Not long ago, if you wanted to fight signs of aging and get
results, you basically had two options. You could go under
the knife (or needle), or you could treat your skin with
compounds that were always chemical, and sometimes harsh
or potentially harmful. This body of research is the foundation of Own Renewing Anti-Aging.
The good news is, recent science has given women a third option: proven, effective treatments that don't contain harmful chemicals. Researchers have proven that certain plant-based compounds treat signs of aging safely and effectively by unlocking the body's natural renewing process.
Own Renewing is scientifically formulated to work naturally with your body's own chemistry, activating younger cell behavior in all three layers of your skin. It helps your skin look younger by helping your skin act younger.
The Science
of Fighting
Aging Skin
When you see signs of aging, you're seeing the visible evidence of damage to multiple processes and systems throughout the skin. Most of the damage is below the surface, in the places you can't see.
To fight those signs effectively, you need to understand their root causes. You need to understand the science of your skin.
Skin 101
Skin is made up of many layers, and they all need to be functioning properly for skin to be healthy.
The outer layer is the epidermis, which itself consists of several layers. The outermost layer − the skin we see and touch − is the stratum corneum. This thin layer actually consists of dead skin cells, packed tightly together to form a protective barrier that keeps harmful substances out, and vital substances in.
It's particularly important because it retains the moisture skin needs to stay elastic and soft.
Every day, the stratum corneum sheds thousands of dry cells. They're replaced by cells grown in a deeper layer, the stratum basale, which rise to take their place. When skin is healthy, the cells in this layer divide constantly, providing a steady supply of young skin.
Beneath the epidermis is the dermis. This layer is thick with vital cells and structures, including collagen nets, elastic tissue, and reticular fibers. When these are healthy, they form a dense, springy structure that gives skin fullness and elasticity.
Over the years, as damaging processes weaken these structures, skin loses its elasticity and firmness. To get a feel for what's happening, picture the inside of a mattress. Where the springs are weak, the surface doesn't spring back when you press it. When the springs have been taken out completely, the surface sags.
The deepest layer, beneath the dermis, is the hypodermis or subcutaneous tissue. This layer is made up of larger structures like nerves, fat cells and blood vessels. The hypodermis stores energy and regulates our body temperature, and the subcutaneous fat provides a filling, soft foundation for our skin.
What's Happening In Your Skin When You See Signs of Aging
When we see wrinkles and uneven tone on the surface, it's easy to conclude the problem rests mainly in the outermost layer, the stratum corneum. In fact, many signs of aging begin in the layers we can't see:
In the stratum basale, new cell production slows down. When this happens, the cells in stratum corneum turn over less often. The proteins that bind the cells together get weaker, the layer gets thinner and more papery, and the barrier becomes more permeable.
In the dermis, damage to collagen networks reduces skin's elasticity and support. The net effect: skin loses moisture, radiance, fullness and springiness. It looks more dry and uneven. It loses its ability to renew itself, and spring back into shape after creasing.
What Causes Our
Healthy Cells
to Break Down?
There's no single factor to blame when healthy processes and structures break down. Some factors, like genetics, are beyond our control. But there are a number of causes we can influence:
Sun
This is the #1 cause of skin damage and early-onset aging. The radiation in sunlight penetrates all layers of the skin, damaging every structure and process that keeps skin looking younger. While the sun emits several types of radiation, UVA and UVB are believed to cause the most damage. It's easy to spot the telltale sign of UVB damage: sunburn. The red tone is proof your skin has been exposed to a harmful dose of radiation.
It's much harder to see the damage caused by UVA radiation, because UVA rays penetrate to the deeper layers, where they set off reactions that cause great damage over time. Damage from UVA and UVB rays lead to mutations in skin cells and your skin's immune system, and both can directly destroy collagen nets. UVB rays damage your DNA directly, raising your risk of skin cancer. UVA rays increase production of free radicals, which in turn do further damage to your DNA, immune system and collagen nets.
Smoking
Everything about tobacco is toxic to your skin. The smoke dries out your epidermis, leaving your skin looking dry and dull. The nicotine constricts blood flow to your skin, which cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients. Other toxins release free radicals, degrading your cells' DNA and eroding your collagen nets.
Diet
When your diet is unhealthy, your skin cells and structures don't get the nutrients they need to function properly.
Why do Wrinkles Form?
