Repair, protect and prevent skin ageing

How HELIOCARE and ENDOCARE work together

Skin ageing is not driven by one single cause, so it can’t be addressed with a single strategy.

As we age, the biological processes in our skin start to decline and environmental aggressors take their toll. Collagen and elastin production reduces, the skin barrier weakens, skin cell turnover slows, and moisture levels start to decline. These natural ageing processes, coupled with cumulative ultraviolet (UV) exposure and environmental irritants, leave the skin fragile, dry and more susceptible to damage. In order to protect and treat ageing skin effectively, we need to follow a skincare routine that offers both defence and regeneration.

Why skin ageing needs more than one approach

Every day, our skin is exposed to UV radiation, visible light, infrared-A (IR-A) and pollution. These exposures generate free radicals and oxidative stress, which causes damage to our skin cells. At the same time, intrinsic skin ageing - the unavoidable process of chronological, natural ageing - impacts the biological foundations of the skin.

The two parallel processes of extrinsic and intrinsic ageing means a multi-layered approach is necessary. We need to be considering a skincare regime that targets the ongoing damage from external factors, and the reduced recovery capacity owed to naturally aged skin. If we only focus on stimulating regeneration without protecting against daily damage, we are trying to repair what is continually being compromised. At the same time, if we only focus on protecting the skin without supporting its declining repair and recovery mechanisms, results will always fall short, as skin resilience can’t be maintained.

That’s why single-focus skincare routines need to be swapped for multi-layered approaches, built on science.

Protect: Reducing ongoing skin damage

Since the most significant extrinsic cause of skin ageing, or photoageing, is chronic sun exposure,¹ the first pillar of preventing skin ageing is protection. When UV radiation reaches the skin, it triggers oxidative stress, which causes damage to the skin’s structure and DNA. This includes a disruption to collagen, elastin and melanin production, leading to symptoms of skin ageing. Visible light and IR-A also contribute to oxidative stress and photoageing; visible light penetrates deep into the skin, leading to inflammation, collagen and elastin breakdown and hyperpigmentation, while IR-A reaches even deeper layers of the dermis, raising the temperature of skin tissues and producing eactive oxygen species (ROS), including free radicals, which weaken the skin’s barrier and disrupt collagen and elastin levels. As such, protection from the full spectrum of light, along with other environmental aggressors, is necessary in any skincare routine for ageing skin.

At a cellular level, it is free radicals and oxidative stress that are responsible for this damage. Unstable molecules, known as free radicals, are missing important electrons from their outer shells. Because electrons like to function in pairs, free radicals scavenge other molecules, stealing electrons to pair up with. This process creates a chain reaction of missing electrons and free radicals, and oxidative stress overwhelms the body.

Protecting against ongoing skin damage, therefore, means protecting against more than sunburn. Our skin needs to be effectively shielded from the full spectrum of light, while its natural antioxidant defences should be supported in tackling free radical damage. That’s where HELIOCARE 360° comes in, an antioxidant sun protection from Cantabria Labs, clinically proven to prevent and repair the damage caused by solar radiation and pollution.

Containing patented Fernblock® Technology, a powerful plant extract from the Central American fern Polypodium leucotomos, HELIOCARE 360° formulations offer unique protective and restorative action against the sun’s rays and other environmental aggressors. This is further boosted by ASPA-Fernblock®, a combination of Fernblock® and potent extracts of Aspalathus linearis (ASPA), which is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. ASPA-Fernblock® also offers an OptiD effect, which helps to optimise the skin’s natural vitamin D function and protect vitamin D receptors (VDRs) from oxidative stress.

Repair: Supporting skin regeneration and function

The second pillar of treating ageing skin is repair and regeneration. Even with consistent protection against UV, visible light, IR-A and pollution, intrinsic skin ageing continues, with fibroblast activity declining, collagen fibres fragmenting and the skin barrier becoming less efficient. Over time, the skin’s ability to repair deep DNA damage and control inflammation also reduces.

