Q. Why do some of us look Younger—or Older—by up to 7 years than we actually are?

A.Over the years, the skin care industry has made significant progress toward the correction and prevention of the inevitable signs of aging, however, there are still many unknown factors regarding why we age—and why we all seem to age differently. We have a pretty good understanding of the harmful effects caused by exposure to the sun and other harsh environments; we also know the value of consistently using effective sunscreens to help us avoid the aggressive aging effects of ongoing exposure to the elements. Less understood are the biological processes that affect our appearance over time.

Recently, scientists at Purdue University in collaboration with our Research and Development team have discovered a new and significant internal source of aging—an enzyme called arNOX. This (age-related) arNOX enzyme is located on skin cells and generates free radicals on the skins surface that destroy collagen and elastin within the structure of the skin. This enzyme is capable of generating "skin damaging free radicals" in the epidermis around the clock. Although, these enzymes are mostly inactive in our youth, their activity levels increase dramatically as we age and they seem to vary from individual to individual. Tests have shown that arNOX activity increases significantly during the "aging" years of 40-70.

According to scientific data, a correlation exists between these (age-related) arNOX activity levels and errors made in estimating participants' chronological skin ages. In other words, the apparent visible age of those with higher arNOX levels were estimated to be an average of seven years older than they actually were, while the apparent visible age of those individuals with lower arNOX levels were estimated to be an average of seven years younger than their actual age. This suggests that low activity levels of arNOX may result in looking visibly younger—as we get chronologically older.

Q. As we age, what causes the appearance of those fine lines and nasty wrinkles?

A.Healthy, young skin maintains appropriate moisture levels through the sealing properties of a moisture barrier within the skins makeup. Our skin ages as a result of deterioration of structures in the skin and the slowing of healthy skin functions. As we age, the skin produces less and less of these moisture sealing properties, resulting in an increased water loss and dryness of the skin.

One of the most visible signs of aging is the appearance of fine lines and deep wrinkles in the skin. There is a structural protein called collagen, which is found in the dermis, providing a mesh-like framework of support and strength for the skin. As we age, collagen production decreases and collagen fibers start to deteriorate at a faster rate than in earlier years. This causes an overall decrease in the amount of collagen in our skin, causing our skins structural support to weaken, to cave in so to speak, allowing wrinkles to begin to form.

There are several factors that bring about these lower levels of collagen. First, it needs to be noted that with age there is a natural decline in the molecules that trigger collagen production. Along with this, there's a natural increase in an enzyme that breaks down collagen within the skin. Another contributing factor is the presence of free radicals from UV exposure. These free radicals damage collagen strands and stimulate more negative enzyme activity, leading to the formation of irregular collagen linkages that weaken the skin.

Because youthful, healthy skin portrays confidence and beauty, each of us are concerned with what we assume is inevitable aging of the skin. The good news is….we have more control than ever over the rate at which our skin ages. As a result of new science we can literally turn back the clock on our skin. Even if we didn't properly care for our skin in years past, new science has enabled the generation of advanced ingredients that not only repair sun damaged skin, but literally reverses the aging process.