My knowledge of science behind ageing well got a boost in 2023
This has been the year I’ve learned most to date about sciencebacked healthy ageing as well as the best ways to rejuvenate our skin and keep it in good shape. And in this whirlwind recap we’ll start with an area of skin and healthcare that is about to explode and that’s the use of exosomes and growth factors to reverse age-related damage.
Exosomes are little spherelike sacs that contain growth factors and peptides which all form a crucial part of our cells’ communication and messaging system.
Like so many things, they decline as we age so our skin cells receive less input and slowly lose the ability to effectively renew and repair. So we’re seeing a flurry of new growth-factor-based products and treatments coming onto the market. Their use is a fairly new and exciting innovation in skin rejuvenation and therefore we don’t have a lot of long-term safety data about its cosmetic use, but it’s definitely one to watch. The next skincare advance is the use of oestrogen on our faces and necks – but while there are benefits there are also risks. The upshot is that insufficient levels of oestrogen decrease the skin’s defences and it becomes thinner, with decreased collagen and elasticity, increased wrinkling and dryness. Conversely, studies showed increased levels can improve collagen production and skin hydration, and reduce inflammation. Another big learning curve from this year is around the enormous whole-body benefits of weight lifting – including to our skin.
A study from researchers in Japan found resistance training doesn’t just strengthen your muscles but can increase dermal thickness of skin too, reducing the signs of ageing.
This was also the year I really got on board with red light therapy. It’s thought to work by strengthening the mitochondria in our cells which play a vital role in supporting and boosting a cell’s energy and ability to function, and so I now use a small panel for six minutes every other day.
This year I also started taking collagen powder and a hyaluronic acid supplement for my skin. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body and is used to make connective tissue which is
why it’s so important to the strength of our bones, skin, muscles and cartilage. Studies suggest hydrolysed collagen, extracted peptides of a lower molecular weight, can be better absorbed by our bodies to replace some of what we lose as we age. Research also shows taking high molecular hyaluronic acid led to improvements in skin health and is anti-inflammatory.
I also learned more about the best ways of boosting blood flow to skin on our faces and necks and toning our muscles and my preferred ways for doing that are either through microcurrent or the totally free way, by hand through massage.
2023 was the year I decided less is more and my approach to skincare and supplements is to look at the minimum doses I can use to give me the benefits.