyl 3000 has started. While the first two ingredients help to firm, plump, and tighten the face, Argireline helps stop further wrinkles from forming. It does that by stopping the wrinkle-inducing fine muscle movements that occur in the face with all of our facial movements and gestures. It works similarly to the way that botox does, only more gently and without the need for doctors or expensive procedures. 

We stand by our cream because it really does what it claims to do — it helps you defy your age and look your best at any age. 

The ability for the cream to impact the entire skin on your face, instead of needing to be specifically targeted like certain serums (which can be added to your skin care routine along with Age-Defying Lift & Firm Cream), helps provide you with a more general way to help yourself look exactly the way that you want to look without having to go under the knife. It’s a win win.

In Summary…

“Age defying” just means not letting your age define what you look like and how you feel. After all, age is just a number and, with the right products, you can turn back the clock on your appearance and return your skin to its youthful radiance and resilience. 

MiamiMD products were designed to help, with a focus on functional beauty so you can look just as good while you’re wearing them as you do when their benefits compound over time. 

Don’t let a number tell you how to look any longer. Take back your power by taking control of your skin care routine today.

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/picture-of-the-skin

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/beauty-news/how-sun-damage-ages-your-skin-7457

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23417317/