The age-old problem (pun intended) - what to do about sagging skin?  When we're in our 20s, we do things that will make us cry when we look in the mirror in our 50s.  Aside from menopause and the normal aging process, there are other factors (some we can control, some we can't) that break down collagen and elastin and lead to thinner skin and loss of skin structure and wrinkles: 

• sun damage (photoaging)
• excessive sugar in the diet (glycation)
• alcohol (causes oxidative stress, introduces free radicals)
• genetics
• hormonal shifts
• poor nutrition (protein, Vitamin C)
• rapid weight loss
• smoking

We can change our lifestyle habits such as our diets, smoking and sun damage and prevent the loss of skin structure, but we can also add natural compounds to our skin's diet that will build the skin's infrastructure to reverse and prevent sagging skin as we get older.

Plant compounds like polyphenols (resveratrol, flavonoids), carotenoids (beta-carotene), triterpenoids and xanthones  boost collagen and elastin by stimulating fibroblasts to increase collagen production, inhibiting enzymes that break it down, and provide antioxidant protection against aging by protecting against free radicals that attack skin cells, damage DNA, collagen, and elastin, leading to premature aging  So what do we look for in natural skincare to make sure we are getting these important anti-aging, anti-sagging compounds?

Flavonoids & Polyphenols:

• Resveratrol: Grapes and berries (extracts) contain the highest concentration of this compound that protects against UV damage and free radicals, promotes collagen production, and aids in cellular repair
• Green/White Tea Polyphenols: Powerful antioxidants, protect collagen and elastin from damage, inhibit enzymes that break these proteins down.

Triterpenoids, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside: Found in Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola), these compounds boost collagen production, enhance skin elasticity, repair the skin barrier, and support the production of new skin tissue.

Carotenoids -Beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein: Carotenoids scavenge free radicals that damage skin cells and collagen, support collagen synthesis and protect the skin's cellular matrix (structure) to maintain firmness.  Theses compounds are found in olive oil, carrot oil and pumpkin oil, as well as extracts from vegetables and fruits like carrots, sweet potato, papaya and mango.

Pomegranate Extract: This extract contains punicalagins and ellagic acid which protect DNA and skin cells, and support collagen and elastin by inhibiting the enzymes that degrade these essential proteins

Bakuchiol is a meroterpene that acts similarly to retinol, stimulating skin firming by upregulating collagen production, boosts fibroblast (responsible for formation of collagen and elastin) activity, regulates genes associated with skin aging, stimulates the production of elastin, and inhibits elastase, an enzyme that degrades skin proteins, thus tightening the skin. 

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a required cofactor for enzymes (prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase) that stabilize and cross-link collagen molecules. It stimulates collagen gene expression, promotes fiber synthesis, and inhibits collagen-degrading enzymes, resulting in increased firmness and elasticity in the skin.   Vitamin C is found in fruit and vegetable extracts such as sweet potato, papaya, mango and guava