5 Science-Backed Ways To Naturally Rejuvenate Skin Cells*
Many beauty products make the claim, "This will revitalize your skin!" It's a compelling claim. Is it possible to miraculously turn all of yesterday's wear into healthy new cells today? Please accept my request. However, many items and strategies fall short. Why? Because what is marketed as "rejuvenating" is only a cosmetic treatment.
But here's the deal: Your skin is constantly "rejuvenating": Your body is continually generating new cells to replace those that have been stressed. In fact, the epidermis does this every 27 days. There are, however, scientifically supported ways you can—and should—assist that process.
You can keep your skin cells looking vibrant and healthy for longer by giving your body the resources it needs to mend itself. That is the cellular beauty's marvel.
Here are five ways to tap into your body's rejuvenation potential:
1. Enter the REM cycle.
Scientists have known for a long time that sleep is an important aspect of general body rejuvenation: when you enter the REM stage, cells all over your body may mend and rebuild themselves. This occurs in your skin cells as well.
Your body generates hormones that have numerous cosmetic effects when you sleep. Melatonin, in particular. "Melatonin is crucial for your skin," explains board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D., "and plays a big part in skin regeneration from environmental exposure, UV light, stresses, pollution, and so on." "If you don't get enough sleep, you won't produce enough melatonin, and your skin won't repair itself."
And, according to new research, this overnight regeneration process is particularly critical for collagen and collagen formation. Our bodies automatically rebuild their collagen layer in the skin when we enter the REM cycle. This occurs because we have two collagen fiber structures: one is our skin's permanent collagen, or the scaffolding that keeps our skin in place, and the other is our skin's temporary collagen. The other type of collagen fiber is thinner and more temporary; as we sleep, these collagen fibers mend and then bind with the permanent collagen fibers. Essentially, your body uses these "helper" collagen fibers to restore whatever blows your collagen took throughout the day—sun, pollution, inflammatory processes, etc.
2. Take a targeted beauty supplement.
If, as we think, beauty begins at the cellular level, you must provide your skin cells with all of the resources they need to regenerate from the inside out. You want to provide your skin cells with the resources they need to function at their best.
We recommend taking a holistic approach and looking for a supplement that can help skin cells from a variety of aspects. Take, for example, coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is an antioxidant found in every human cell and concentrated in the mitochondria, where it is necessary for cellular energy production and regeneration. It has been clinically proven to raise natural CoQ10 levels and minimize oxidative stress when you consume the most bioavailable form—ubiquinol.
What does this signify in terms of skin care? CoQ10, on the other hand, helps to maintain skin suppleness and smoothness while also preventing wrinkles.
Pomegranate whole fruit extract, which improves cellular resilience and anti-inflammatory qualities for healthy aging, may also be found: this superfruit extract has been clinically proved to enhance antioxidant responses and skin photoprotection from UV exposure*. Astaxanthin, another antioxidant, maintains the skin's collagen barrier and has been demonstrated to decrease fine wrinkles and age spots while also supporting skin hydration.
Finally, phytoceramides can aid in the rejuvenation of the skin barrier, which is essential for general skin health. It can help reduce dryness and wrinkles while also enhancing hydration, elasticity, and smoothness of the skin.
3. Use a serum with both vitamins C and E.
There's a reason vitamin C is always at the top of dermatologists' topical recommendations when it comes to glowing skin. Collagen is supported by the antioxidant in two ways: first, by encouraging collagen creation, and second, by stabilizing the collagen that your skin already contains. This means your skin can use collagen to restore its interior structure and keep it intact for longer. What you may not know is that using vitamin C topically works best when combined with vitamin E. You have to go down to the biological level to understand why.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, whereas vitamin C is water-soluble. When vitamin E and vitamin C are combined, the vitamin E helps the vitamin C enter the lipid layer of the skin cells and into the water within the cell, where it can work its antioxidant magic. That's not all, though: Vitamin C is an extremely fragile antioxidant, and once it neutralizes a free radical, it loses its ability to fight free radicals. Vitamin E, on the other hand, can "re-hype" vitamin C, allowing it to battle oxidative stress for longer.
4. If you can tolerate it, use a topical retinol or retinol alternative.
Topical retinols operate by speeding up the reproduction and turnover of your skin cells. It essentially reduces the 27-day cycle to seven days. This improves the appearance of the skin, making it appear younger, brighter, and healthier. It also aids those with imperfections, since increased cell turnover reduces the likelihood of cells becoming caught in pores. (This is also why retinol has such a long "adjustment period"—your skin requires time to acclimatize to its new turnover cycle.)
It also benefits the skin in numerous ways. Years ago, it was thought that retinol made your skin thinner by causing your cells to shed more quickly; however, research shows that it really helps build the dermal layer over time.
However, because it makes your skin more susceptible to photodamage, be sure to utilize sufficient sun protection if you take this active.
It also boosts collagen production: "Retinol attaches to retinoid receptors within skin cells," explains Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist. "Genes that upregulate collagen production are activated" as a result of this. Topical retinols boosted collagen formation in older skin, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, according to a small human study.
Retinol and its substitutes, such as bakuchiol, are not suitable for everyone. For starters, retinol should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women (they can use bakuchiol). However, some skin types don't accept it well, and it might irritate those with inflammatory skin conditions. However, there is strong evidence that you should incorporate it into your bedtime regimen if you can stomach it.
Here are some of our favorite topical retinols to try if you're interested.
5. Consider PRP injections.
Sure, this is the most extreme of the suggestions here, but platelet-rich plasma injections are the most sophisticated integrative treatment available if you're serious about helping your skin cells perform at their best. You might think of filler or Botox when you hear "facial injections," but these injections are completely natural because they come from your own blood.
A vial of your blood is taken and placed in a centrifuge, which separates the platelets from the other blood cells (white and red). Platelets, which contain growth factors, are responsible for the body's healing. When an area of the body requires repair (for example, accelerated aging caused by oxidative stress or environmental aggressors such as pollution), the body need more repair cells, but getting those cells to that site can be difficult. So you inject a concentrated dose (or use acupuncture or microneedling) so the platelets can hyper-focus on stressed and aged skin cells.
Skin that is better able to mend itself has smoother wrinkles, a more equal texture, and enhanced tone as a result.