What Accelerates Premature Skin Ageing & How to Stop It

These factors include:

• Sun Damage. Regular exposure to the sun’s UV rays is one of the primary causes of premature skin ageing. Sun damage leads to a breakdown or decrease in collagen and elastic production, resulting in the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
• A Poor Diet.  A poor diet lacking in essential skin-supporting nutrients, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals (such as as zinc, iodine, vitamin C, vitamin A and B vitamins) are crucial for maintaining healthy skin. Processed and junk foods are often low in these naturally occurring nutrients, so relying on them as a regular part of your daily diet could take its toll in the long term. Processed foods and junk foods are also more likely to contain hydrogenated fats or refined vegetable oils that may contribute to increased free radical damage in the body.
• Skin Glycation. A diet high in sugar or carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (GI). Having high blood sugar levels caused by eating a lot of these foods may increase a process called glycation in the body. This is where sugars can attach to proteins – such as collagen in the skin – and damage them, accelerating ageing.
• Smoking. Smoking is one of the worst accelerators of skin ageing. It can cause lots of free radical damage in the body, and impair circulation, reducing nutrient delivery to the skin and removal of waste products.
• Excessive Alcohol and Caffeine Consumption. Both are dehydrating for the body, reducing its elasticity and plumpness which leads to premature ageing.
• Stress. Chronic stress can affect hormone levels, leading to premature skin ageing. Long-term stress, from either a high-stress job, family life or physical illness.
• Genetics. Unfortunately, some of us will show signs of age more quickly simply due to our genetics.

• Eat Whole Foods. A diet based on whole foods or ‘real’ foods is perhaps the most important factor. Whole foods consist of foods such as (unprocessed vegetables, fruit, meats, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils.) These foods naturally provide the essential nutrients needed to support skin health and prevent premature ageing.
• Reduce Your Sugar Intake. Limiting your sugar intake not only helps balance your blood sugar levels, but reduces skin damage from glycation. By focusing on eating real foods, you should naturally reduce your intake of processed and sugary foods.
• Increase Your Healthy Fats. Good sources of healthy fats are oily fish (omega 3 fatty acids), avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds that aren't roasted. Cold pressed seed oils, such as flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil and chia seed oil are particularly rich in healthy fats. These fats help maintain skin moisture, plumpness and elasticity.
• Drink Plenty of Water. Increasing your water intake hydrates your skin. A good guideline for most people is 1.5 to 2 litres a day, although it can be less if you eat lots of vegetables or watery fruits; or more on a hot day or if you’re exercising. Herbal teas and soups can count towards this amount.
  
• Switch to Green Tea. Although green tea does contain some caffeine, it also has higher levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are incredibly beneficial for skin health and have been linked with reducing glycation in the body.
• Include a Natural Source of Collagen in your Diet. Collagen that we consume is broken down to supply the body with the amino acids it needs to build new collagen. Collagen is naturally found in the highest amounts in the parts of animals that we don’t usually eat: bones, cartilage, skin, tendons, and so on. For this reason, bone broth that is made in the traditional way by simmering animal bones (or an entire carcass, in the case of a chicken) for 12–24 hours can be the best way to get collagen. Collagen is also available in supplement form.