Chances are that at one point or another, you’ve looked at a person who appears to be younger than his or her age and been told, “They look great because they have naturally oily skin.” So is it true that people who traditionally had oily skin during their youth “age more slowly?” The belief is part myth and part fact. The truth of the matter is that how oily your skin is or isn’t doesn’t have any impact on how quickly your skin ages. But it’s also true that people with naturally oilier skin may not always have the same appearance of aging skin that people with drier or combination skin have.
How Does Skin Age?
Skin ages through four primary “symptoms” of aging skin.
Wrinkles and Fine Lines: The most common sign of aging skin, wrinkles and fine lines begin to form in your twenties and are most evident on the face and neck. They are caused by losses of collagen and elastin and may appear deeper due to skin dryness.
Loose or Sagging Skin: Loose or sagging skin is also a result of a loss of collagen and is usually most evident in women in the years immediately following menopause.
Dry Skin: As you age, your skin naturally produces less moisture than it did when you were younger. This is the most important symptom of aging skin to keep in mind as we talk about the impact of oily skin!
Dark Spots, Age Spots or Hyperpigmentation: Over time, dark spots may form on your skin, particularly in areas that were often exposed to UV rays. These dark spots are most common on the face, neck, arms and hands.
What Causes Skin to Age?
To understand the role that your skin’s natural amount of sebum (oil) has to do with the appearance of aging and why it doesn’t actually contribute to how fast your skin ages, you’ll also need to understand the primary causes of aging skin.
Genetics: To a certain degree, you have no control over how quickly or slowly your skin ages. While you can take preventative steps, certain elements have already been predetermined by your genes. For example, hair that turns grey early is usually a genetic element of aging.
Hormones: Particularly for women, hormones can play a significant role in the aging process. As women loose estrogen in the years leading up to and following menopause, there is a corresponding decrease in collagen production. This leads to loose skin and deeper wrinkles.
Environmental Factors: Environmental factors play a significant role in aging skin. UV exposure not only increases the rate at which collagen depletes but also damages melanocytes, which leads to dark spots and age spots.
As you can see, the amount of oil your body produces doesn’t in any way impact the speed at which your skin ages!
Sebum and Skin Oil Do Impact the Appearance of Aging Skin
Did you catch the moment above where we mentioned that, as we age, the body produces lower and lower amounts of natural moisture? This is why individuals with oily skin often have the appearance of aging more slowly. The more dry your skin is, the more visible and deep wrinkles and lines may appear. Hydration is essential to firm skin. A person with naturally oily skin will be starting from a place of higher oil production, so the skin dryness that accentuates the appearance of wrinkles and lines may actually take longer. However, the person isn’t actually aging more slowly. Wrinkles, lines, loss of collagen, weakening of elastin and the development of dark spots are all happening at the rate that results from a combination of genetics, hormones and environmental factors.
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Reducing the Appearance of Aging if You Have Drier Skin
If your skin is dryer by nature, you can combat the appearance of aging skin due to a loss of natural moisture with a three-step approach.
Hydrate Topically: Restore skin’s natural moisture topically with facial and skin moisturizers as part of a daily skin care regimen.
Hydrate Internally: Healthy skin begins from the inside out. Be sure to eat your water in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables as described in Dr. Murad’s best-selling book, The Water Secret.
Promote a Healthy Moisture Barrier: Be sure to eat a diet rich in essential fatty acids which help to strengthen your skin’s natural moisture barrier so that it retains the moisture that it does produce.
It is true that individuals with oily skin may start to show the signs of aging later than those with other skin types, but it’s a myth that their skin actually ages more slowly!
Related Information
The Murad Anti-Aging Skin Care Resource Center
All Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizers
Photo Credit: Maria Morri via Flickr
