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Research Shows That As You Age, This Declines In Your Skin

Author:

Alexandra Engler

September 12, 2022

mbg Beauty Director

By Alexandra Engler

mbg Beauty Director

Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.

Image by Bowery Image Group Inc. / Stocksy

September 12, 2022

Changes in our skin over time are inevitable. However, you can absolutely enhance your skin in this journey so that it's healthy, robust, and feels great for longer. You do this by supporting the various components of the skin structure, such as collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, squalene, and ceramides. Think of your skin like the outside of a house: With regular, consistent maintenance of the various elements of the exteriors, you can keep the home itself in great condition for years to come.

And the best thing is that you don’t need to make major tweaks to accomplish this—simple things like wearing SPF daily or using antioxidant-rich topicals can do wonders for the longevity of your skin health.

Another surefire way to help your skin as you age? Nurturing the skin barrier’s ceramide levels.

The link between ceramide decline and skin aging.

Ceramides are lipids found naturally in the skin 1, and they have several key functions, including keeping your skin hydrated, fortifying the barrier, and acting as the “glue” to hold the skin’s collagen intact and firm.

But much like collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, your natural reserve of lipids, particularly ceramides, declines 2 as you get older. The most obvious and external sign that this may be happening is due to the fact that most people experience drier and more sensitive skin as the decades go on.

cellular beauty+

The obvious solution to lipid loss in the skin is through topical hydration. Find moisturizing, dense creams that feed your skin oils and emollients, which can help act as a superficial layer for the skin barrier.

But to target ceramide loss systemically, you should also opt for phytoceramide supplementation.* In one study, participants with dry skin who took a phytoceramide-rich wheat extract oil for three months saw up to a 35% improvement in skin hydration 3.* In another study, participants saw improved skin hydration and reduced appearance of wrinkles in just 15 days 4.*

The takeaway.

When we think about skin aging, we spend much of our time discussing collagen loss. This, of course, is valid as collagen is a vital part of our skin structure. However, we should give due attention to lipid loss as well—dry, dull skin is a huge signifier of skin aging. One such way to do that is through ceramide supplementation, as it can help support your body’s natural hydration levels and can even decrease the appearance of wrinkles.*

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.