How Inflammaging is Changing the Face of Skincare

Anti-aging skincare is at a crossroads. Increasingly, scientific evidence suggests that many of today’s trademark treatments may actually exacerbate the conditions they’re designed to treat in the long-term, thanks to a phenomenon known as inflammaging.

What is Inflammaging?
Inflammaging describes an aging phenomenon induced by persistent inflammation. Inflammation often appears following trauma, aggression, external irritants, and internal imbalances, as the body, including the skin, works to heal itself and restore normal form and function. While healthy skin can generally recover from minor, occasional damage easily, science shows that repeated injury can lead to a chronic state of inflammation that exhausts its defenses and compromises key youth-sustaining structures.

Targeting Inflammaging
Studies suggest the key to combating inflammaging is the use of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant topical products and the avoidance of common irritants, such as glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and some types of retinol in high concentrations. Particularly promising ingredients in the fight against inflammaging include natural extracts, such as boswellic acid, which is found in the boswellia serrata tree; resveratrol, which is found in grapes; and tamanu oil, which is found in tamanu tree nuts.

As with any skin concern, inflammaging can worsen with prolonged sun exposure. Combined with treatments that target the source of inflammation, proper UV defense and barrier support can help minimize its visible effects.

Inflammaging and the Future of Skincare

As science continues to explore the dynamics of inflammaging, new products and treatments will emerge to address this nascent concern. In an industry that moves at breakneck speed, the advent of inflammaging serves as both a wakeup call and an ultimatum to product developers and skincare companies alike. Treatments that aggressively and repeatedly shock the skin to achieve their ends are a thing of the past. The future of skincare is in products that deliver dramatic results without the damage.

For an extended version of this article, visit: www.cosmedix.com.

Edited by: Drew Pizzini