Ever wondered to yourself how ‘so and so’ looks absolutely fantastic for their age? Ok they might have ‘good genes’ but there’s a lot more to it, with quite a few outside factors playing a role in our ageing process!

SO WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL?

We’ve all heard the saying ‘grow old gracefully’, and aging is really just a natural process that we all go through. But there are steps we can take to slow it down, all we need to do is improve the health of our telomeres. Let me explain what a telomere is! 

Imagine you can see a cell, and inside that cell there is a compartment called a nucleus which contains loads and loads of strands of chromosomes. And each chromosome controls your cell division. Now imagine the chromosome looks like a shoelace, at the end of the shoelace is a plastic tip that stops the end from fraying. The plastic tips in this case are our telomeres that act as a buffer to protect the chromosomes from damage, but every time the cell divides the telomeres are shortened.

When we’re born we have long telomeres, but as we get older and our cells divide and divide, our telomeres shorten. Every time a telomere gets shorter, the chromosomes have less protection until finally they’re vulnerable to damage and cell division stops. The ageing process is down to our cell’s age.

HOW TO SLOW DOWN THE AGEING PROCESS

The length of our telomeres is something we inherit in our DNA, but there are also some environmental factors that slow down the ageing process. So, it seems like a no-brainer to tweak your lifestyle to slow down ageing! 

KEEP STRESS LEVELS DOWN 

Would you believe me if I said that psychological stress is one of the biggest causes of accelerated ageing? I get it, modern life can be so fast paced and stressful, and it’s easy to get stuck on auto-pilot. 

High levels of cortisol increase cell damage, and chronic stress leads to cortisol being repeatedly released. Things like meditation, focused breathing or reaching for that yoga mat is a great way to boost the release of endorphins that help you relax.

EAT THE RIGHT FOODS

It’s all about what we put into our bodies, not what we cut out! Taking care of yourself with healthy, nutritious foods is a definite way to give your skin a vibrant glow. Healthy fats are something our bodies can’t produce on its own and they’re something we definitely need. Think seeds, nuts, oily fish and eggs. 

Foods rich in antioxidants seem to have a protective effect on our skin too. Try some of these skin-friendly foods:

  • Carrots, apricots, and other yellow and orange fruits and vegetables
  • Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
  • Tomatoes
  • Berries
  • Beans, peas and lentils
  • Salmon, mackerel and other fatty fish
  • Nuts

TRY SUPPLEMENTS

It goes without saying a balanced diet is the best way to get nutrients into your body, but food supplements are a great way to bridge that nutrition gap.

An Omega-3 supplement can help regulate your skin’s oil production, improve balanced hydration and minimise the signs of ageing. It can also help soften dry, rough skin and have a lovely soothing effect on irritated skin. If you can’t take an omega-3 supplement then try and get some chia seeds, ground linseed and walnuts into your diet. And cooking with rapeseed oil is a good tip too!  

Vitamin D contributes to skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism and it’s a supplement we should all be taking from October to March/April time. But during the summertime we should get enough vitamin D from that beautiful sunshine – remember your SPF sunscreen though!

Collagen is a protein that our body naturally produces and is the building blocks for our bones, skin, hair and muscles. Many people take collagen supplements as they believe it can improve skin health by reducing wrinkles and dryness.

DO ANTI-AGEING CREAMS WORK?

Moisturising alone can improve the appearance of your skin, when your skin’s dehydrated fine lines are easier to see and your skin loses its plumpness, but they will NEVER get rid of your wrinkles and laughter lines.

Anti-ageing creams should contain active ingredients intended to improve skin tone, texture, fine lines and wrinkles. But how effective they are depends on your skin type. One key ingredient in anti-aging cream is beta hydroxyl acids such as Salicylic Acid, this organic compound is great at reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

The best thing about organic skincare is that it works in synergy with your body. Calming organic ingredients like chamomile help soothe, hydrate and improve skin’s elasticity, tone and radiance. And ingredients like hyaluronic acid help plump and keep the skin fresh and clear. So this is why you will see i don’t like to use the word Anti-Aging. I would much rather suggest using BAO products that keep your skin happy and therefore reduce the signs of ageing.

THE BEST PRODUCTS I SUGGEST FOR THIS ARE:

Hydrate constantly with Hydrating Rose Mist, as this contains Hyaluronic acid it holds over 1000 times it’s weight in water, making the skin dewy and plump, again reducing the appearance wrinkles.

Exfoliate with Radiance Face Scrub every evening after cleansing as this will remove dead skin cells, unblock pores and really does make your skin glow!

And every night massage Nourish Urself Balm all over your face and neck. The blend of super powerful organic ingredients will help to repair and restore skin’s elastin and bounce whilst smoothing out any uneven patches.