To repair, in dermatological terms, does not mean to reverse. Instead, it refers to supporting the skin’s natural regenerative processes and maintaining its integrity. This includes encouraging healthy cell turnover and supporting collagen and elastin production, as well as reinforcing the skin barrier. By strengthening the skin barrier, we can improve skin tolerance, making the skin more receptive to active ingredients that target signs of ageing.

To support skin regeneration and function, we need to look for advanced repair technologies and growth factor-based formulations, which are specifically designed to support ageing skin. A great example is ENDOCARE, the science-led anti-ageing range from Cantabria Labs, which contains gold-standard actives and clinically-proven technologies that target every stage of the skin ageing process.

Featuring powerful ingredients, such as EDAFENCE® anti-pollution technology, RetinDuo® technology and moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid, ENDOCARE formulations are proven to repair and revitalise the skin, increasing hydration levels,² boosting collagen and elastin production, and offering excellent tolerability, even in the most fragile, ageing skin.³

Prevent: Protection and Repair Work Together

A truly effective ageing skin regime needs to include protection and repair, working simultaneously to reduce skin damage whilst supporting recovery and regeneration. Intrinsic skin ageing can’t be avoided, but it is possible to lessen the impact of external factors and optimise skin function, so that our skin can look and feel healthier for longer.

Crucially, we need to be consistent with our skincare. This includes the strategic use of antioxidants, actives and advanced technologies, combined with ingredients that will soothe and comfort the skin, along with the daily application of a high-level, full-spectrum SPF.

This consistent, combined approach will promote long-term skin benefits, rather than just short-term results.

When protection alone is not enough

Some people might rely solely on SPF as an anti-ageing strategy. And while sun protection is essential (for all skin types, not just ageing skin), additional support is also required for healthy skin that functions optimally.

Ageing skin faces a lot of stress, from both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Our genetically-programmed ageing process will cause a decrease in epidermal cell turnover, reduced collagen and lipid production, and a gradual thinning of the dermis. These changes, coupled with environmental exposure and lifestyle choices, will lead to more stress and skin changes. And even in well-protected skin, it’s impossible to avoid these signs of ageing.

For a complete ageing skincare routine, protection needs to work in synergy with repair-focused formulations. These will replenish, strengthen and stabilise the skin. They will also target an impaired skin barrier, which is what leads to dry, irritated skin with a low tolerance for effective active ingredients. Soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients will also further boost skin tolerance, maintaining comfort and allowing other actives and technologies to take their full effect.

How dermatology thinks about ageing skin

When treating skin with signs of age, it shouldn’t be considered a flaw or something to be reversed. Rather, we need to focus on functional skin health, with aspects including:

• SPF to reduce photoageing, by protecting against UV and environmental aggressors
• Ingredients to restore and reinforce the skin’s barrier function
• Antioxidants to protect against oxidative stress and inflammation
• Ingredients to stimulate skin cell renewal and regeneration

Dermatologists will also focus on consistency over intensity. Something that is particularly important in mature skin is steering clear of over-treatment, which can impact the skin barrier further and increase sensitivity. Instead, we need to choose the correct active ingredients, with the correct concentration and application for your skin type.

Understanding how oxidative stress impacts the skin, and how skin functions change with time, is also key when treating ageing skin. This awareness will also reduce the temptation to overuse high-potency active ingredients, while reiterating the importance of daily sun protection.

Cantabria Labs’ dermatological ranges, HELIOCARE and ENDOCARE, will simplify things: HELIOCARE addresses skin defence and repair, while ENDOCARE addresses barrier protection regeneration. Together, they work to protect and rejuvenate ageing skin, at every stage of the ageing process.

Healthy ageing skin is supported, not ‘fixed’

Ageing skin is not a problem to be fixed. It is a biological process that we can support. To protect and repair ageing skin effectively, we need to consider the full picture, from environmental aggressors and oxidative stress, to reduced cell turnover, barrier weakening, and collagen, elastin and lipid decline.

Skin ageing cannot be reversed, but there are steps we can take to keep the skin healthy for longer. HELIOCARE provides full-spectrum protection and antioxidant defence, and ENDOCARE offers clinically-proven skin barrier protection, antixioxidants and renewal. Together, they work to control the visible changes involved in skin ageing, reducing cumulative damage and maintaining optimal skin function.