Seemingly minor and often unnoticed, there are dozens of things that can damage your skin on a daily basis. Aside from your unique genetic constitution (or Dosha in Ayurvedic terms) being a major factor, aging can also be caused by stressors outside of biological processes. The good news is that we can genuinely, and very successfully, control these outside factors with our breakthrough peptide-based skin care formulas.

While we all will have to eventually recognize a combination of the different signs of aging over the course of our lives, if we are lucky enough to live a long one, our @PVOs personalized anti-aging regimens are proven to slow down your skin’s aging game.

So before we lay down the solutions, let’s find out the causes. From sun exposure to stress, here are some of the biggest reasons for accelerated aging.

1.   Exposure to Chemicals

Whether it’s ingredients in your expensive product, or the packaging it came in, we are constantly surrounded by plastics, parabens, synthetics, and toxic chemicals. (For more info, read this detailed series on common toxins in beauty products). Many of these ingredients are linked to pH imbalance, skin damage, irritation, and long term toxic effects such as hormone disruption.  Not a pretty picture.

Even when you have good ingredients in a formula, traces of microplastics, additives, synthetic emulsifying agents, heavy metals, and other possible polymers can be reactive to sensitive ingredients at high concentrations.

Thus, it is important to be aware and replace these types of damaging ingredients with Clean & Natural alternatives. For instance, Black African Soap Bark and Yucca Root in our Organic Cleansers are a great replacement for SLS/SLES/Sulfate based cleansers. Likewise, potentially harmful synthetic preservatives are replaced with proven harmless ones such as Potassium Sorbate and Rosemary, cheap Petroleum based mineral oils are never used in our products, instead we use far more expensive and restorative Organic Cold Pressed Oils containing proven Skin Actives, and for every less-than-ideal inexpensive ingredient in a formula, we have replaced them with efficient natural botanicals that have the power to restore true health and vitality to your skin and hair…

Being an Eco-friendly brand, our products are packaged in either glass bottles or BPA-free PET plastics. Learn more about our Ecologically Conscious Initiatives.

2.   Sunlight

‘Photo-Aging’ is one of the most underrated causes for accelerated aging. Prolonged exposure to all UV rays can have both long and short term effects. The low energy, UVA rays penetrate deep and cause premature aging and wrinkles. UVB causes sunburn and blistering and damage at the cellular level. UVC causes redness, ulcers, severe burns, and aging. In the long run, these rays can also cause skin cancer.

So is staying indoors the only solution against solar damage? Of course, not! Zinc Oxide is an EWG approved ingredient that safely reflects 98% of the sun’s UV rays. Our SunProtect has micronized Zinc Oxide, natural SPF Oils, and calming botanical extracts that not only protects from aging and sunburn but also reduces hyperpigmentation (dark spots/freckles/melasma) and balances an uneven complexion.

3.   Free Radicals

Free radicals (such as those from dust, smoke, pesticides, cleaning products, UVB, etc) are unstable molecules that can react with healthy skin molecules and damage them.

When produced in large quantities, free radicals cause ‘oxidative stress’ – a serious deleterious process that damages the collagen-elastin matrix, lipids, proteins, and DNA. Long term neglect can have an impact at the molecular level, thus speeding up the aging process.

For removal of these aging disasters, ‘Natural Antioxidants’ are the real saviors. While there are many of these throughout our purely organic formulations, some of the most powerful ones are Vitamin C, CoEnzyme Q10, Vitamin E, Catechins, Polyphenols, etc.

These phytoactives boost our skin’s natural mechanism, prevent signs of aging, and repair cell damage.

4.   Lifestyle Damages

Did you know that even frequent blow-drying your hair from a certain angle can actually contribute to getting wrinkles?? There are a myriad of seemingly minor, other bad habits that can contribute to a breakdown of skin health.

Improving your lifestyle means better skin health. Aside from avoiding the issues listed above,  some of the things you should regularly practice are:

• Exercise,
• Eat fresh whole foods
• Maintain good sleep hygiene
• Avoid stress as much as possible
• Practice good hygiene habits
• Limit alcohol and quit smoking.

How To Protect and Reverse Skin Damage

Always follow a Personalized Dosha Regimen for the best results. Here’s a complete guide on how to slow down accelerated aging and address different signs with clinically proven skincare solutions from Puraveda Organics.