Healthy Skin: The Inside Story

Shifting attitudes among millennial women

Skin health supplements are booming. The category saw more than 30% growth in the four years to 2021 according to Innova Market Insights and it’s likely to continue as younger millennials take their skincare routine more seriously.

It’s the ‘inside-out’ message loved by natural health stores and only likely to grow as the message about beauty-from-within, especially with antioxidants, finds further traction.

These millennials are turning 40 and entering game-changing years when it comes to caring for their skin. Research by Japanese skincare brand Hada Labo found that 48% of women noticed more lines on their face when they hit this decade, with 39% noticing more dryness and 34% spotting a lack of elasticity.

Skin expert Gina Akers explains that there are various factors which come into play during our forties: “As we age, our skin naturally loses moisture, which can cause wrinkles to form. Lifestyle factors such as smoking and pollution can also cause changes to our skin as can our dietary choices, while hormonal changes can also have an impact on our skin.”

She recommends hyaluronic acid which is capable of holding 1,000 times its weight in water, helping to lock moisture into the skin, preventing dehydration.

Then a huge hormonal life change occurs in women aged between 45 and 55 which can cause noticeable changes in the skin’s appearance.

The Hada Labo research found that more than eight in ten women think that the menopause has an impact on skin with just over a third of women noticing their skin getting drier when they hit perimenopause.

Collagen helps skin remain firm. It’s important to work with these skin changes that are caused by the menopause, so health stores can help keep skin in great condition.

Lifestyle changes emerging from the pandemic have taken their toll too, especially by working from home. Nearly half of women are washing their hair less, 43% have noticed a change in their sleep patterns and 40% have changed the hours in which they have meals. In fact, 42% blame a poorer diet for negatively affecting their skin health.

Wholefoods and an antioxidant-rich diet packed with colourful fruits and vegetables on the inside, and plant-based, sustainable skincare on the outside.

"We are bombarded with endless ways in which we can hide the signs of time, and we are promised there are solutions to whatever our budget and skin damage is. We are being talked to as if ageing was a disease rather than a privilege.

"We would love to see more initiatives to challenge harmful stereotypes about ageing and beauty, and to promote a more diverse and inclusive vision of beauty that embraces all ages and body types. It could also involve initiatives to hold companies in the skincare industry accountable for their marketing and advertising practices, and to promote greater transparency and honesty in the messaging around anti-ageing products."

Blog extract from Barcelona skincare co-operative Uzza