What is “Inflammaging” and what can we do about it?
Our skin is our largest organ and we rely on it to protect us from the environment - but this protection responsibility causes our skin to suffer from extrinsic aging factors. Skin aging is characterized by features such as wrinkling, loss of elasticity, laxity, and rough-textured appearance. The aging process is accompanied with structural and functional changes in skin building blocks such as collagens and elastin.
Chronic, low-grade inflammation = Inflammaging
Do you wonder why some skincare products highlight their anti-inflammatory benefits? And why do you need them if your skin is not visibly inflamed? Here is why: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is recognized as a major characteristic of the aging process. This phenomenon is called “inflammaging,” and it plays a role in the initiation and progression of age-related diseases such as type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, frailty, osteoporosis, and skin aging.
Solution #1: Slather on sunscreen
Skin aging starts with UV radiation which stresses our skin cells resulting in cell damage and inflammation. That in turn leads to the infiltration and activation of macrophages to remove the damaged cells. These activated macrophages release specific enzymes to degrade the skin matrix. Repeated UV radiation causes chronic inflammation and long-term damage to the skin layer. Hence, sunscreen is the first critical step in our fight against inflammaging. What else can we do?
Solution #2: Use skincare products with Antioxidants from plants!
Antioxidants can relieve skin aging by neutralizing reactive oxygen molecules that have already formed (the ones that lead to collagen degradation if not neutralized!). Antioxidants include vitamin C and vitamin E as well as antioxidative enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and coenzyme Q10. Many plants are rich in antioxidants. Examples are polyphenols in green tea, sulforaphane in broccoli, terpenoids in marine algae and ginger, ursolic acid and resveratrol in grapes, blueberries, cranberries and apples, carotenoids in a variety of red-orange fruits and vegetables and cyanobacteria (blue green algae). They are often referred to as anti-inflammatory ingredients. Including them in your skincare routine (and your diet!) is the second most important step to slow down skin aging.
Like your mama always said: Eat (and slather on your antioxidant-rich) fruits and veggies
In summary, inflammaging unfortunately can't be fully stopped or reversed, but it can certainly be slowed down by consistent use of broad spectrum sunscreen and skincare products and foods rich in antioxidants.
Reference
Fighting against Skin Aging: The Way from Bench to Bedside. Zhang S, Duan E. Cell Transplant. 2018 May;27(5):729-738
