What is Cellular Turnover?

Cellular turnover is the lifespan of our skin cells.  Every 28-40 days our skin goes through a process called “desquamation”, in other words, every month or so new skin cells are born and old ones are sloughed off (we won’t talk about where they go…)  Babies and young children are constantly growing, so their skin cells are turning over at a very rapid rate.  In fact, their cellular turnover rate is twice as fast as adults!  This is why they have such beautiful, glowing skin!  The older we get, the slower our systems work, and the longer it takes to turn over newborn skin cells.

What is Collagen Production?

Collagen is the protein that holds our bodies together.  It can be found in our bones, our muscles, and our skin.  Just like with our cellular turnover rate, our collagen production also slows down as we age.  Younger skin contains abundant, tightly packed collagen resulting in a stronger skin structure and less wrinkles.  As we age, our skin is less supported and more vulnerable to damage due to the decrease in collagen production.

5 Steps You Can Take To Boost Cellular Turnover and Collagen Production

Although slower cellular turnover and a decrease in collagen production are facts of life, there are some things we can do to help speed up the desquamation process.  Remember, the faster our cells regenerate and the more collagen we can produce, the younger and more radiant our skin looks!

1. Make Sleep a Priority

Amazing things are happening while you sleep! Your skin works all night long to rehabilitate and repair. Just like our muscles, our skin needs that time of rest.  Believe it or not, your skin is producing collagen at a faster rate while you sleep.  During those precious hours of sleep your body’s water content is balancing, your stress levels are low, and your skin is on a mini retreat.  Try sleeping on a satin silk pillowcase for an extra special skincare treat.

2. Wash Your Face Before You Go to Sleep

In order to prepare your skin for those precious hours of rehab, it is so important to prep it through cleansing. Think about all of the toxins in the air (car exhaust, smoke, cleaning chemicals, germs), and think about how many times during the day you touch your face after touching another surface (a doorknob in a public place, a shopping cart, or a gas pump).  If you DO wear makeup they say you age 7 times faster if you don’t wash the makeup off of your skin before you go to bed.

3. Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliation is the process of gently removing old, dead cells from your skin with products that contain a bit of texture or “grit” to them.  This is not a painful process, in fact exfoliation has become one of my favorite steps in my skincare routine.  I exfoliate twice a week, and afterwards my skin always feels so soft and smooth.  It is important not to over-exfoliate though!  Once or twice a week is often enough to help your skin get rid of the old skin allowing the newborn skin to come to the surface.

4. Drink Plenty of Water and Eat a Vitamin Rich Diet

Healthy skin is hydrated skin.  Try to drink half your weight in water (example, if you weigh 140lbs, try to drink 70oz of water every day). Hydrated skin is plump, soft, and smooth.  Also, try to eat foods naturally enriched with Vitamins A, B, C, E, and K.  These vitamins are all directly or indirectly involved in repairing and protecting the skin.  Swap out foods containing dairy and sugar for more fruits and veggies, and you’re sure to see an improvement in your skin.

5. Use Products That Help Speed Up The Cellular Turnover Rate

Besides eating a diet rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, we can look for products that contain these healing nutrients as well!  Here are a few of my favorite products that help to speed up the cellular turnover rate. Click the links to take a closer look at these amazing products!

Microdermabrasion Creme

Vitamin C Serum

Overnight Ultra Lift Creme

Anti-Aging Oil Serum

For personalized skincare recommendations based on your unique skincare needs, answer a few questions, and look for an email from me!

Here’s to radiant, younger-looking skin!

~ Susan