What are wrinkles?

Simply put, wrinkles are creases or dips in your skin’s structure that may be fine or deep set into the skin. You may notice wrinkles form due to the movement or expression on your skin – for example, creases of skin that appear around the eyes are known as “crows feet” and vertical lines around your mouth are commonly referred to as “laughter lines.”

What causes fine lines and wrinkles?

You might be surprised to know the answer isn't just simply ageing... although that obviously plays a part. Wrinkles and fine lines are a natural part of the ageing process, something that we love and embrace at Jersey Beauty Company.

Dehydration

But along with your wrinkles, you may find the skin is thin to touch, almost translucent. Skin Therapist, Christine, reveals that this is because fine lines are ”often a sign of dry or dehydrated skin.” Dehydrated skin is often thinner as it lacks important water that it needs in order to stay supple. Therefore, if you do suffer dryness or dehydration, look out for skin that has a crêpe texture and small slivery lines on thinner areas of skin. These areas could develop fine lines and wrinkles, if not already prevalent.

We believe you shouldn’t feel ashamed about the lines and creases that appear on your complexion. Wrinkles don’t equal a loss of beauty; they are simply a consequence of getting older. With each new day, the structure of your skin changes slightly. If you can learn to understand these changes, you will learn how to maintain a healthy skin glow. It’s not about zapping wrinkles and concealing your age, it’s about keeping your skin nourished – especially as your skin’s natural nourishments begin to deplete.

Why do we get wrinkles?

Your skin’s deepest layer (the dermis) is built of proteins called “collagen” and “elastin.” Science editor Chris explains that collagen is “basically the building block of skin.” He says: “in producing new skin, we’re producing new collagen. Young, healthy skin has lots of collagen. It’s being produced all the time.”

Science editor, Chris, further reveals that “as we get a bit older, the production of collagen reduces. The collagen itself, instead of being a ‘nice mesh’ can look a bit like an ‘old, worn jumper!’” This is why your skin may be prone to wrinkles; when your collagen production reduces, your skin’s structure weakens and is no longer tight and bouncy, but worn and tired.

Dips in the skin’s dermis (the deepest layer of your skin) are exposed as wrinkles on the outermost layer of your skin.

Collagen, sunlight and wrinkles

Your collagen levels naturally decrease over time but they can also deplete because of external factors such as environment and pollution.

Science editor Chris explains, “UVA rays cause wrinkles and damage at the cellular level.” Simply put, the sun’s UVA rays destroy your collagen levels. When collagen is depleted, wrinkles begin to form. This is why it is so important to use products that protect against UVA and UVB sunrays.

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Free Radicals

If skin’s proteins (collagen and elastin) are met with pollution or polluted oxygen, they can turn into “free radicals”. Ultimately free radicals destroy collagen and elastin. This process also occurs when an apple is left to brown – pollution destroys the proteins in the apple, turning them into “free radicals.” There are however, ways that you can create a shield for your skin, to protect against the effects of free radicals.

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Oxidation

This process is called “oxidation” and it can cause wrinkles to form on the skin’s surface. To combat oxidation, you must use antioxidants to treat your skin.

Lipid Barrier

The final cause of wrinkles is dehydration. We need to make sure the moisture levels are good in our skin because that is what keeps skin plump and supple. Science editor Chris explains, “Our skin is basically made up of a load of oils, a few proteins and amino acids.” If you can put these 3 moisturising nutrients back into skin, you will prevent wrinkles from forming.

This is because these 3 substances form what is known as a “lipid barrier” in your skin’s stratum corneum. Much like the pointing in a brick wall, your skin’s lipid barrier works to seal goodness around its structure. If the lipid barrier is destroyed, holes form and dips in your skin’s structure appear as wrinkles to the naked eye.

Treatment for lines and wrinkles

Vitamin C protects the collagen in your skin and is a brilliant antioxidant ingredient, which will prevent free radical damage from destroying the skin’s structure and causing wrinkles. Dermalogica’s Multivitamin Power Serum contains vitamin C as well as vitamins A and E, to protect skins collagen levels from environmental damage.

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Existing wrinkles are softened, as vitamins C and E are potent tools for reversing sun damage. Make sure you use this serum underneath your moisturiser so that fabulous ingredients reach your skin’s deepest layers.