Pigment - The good, the bad and the ugly

Still hankering after that golden glow? Sorry to tell you, but all tans are not created equal. Human skin has two main types of pigment - eumelanin and pheomelanin. Under the sun, fair skin generates more pheomelanin - a reddish, yellow-brown tone, while dark skin makes mainly eumelanin, a black-brown melanin - the best quality for natural UV-protection. Pheomelanin is less stable and breaks down when exposed to UVB rays, generating free radicals in the skin. So instead of protecting against the sun, pheomelanin actively contributes to UV-induced skin damage - the reason why fair, freckly skin types are at most risk of sun damage. Scientific studies have shown that not only sunburn is a sign of skin damage - in fair skins, tanning is too. For this vulnerable skin type, sun protection equals skin preservation. The best way to protect fair skin is to avoid the sun wherever possible - especially between 10am and 4pm on holiday. Back in the real world, this isn’t always possible, so a good sun protection cream is the next best thing especially for your face, hands and chest.
Remember ultraviolet A (UVA) rays are the most ageing in the sun’s spectrum and can penetrate clouds and glass. To keep your face and décolletage skin young, you need to apply sun protection every single day, all year around. I recommend a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) SPF20-50 sunscreen cream instead of a morning moisturiser. When you choose the right texture for your skin type to prevent breakouts and blocked pores, you can regard it as your No.1 anti-ageing skin-saver.

Self tanners - really harmless?

How safe is it to fake it?  Self tanners have traditionally been seen as an easy way of getting a sunkissed look without risking UV-damage. And although I agree that they’re much less harmful for your skin than baking on a beach or - heaven forbid - a sunbed, I do have my reservations. And that’s apart from the ‘burnt biscuit’ whiff….

Self-tanning formulas usually rely on DHA (dihydroxyacetone), a sugar-derived molecule that stains the horny layer of your skin brown due to a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. Self-tanners don’t induce real pigment formation then, but only stain the skin’s surface layer. Sounds harmless. But  the ‘Maillard’ reaction still generates a certain amount of free radicals and oxidative stress in your skin. And although that amount may not be high, I personally try to avoid products that generate free radical activity in my skin, in order to limit the risk of premature ageing. It is also important to remember that unlike a natural tan, the colour you get from a self-tanner provides hardly any sun protection at all. 

So my advice is, love and accept your skin’s natural colour. Noticed how more and more celebrities in glossy magazines are dumping the perma-tan in favour of their own, natural tone? Each skin colour has its unique beauty.  So isn’t it time we celebrated that? 

7 days to change the future for your skin

Want to make an investment that pays serious long-term dividends? Change one thing in your life each day for the next seven days, and it could dramatically change how well your skin will age. In time, you’ll look 10 years younger than your contemporaries who have kept up their old habits. Here’s what to do.

Day 1: Stop smoking. This is one of the single, most crucial moves to keep your skin looking young. Come on - it’s never too late!

Day 2: Start using broad-spectrum (UVA / UVB) sun protection. Instead of your regular moisturiser, switch to an SPF20-50 formula and use it every single morning, year-round - summer and winter. I use an SPF50 product whether or not I plan to spend time outside. Aiming high with sun protection is important, since studies have shown that we rarely use enough product to reach the SPF factor stated on the package! And sun beds? Don’t even go there…

Day 3: Get the antioxidant habit. Apply a good antioxidant serum to your face, neck, chest and hands every morning before you apply sun protection.

Day 4: Change your diet. Make sure you include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, low-GI carbohydrates, lean, high-quality protein and unsaturated fats.

Day 5: Drink 2 litres of water daily. You can also include unsweetened white or green antioxidant teas in your quota.

Day 6: Start using a vitamin A ‘repair’ cream. Apply it to your face, chest, neck and hands each evening. Look for over-the-counter products containing retinol or retinaldehyde, or ask your dermatologist to prescribe a ‘gold-standard’ tretinoin cream. As vitamin A derivatives can be potentially irritating, they need to be adjusted to whatever your skin tolerates.

Day 7: Make sure you have enough sleep and reduce your stress levels! Sleep deprivation and stress raise your levels of cortisol - a hormone known to have negative effects on collagen metabolism. Did you know too, that increased cortisol levels due to chronic sleep loss can lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for obesity and diabetes?

It only takes a week to change the future of your skin. Start now - and prepare to look fabulous for your age!