Wrinkles, altered pigmentation, loss of skin tone... we all associate these changes with skin aging. Age-related skin changes are the result of genetically- programmed changes (intrinsic factors) and environmental wear-and-tear
on the skin (extrinsic factors). While both influence the skin’s structure and function, extrinsic factors cause
more pronounced changes. Estimates state that 80-99% of what we see on our skin as adults is the result of exposure to daylight, which is referred to as photoaging. Manifestations of photoaging include an increase in wrinkle formation, a loss of tension and elasticity, degeneration of the vascular supply and skin thickness, a reduction
in the water-binding properties of the skin, dilated capillaries, hyperpigmentation and other skin discoloration.
While scientists attribute the majority of these structural changes to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, it has only been in recent years that they have come to understand the actual biochemical
