Enzymes, Aging, and Your Skin: Unlocking the Science Behind Healthy Aging
Aging is a natural part of life, but as we grow older, our skin undergoes changes that are as fascinating as they are challenging. At the heart of this transformation are three enzymes—hyaluronidase, collagenase, and elastase—and their interplay with the trio of molecules that maintain the skin’s structure and function: hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin. In this blog, we’ll explore why these changes occur, how they affect your skin, and why our skincare range, enriched with Phyaluronic Acid, is especially supportive of aging skin. Bearing in mind that aging starts early in life.
Skincare for Every Stage of Life, Especially Aging Skin
While healthy skin deserves care at any age, aging skin has unique needs. As we age, our skin’s ability to maintain its structural integrity diminishes. This is why products tailored to modulate enzymatic activity and replenish essential skin molecules are particularly important. Phyaluronic Acid is the molecule that we discovered in our species of cultivated seaweed and that is includes in all of our skincare products. PhyaluronicTM acid naturally mimics skin molecules to support hydration and help to resist over zealous degradation of skin proteins—making it an ideal choice for maturing skin.
The Aging Skin Trifecta: Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, and Elastin
Why These Molecules Matter
Hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin are the cornerstones of skin’s structure and function. Together, they create the scaffolding that keeps skin firm, hydrated, and elastic.
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Hyaluronic Acid: A natural humectant, it draws moisture into the skin, keeping it plump and hydrated. As we age, levels of hyaluronic acid decline, contributing to dryness and a loss of volume.
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Collagen: Often described as the skin’s framework, collagen provides tensile strength and prevents sagging. Reduced collagen leads to wrinkles and weakened skin.
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Elastin: This protein allows skin to stretch and snap back into place. Loss of elastin is why skin becomes less elastic over time.
How Enzymes Disrupt the Balance
The enzymes hyaluronidase, collagenase, and elastase degrade these essential molecules:
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Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid, reducing skin’s hydration.
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Collagenase targets collagen, weakening the skin’s structural integrity.
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Elastase degrades elastin, leading to reduced elasticity and resilience.
Why Do We Produce These Enzymes?
While these enzymes may seem like skin’s adversaries, they play essential roles in maintaining skin health. For instance, hyaluronidase and collagenase are involved in natural skin turnover—the process of shedding old skin cells and regenerating new ones. Elastase helps remodel the extracellular matrix, ensuring skin adapts to changes and repairs itself after injury. However, as we age, the balance tips, leading to overactivity of these enzymes and accelerated degradation of key structural molecules.
A Skin-Mattress Analogy
Imagine your skin as a mattress:
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Collagen is the sturdy frame, providing structure and integrity.
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Elastin acts as the springs, offering resilience and flexibility.
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Hyaluronic Acid is like the foam and stitches, delivering hydration, fullness, and connectedness.
Over time, stressors take their toll:
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Collagenase is like termites, eating away at the frame.
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Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) rust the springs.
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Hyaluronidase causes the foam and stitches to break apart, making the cushion less effective.
Protecting the Skin Trifecta: How & Why It Matters
Scientific literature suggests that protecting the skin’s structural molecules from enzymes and reactive oxygen is indeed beneficial for healthier aging skin, like protecting the structure of a mattress. Here’s how:
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Shielding the frame (collagen) from degradation by slowing the effect of collagenase enzymes, helps to maintain skin’s integrity, firmness and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
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Preventing the springs (elastin) from "rusting" by quenching reactive oxygen. Skincare ingredients that provide anti-oxidant activity in this way can protect elastin for skin's ability to bounce back.
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By resisting hyaluronidase enzymes, plumping molecules like Phyaluronic Acid can replenish and strengthen the "foam and stitches" (hydration, volume and organisation).
Hopefully this analogy helps to highlight a simple context for the complex metabolism of the skin, and the strategy of protecting and supporting your skin’s key components as you age.
How Our Skincare Stands Out
Our Phyaluronic Acid, derived from seaweed a particular species of seaweed, offers a unique approach to protecting and rejuvenating aging skin:
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Collagen Support: Our research in skin scaffolds shows that our Phyaluronic acid slows collagenase activity compared to skin scaffolds without it.
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Elastin Boost: The bioactive compounds in Phyaluronic Acid facilitated elastin production in our artificial skin scaffolds, and importantly works as an anti-oxidant by quenching reactive oxygen species that would also degrade elastin.
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Hyaluronic Acid Supplementation: Unlike conventional hyaluronic acid, PhyaluronicTM Acid is resistant to enzymatic degradation, ensuring long-lasting hydration and skin plumping.
These benefits aren’t just theoretical; they’re backed by peer-reviewed research, undertaken by us and other leading scientists in skin biology.
Aging skin is not just about appearance; it’s about maintaining the health and function of your largest organ. It includes prevention of stressors and particularly sun damage, support from the outside with supportive and skin friendly skincare, from the inside through your diet, and metabolically by keeping up good sleep and exercise. By understanding the science behind skin aging and choosing products designed to protect and support the skin trifecta, you can take a proactive approach to aging well.
