Getting older can be graceful and gorgeous when you know how to manage changing skin. Probiotics can help.
Your skin is usually the first place where you begin to notice the natural process of aging occurs. The more youthful characteristics of skin like plumpness and moisturization need a little extra support as we get older. As much as we try to fight the telltale signs of aging, we have to remember that it’s a natural process. The good news is that probiotic skincare products are here to help us love the skin we’re in as we get older.
HOW DOES SKIN CHANGE AS YOU AGE?
We experience many changes as the years go by, and for better or for worse, the signs of aging show up first on our skin. Hormone levels shift and cell renewal slows down. The loss of fatty subcutaneous tissue gives the skin a thinner appearance, and our once-plump facade starts to hug our facial bone structure a little more loosely.
Here’s what’s going on under there that causes all of these changes:
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Thinning of the skin is a result of slower rates of cell production at the basal layer of the epidermis, your outermost layer of skin.
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Sagging is a consequence of gravity. As we age, less collagen and elastin are produced so there’s less oomph in our skin, subjecting it to less natural lift. It first shows under the eye and on the neck where the skin is naturally thinner.
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Wrinkling is also due to lower production of collagen and elastin. The areas that deal with the most stretching over time, like laugh lines, are the most visible wrinkle-prone areas.
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The appearance of age spots occurs due to pigment clustering. Melanocytes (melanin) gather in areas that have been most exposed to the sun over time. This causes a darkening of the skin in those areas.
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Broken blood vessels are more common as we age because there’s less skin to protect them. So the bumps and bruises we deal with on a regular basis can result in broken vessels as our skin thins out.
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Dryness is a result of a decrease in oil and sweat glands as we age. When there’s less moisture coming out of the skin, there’s less that shows up on your face. Dry skin can exacerbate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
3 TIPS FOR SUPPORTING AGING SKIN
Your skin replaces itself every 27 days. When you think of that in terms of years and decades, that means you're kind of being reintroduced to a new organ over and over throughout your lifetime. When it comes to your skin specifically, it deals with so many changes, both internally and externally. It makes sense that the issues we deal with will change over time.
As the needs of our skin shift, we have to adapt our skincare routines. Getting to know your skin (again) can be a frustrating experience. Especially when you’ve got the beauty industry hawking products that promise miraculous- dare we say completely impossible- results. Beyond the false promises, there are 3 tried-and-true ways to healthily manage the effects of aging skin.
#1: Self-Acceptance
Humans age, and your skin tells a story. It’s the accumulation of how we treated it over a lifetime. When it comes to aging, it’s important to set reasonable expectations about what’s possible. Is a cream going to make you look 10 years younger? No, it’s just not scientifically possible. You can’t reverse the signs of aging, but you can still have healthy skin at every age. Aim to accept the skin you’re in and support it with a healthy lifestyle and gentle skincare products that reinforce your skin barrier.
#2: Make Sunscreen Your BFF
At all stages of life, sun protection is key. Not only will it help prevent premature aging down the road, but it will also help shield you from the negative effects of UVA and UVB rays. Get in the habit of using a high SPF daily. A 50+ broadspectrum sunscreen will give you the best level of protection not only making future wrinkles less noticeable, but it’ll also help guard against cancer-causing rays.
#3 Defend and Fortify Your Skin Barrier
Supporting your microbiome is important at any age, but especially as you age. Defending your skin barrier is about making real efforts to protect it from things that you know are harmful, like UVA/UVB rays and products with harsh chemicals.
How to Defend Aging Skin:
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Use SPF daily
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Quit smoking and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke
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Limit alcohol consumption
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Avoid products with harsh chemicals
Strengthening your skin barrier is equally important. This is less about avoiding harmful exposure and more about incorporating things that build strength and resilience over a lifetime through maintaining a healthy microbiome.
Probiotics are proving to be a major ally when it comes to overall microbiome support and supporting our skin as we age. A 2024 study that focused on the relationship between the microbiota and our skin as it undergoes the aging process summed it up this way:
“Modulation of the gut-skin axis through probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics emerges as a promising avenue to enhance skin health as studies have substantiated their efficacy in enhancing hydration, reducing wrinkles, and fortifying barrier integrity…sound understanding of these interactions, coupled with strategic interventions aimed at recalibrating the microbiota and barrier equilibrium, holds the potential to ameliorate skin aging.”
How to Fortify Your Skin Barrier:
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Incorporate probiotics. The study referenced states, “Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing SC hydration, reducing wrinkle depth, and offering photoprotective properties.” Adopting a probiotic skincare routine that includes oral and topical probiotics is a great way to start protecting your microbiome now. The Layers line of probiotic skincare includes scientifically proven probiotic strains and skin-loving prebiotics that help support your gut and your skin barrier:
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Always use moisturizer. Keeping your skin hydrated is particularly important as your skin loses its ability to stay moisturized as we age. An ultra-hydrating moisturizer like our Immunity Moisturizer is perfect for the job because it contains collagen-boosting ingredients like meadowfoam oil, pomegranate extract, and milk thistle. Probiotic strains of lactobacillus ferment make it a double win when it comes to reinforcing your barrier and keeping your skin moist and supple.
Feeling confident about the face we present to the world is important. We have to accept that aging happens to us all, it’s how you wear it that counts. Skincare products won’t perform miracles, but the right products can help you target the visible signs of aging with surprising efficacy. Probiotics are paving the way toward a better, brighter version of skin health at any age, and that’s something we can all be proud of.
