3 common anti-ageing mistakes you could be making in Summer
Throughout summer, we want you to protect your skin, not only from the effects of the harsh Australian sun, but also from other factors that cause premature ageing, such as DNA damage.
Ageing is a part of life – regardless, but wouldn’t you like to slow it down? Turns out, your actions can either accelerate or put the brakes on many aspects of anti-ageing. Can you stop ageing? Likely no, however there are ways we can help you reverse the signs of ageing. Below we address some common anti-ageing mistakes you could be making in summer.
Mistake 1: Not wearing sunscreen every day
It might be an obvious one, but missing sunscreen in your daily routine is one of the most common summer (and winter) beauty mistakes we all make, so it’s no wonder it sits at number one on our list.
Sunscreen should be worn every single day, all year round. Repeated sun or ultraviolet (UV) light exposure with little to no protection is responsible for 90 percent of visible changes to the skin. Over time, this light exposure causes damage to your elastin, collagen, and skin cells, leading to premature signs of ageing including fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation.
The technical term for these changes is “photoaging,” and while most people know photoaging as sun damage, other types of damage can occur, depending on which type of UV ray enters the skin. The UV radiation that affects the skin is composed of two different wavelengths, UVA and UVB.
UVB wavelength is the main culprit behind sunburn, whereas UVA wavelength is responsible for much of the damage we associate with photoaging. Thankfully, these skin issues are preventable with daily sunscreen use.
Image: One of the best-known examples of “photoaging” is this 69-year-old man who had driven a delivery truck for 28 years. Chronic UVA exposure, transmitted through window glass, resulted in the progressive thickening and wrinkling of the skin on the left side of his face. (credit: Cosmetics Business)
Even if you find yourself indoors most days, it’s likely that you’ll take a short drive to work or sit near a window or under fluorescent or halogen lights in your everyday life. UVA can pass through glass windows, and the fluorescent and halogen lights emit low levels of UVA that can accelerate skin ageing and damage. This is why it’s important to apply your sunscreen every day.
We understand to get you wearing your sunscreen religiously, you’ll want something that feels great on the skin – something that doesn’t feel like your typical heavy sunscreen. Enter stage right, the lightweight broad-spectrum sun protection from mesoestetic, ideal for the hotter months. Our favourites? The tinted mesoprotech melan 130 SPF offering 50+ full sun protection for summer.
Mistake 2: Not getting enough sleep
Summer in Australia means balmy days that lead into long nights partying with friends, school holidays and the Christmas and New Year period, known as the silly season. It’s safe to say your social life will be flat out like a lizard drinking, and ultimately your sleep schedule may suffer.
Skimping on sleep is one mistake you may not realise can cause premature ageing. Sleep deprivation can affect genes associated with both DNA repair and DNA damage. Whilst we sleep, chromosomes within DNA appear to be more active, healing DNA faster and more efficiently than when we’re awake. Not getting enough sleep doesn’t just mean feeling tired the next day – it will also impact the way our skin ages.
The science of epigenetics shows that environmental factors such as lack of sleep, pollution and sun exposure can affect the ageing process.
A first of its kind, the skincare experts from mesoestetic have created an anti-ageing facial formulated with epigenetic active ingredients that are designed to act on these epigenetic changes and resynchronise the natural processes of skin protection and repair.
The ultimate facial for anti-ageing, the mesoestetic Advanced Epigenetic Facial + LED uses unique diagnostic technology to identify skin needs, lifestyle and treatable conditions alongside epigenetic variables that can affect the ageing process for you as an individual. The result? A 100% personalised professional facial to deliver youthful-looking skin through innovation and anti-ageing efficacy.
In just an hour, you can experience a relaxing and results driven facial, which works on cellular activation and DNA repair at the deepest of levels for a wide range of benefits. If it’s your first time experiencing this facial, book in your complimentary Epigenetic Facial Skin Diagnosis with your mesoestetic Advanced Epigenetic Facial + LED, so that your therapist can identify your individual skin needs.
Mistake 3: Not protecting your skin from free radical damage
The skin has a natural antioxidant defence system that combats free radicals from the environment. But when free radicals overwhelm the skin’s natural antioxidant system, depleting the skin of the antioxidant vitamins C and E, the skin cannot protect itself. This is known as free radical damage, or oxidative stress.
How does oxidative stress affect the skin? Specifically, it speeds up the ageing process and contributes to the loss of collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles; it hinders the skin’s natural repair process and triggers inflammation.
If you’re missing a powerful antioxidant from your skincare routine, then you’re not protecting your skin from free radical damage, and ultimately leaving yourself open to premature ageing.
One of the most powerful vitamins for preventing premature ageing and DNA damage is vitamin C. You’ll want to diligently apply vitamin C, especially in summer, to help prevent and correct visible signs of ageing and give skin a more youthful glow.
As leaders in vitamin C, Medik8 provide incredibly powerful formulas in cleverly stabilised systems. Our pick for a power-packed vitamin C? The Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe, a super-stable form of vitamin C that boosts the antioxidant defence levels in the skin.
Ever the multi-tasker, C-Tetra Luxe also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving the complexion plump, radiant and youthful looking. The serum’s brightening power is supercharged by maracuja oil, which is naturally awash with vitamin E and nourishing fatty acids.
Vitamin C and vitamin E are ultra-potent antioxidants in their own right, but when used together, they work in synergy to boost their antioxidant activity to fight free radical damage and neutralise the effects of environmental aggressors such as pollution and sun-induced damage that cause premature ageing.
Another potent pick from Medik8, and a great alternative if you have sensitivities to vitamin C, is their Copper PCA Peptides, an antioxidant blend that mimics the body’s natural free radical defence system. Centred around copper PCA, a mineral peptide patented by Medik8 for its unprecedented antioxidant power, this serum neutralises an expansive list of skin-damaging free radicals to leave the complexion looking smooth, youthful, and undeniably radiant.
If you need help choosing the right antioxidants for your skin, you can book a complimentary phone consult with Bobbie Charles therapist who can help prescribe the right products to purchase.
Don’t know where to start with your skin journey? Book an in-clinic skin consultation with one of our expert Therapists for an advanced skin analysis, using the OBSERV 520 Skin Analysis device*. This technology captures the complexity of skin appearance and health, from the surface layer to the deeper layers below. After this analysis, our skin therapist can work with confidence to tailor a 3-month in-clinic treatment plan and at-home product prescription targeting your unique skin concerns.
*OBSERV skin analysis is only available at our West Village clinic as part of your skin consult.