Wrinkles fall into two categories: permanent and temporary. (Luckily, you don't need to worry about temporary wrinkles, because they're temporary.) There are two kinds of permanent wrinkles: wrinkles caused by facial expressions, and wrinkles caused by gravity. Expression wrinkles are generally found around the eyes, nose, mouth and cheeks. In colloquial terms, these become crow's feet, frown lines, smile lines, smoker's mouth, and worry brows.
Expression wrinkles form after years of facial muscles pulling skin into the same expressions, over and over again. Each time we form an expression, skin folds and creases − like when we smile, and the skin and muscles around our mouths form the deep creases we call "smile lines." When our skin is young, moist, and springy, those creases disappear right away. But as structures and processes break down − the stratum corneum thins, moisture loss increases, cell turnover slows, collagen nets degrade − skin loses the ability to "spring back." The creases remain.
Gravity wrinkles form as skin's substructures weaken over time, and skin becomes looser. The collagen nets deteriorate, and the hypodermis loses subcutaneous fat cells. Skin loses firmness, elasticity, and ability to stand up to the constant, inexorable tug of gravity, especially around the cheeks and throat.
To get a sense of the gravity effect, stand in front of a mirror. First, tilt your head back and look at the ceiling, tightening the skin under your chin. That's how your skin looked before gravity had any effect. Next, tilt your chin down toward the floor until you see your skin start to sag. That's how gravity may tug at your skin in the future.
How You
Can Fight Signs of Aging
Stop exposing your skin to sunlight.
Avoid being in the sun for long periods of time, particularly if you have fair skin. Be aware that the sun's rays are most intense between 10 am and 3 pm. And no matter what, wear a sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays. Think of it like brushing your teeth: you couldn't just brush your teeth "every once in a while" and expect them to stay healthy. You can't just wear sunscreen "every once in a while" and expect your skin to look younger.
Stop Smoking.
All the evidence says it can cause cancer. You should also bear in mind that smoking does more damage to more people's skin than anything other than sunlight.
Signs of aging are the result of damage to all layers of the skin. To fight them effectively, you need to encourage renewal on all those layers, and stop any further damage. Among the things you should do:
Improve your skin's ability to hold moisture.
The more moisture your skin can retain, the younger it will look and act. Topical moisturizers give temporary help, but you should use solutions that actually work to restore the cellular bonds in the stratum corneum, making it a more effective moisture barrier.
Increase production of new skin cells.
When the stratum basale produces more young cells, the cells in the stratum corneum turn over more often, resulting in a more even tone, and more youthful skin overall. You should use products that have been proven to activate these vital processes.
Repair your collagen network.
Treatments that restore the strength and integrity of collagen nets restore the tone, elasticity and fullness of skin. Skin looks and acts younger, and springs back after folding.
While shelves are full of treatments that claim to repair and restore skin, most rely on artificial chemicals that produce short-term results. Some have unpleasant side effects. A few are suspected of posing long-term risks.
Fortunately, there is a plant-based, proven, effective alternative: CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), the active ingredient in Own Renewing Anti- Aging.
How CLA Works With Your
Chemistry to Reduce Signs
of Aging.
The CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) in Own is a natural compound derived from the safflower plant. Within the past decade, scientists researching safer skin care treatments discovered that CLA had a demonstrable effect on skin cells, promoting cell renewal in all three layers of skin.
CLA works by binding to receptors in skin cells called PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor). Once bound, the CLA acts like a "key," naturally activating processes that slow or reduce visible signs of aging.
CLA helps skin retain moisture. CLA has been clinically proven to boost ceramide synthesis in skin cells, restoring the lipids that keep cells in the epidermis bound together, and restoring the barrier integrity of the stratum corneum.
CLA activates skin's ability to make new cells. CLA has been proven to activate production of involucrin and decorin, proteins that encourage production of young cells in the stratum basale and renewal of the epidermis.
CLA repairs collagen structures. CLA has been shown to activate collagen synthesis, restoring the networks that give skin support, tone and elasticity. Sagging skin and wrinkles fill in, and skin looks fresher and fuller.
CLA opens the door to a different approach to skin care. You can get results without going under the knife (or the needle). You can get results without using harsh chemicals and treatments that have potentially harmful side-effects. For the first time, you can treat all three layers of skin with one proven solution. And you can feel good about it.
Skin shows signs of aging because its healthy processes and structures have broken down. The CLA in Own Renewing works naturally, with your own body's chemistry, to activate those processes and rebuild those structures. The result: skin that looks younger and healthier because deep down, it is.