“Beauty is not frivolous: It is a vital part of well-being. So when you look at yourself and you look good, you feel better,” says Ava Shamban, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of the medspa SkinFive.
Shamban is known for her all-natural-looking work—not to mention her appreciation for addressing holistic lifestyle factors that influence skin aging as well. This week she joined me on Clean Beauty School to discuss in-office treatments and prejuvenation tips. (So while we appreciate a holistic approach to skin care and aging around here, I also know that many people are still interested in what their options are as far as the derm’s office goes—this episode is for you.)
Tune in to learn about the latest technologies, how to identify your signature feature, and making sure your treatments look natural. And in the meantime, here are three lifestyle habits to adopt to improve how your skin ages—straight from Shamban:
Listen, don’t waste your time and money on in-office treatments if you’re not going to bother with the baseline healthy aging skin care steps and do them consistently. And if that sounds like strict skin care advice, rest assured that when we mean basic, we mean minimal steps.
“The basics are going to be protecting your skin with an SPF and using a product in the retinoid category, if you can tolerate it,” she says. “That’s the most effective form of skin care.” Beyond that, you can fold in other glow-enhancing ingredients. Her favorites: “Peptides, hyaluronic acid, and of course, antioxidants, like a vitamin C.”
Moving your body regularly is a vital part of helping your body age better—skin included. “Exercise improves mitochondrial function in the skin, which also helps keep the skin young,” she says.
The research confirms this. In fact, one study found that participants carrying out interval training showed a 49% increase in mitochondrial capacity in younger participants and an impressive 69% increase in older participants.
“You can never discount nutrition. Nutrition is so important,” she stresses. “So stay away from highly processed foods, as they turn into sugar. Then look for whole grains, vegetables that you ideally purchase locally, like at the farmers market, as they have higher levels of nutrients in the fruits and vegetables.”
Tune in to her other healthy aging tips, as well as what to know about getting in-office treatments.
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