Wendy Ouriel
Beauty is not skin deep. Looking youthful goes beyond the surface of the skin and what sits beneath the skin plays an important role in antiaging. Beauty usually only focuses on the skin while ignoring the other factors involved in youth, but if you ignore the other aspects of anti-aging, all the skin care measures you take will not be effective.
In my research into skin care and antiaging biology, I found a pattern in younger looking people, what they had in common, and based on that I concluded that there are 4 key ingredients to a youthful appearance. Skin is one of them, and here are the other 3:
1. Muscles
The muscle that sits under the skin is just as important as the skin that sits above. The importance of muscles in maintaining wrinkle-free skin can be seen when we compare the skin on the face with the skin on the body, such as the legs or trunk. The skin on the legs or trunk does not wrinkle as easily or as strongly as the skin on the face, and this is partly because the muscles in these areas are more toned than on the face. This results in a more youthful appearance.
The role of muscle in anti-aging is also why traditional facelifts fail to make a 60-year-old woman look 30. Traditional facelifts only focus on wrinkles and sagging skin, while ignoring the muscles underneath. Muscles are so important to a youthful appearance that modern facelifts now focus on tightening the muscles beneath the skin.
There are many reasons why someone who is 60 looks 60 and someone who is 20 looks 20 is only partially due to the skin. What also comes into play is the muscle tone of the face. With age, muscles decrease and when facial muscles decrease and atrophy, this causes the skin to sag and also makes wrinkles more visible because the skin begins to deflate. The muscles thicken the skin in a way and this not only keeps wrinkles at bay but also makes existing wrinkles and lines less visible. Once the muscle is gone, the skin thins and makes wrinkles more visible and new wrinkles form more easily.
Muscle tone also decreases with smoking, which explains why long-term smokers appear larger than non-smokers.
The role of muscles in the appearance of the skin is why I am an advocate of microcurrent treatments. It is the only skin treatment that I believe works. Microcurrent treatments stimulate the muscles under the skin to contract, aiding in growth and tone. Regular microcurrent treatments (3-5 days a week) will keep skin looking youthful.
The downside, however, is that microcurrent treatments are expensive, and I don’t believe those little wands you can buy for $40-$500 are effective. Effective microcurrent treatments require you to be able to change the types of currents and their intensity, and you can’t really do that with those cheap wands sold online. I have a Biologique Recherche facial reshaping machine (sold to professionals only), which works, but if you don’t have access to one of these machines or microcurrent treatments, I recommend daily exercise instead. Maintaining muscle tone in your body overall is the best thing you can do for your health, and those who maintain a proper exercise routine look younger than those who are sedentary.
And no, these facial exercises, gua sha or other gimmicks are just gimmicks and don’t work. Muscle fibers need to break and contract to grow and develop tone. Facial exercises and pulling/rubbing do not affect muscle fibers. They just create more wrinkles and sagging.
2. Fat
A round, full face is associated with youth and this is because younger people have more fat and collagen in the face than those who are older. Fat plumps the skin, keeps the skin more even in appearance and prevents the formation of wrinkles. As we age, we lose facial fat and collagen, and this gives the characteristic hollowness associated with an aged appearance. The cavity makes wrinkles more visible and more easily formed, while also promoting and emphasizing skin relaxation.
Collagen is much more difficult to control than fat. With collagen, you maintain your body’s production by stimulating new skin cell growth and preventing collagen degradation, all with the right skin care regimen.
But how body fat is controlled varies with age. Excess weight in youth will make you look older and any weight loss will cause the skin to sag and give a deflated aged look. On the other hand, being too thin at maturity will make you look much older and make the skin look more wrinkled.
3. Water
Skin hydration maintains skin thickness and structural integrity. When skin is dry, it becomes fragile and more likely to form wrinkles.
When we don’t drink enough water, it can cause skin deformities. And sometimes you may be dehydrated and not experience dry skin, but the lack of water will manifest itself in the form of thin skin.
If you have dry skin, it may not necessarily mean that you are not drinking enough water. If you drink enough water every day and still experience dry skin, it simply means that your skin is either not producing enough oil, or is not effective at retaining moisture, or a bit of both. My skin has always been on the drier side, so I made OUMERE products with hydration as a top priority. My skin hasn’t felt dry in 6 years, so improvement is possible with skin care if you also have dry skin issues.
Skin, like most things, is a complex. Its problems and its solutions are not a quick fix and you are done. It involves more than that, but that doesn’t mean the solution has to be difficult. As the above shows, a healthy lifestyle will always be your best bet for looking your best.
