July 10, 2025
8 min read
Understanding Premature Ageing: Why Early Prevention Matters
When it comes to ageing skin, there is no magic youth potion. However, there are many ways we can slow the signs of ageing by taking preventative steps in our everyday lives to maintain healthy skin that glows at every age! We all age—it's a natural part of life and a privilege that we should be thankful for. Premature ageing is more than just a marketing term used by skincare companies, it’s a sign that we’re not taking care of our health and while you can’t slow down time, it is possible to slow down the effects that ageing has on your body and skin.
What Is Premature Ageing?
Premature ageing refers to the early onset of physical or biological changes that may be associated with older age. When it comes to our skin his can include:
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Wrinkles and fine lines
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A loss in skin elasticity resulting in sagging skin
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Age spots or hyperpigmentation
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Dry, thinning skin
These changes are normal for people in their mid 30’s onwards, however if you are starting to notice wrinkles, uneven skin and a dry or textured complexion in your 20’s or early 30’s this may be considered as signs of premature ageing that could have possibly been avoided through better lifestyle and skin care choices.
Premature Skin Vs Ageing Skin - What is the Difference?
Premature Ageing refers to signs of ageing in our skin and body that appear earlier than expected for a person’s age. This may be triggered by lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive drinking, too much sun exposure and stress.
Ageing refers to the natural and gradual changes that we often notice in our skin and body that occur naturally over time as a result of genetics and age. As we age, we have a natural decline in collagen and elastin production along with slower cell cycles and menopause that lead to the wrinkles and lines that we expect to see from our late 30’s onwards.
What Causes Premature Ageing?
Everyone has different genetics and skin types that contribute to our skin’s appearance and how it shows signs of ageing. However, there are some common environmental and lifestyle factors that often contribute to premature ageing. This can include:
Sun Exposure
If you ask any dermatologist the number one cause of ageing skin, they will all tell you it’s thanks to the sun. Prolonged, unprotected sun exposure will damage collagen and elastin along with causing pigmentation and uneven skin tone.
Smoking
Smoking also takes first place when it comes to accelerating signs of ageing. Cigarettes restrict blood flow and break down collagen, leading to wrinkles and dull, sagging skin. In addition to skin health, they are also terrible for your body - significantly increasing your risk of various cancers (particularly lung).
Poor Diet
We all know that a poor diet makes us feel terrible in general. From poor gut health to lack of energy, what we eat plays a huge roll in our overall health and the same goes for our skin. Diets high in sugar and processed foods can cause inflammation that often shows through our skin.
Stress
We all have periods of time in our life where stress gets the better of us. However, living with long-term stress increases cortisol levels, which can accelerate cellular ageing and impact our skin health.
Sleep Deprivation
We all know how moody and foggy we can feel after a poor night’s sleep, but you may not have thought about the impact that can have on your skin. While you sleep, your body and skin has a chance to heal and regenerate and if you’re not getting enough it can lead to dull skin, dark circles and over time premature fine lines and wrinkles. There’s a reason why it’s called beauty sleep!
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol causes immediate dehydration within the body and skin, and drinking excessively can cause significant damage to gut health, kidney and liver function.
A Healthy Skincare Routine to Prevent and Improve Signs of Premature Ageing
In addition to leading a healthy lifestyle, a consistent skincare routine will ensure your skin has the care it deserves from the inside out to maintain a healthy glow at any age! Below are some must have skincare steps and products that will treat and protect your skin as you age.
Double Cleansing
Regardless of your skin type and whether you wear makeup or not, double cleansing is the most important skincare step before you hit the pillow every night. The first cleanse will break down SPF, excess oil and makeup, allowing the second cleanse to actually clean and lightly exfoliate the skin. Your cleanser of choice will depend on your skin type and concerns, however starting your double cleanse with an oil cleanser such as LAMAV’s Award Winning Marula Oil Cleanser will ensure you remove makeup and dissolve SPF without irritating the skin.
Moisturising
The basic 2 step routine of cleansing and moisturising is the foundation of healthy skin when done consistently every day. Keeping skin clean and hydrated should form the base of a daily skincare routine, regardless of your skin type. Applying a daily moisturiser to suit your skin type will not only hydrate the skin, it also assists with protecting the skin’s barrier - your first line of defence against environmental stress. If you have oily or acne prone skin and think you don’t need a moisturiser - think again!
Depriving the skin of hydration can lead to excess oil production as your skin attempts to rebalance sebum levels. If you’re looking for something lightweight that won’t leave a greasy residue, reach for LAMAV’s Skin Balancing Fluid or Rumex Day Cream.
Exfoliating
Exfoliating 2-3 times per week is another essential step to prevent premature ageing and can be implemented from late teens onwards. Whilst our skin has a natural shedding process, it sometimes needs a little help to remove dry and dull skin cells. Exfoliation also encourages collagen production and is particularly important as we age and our natural shedding cycle begins to slow down.
Choosing the right exfoliant is also important to ensure you don’t irritate or damage the skin. Avoid exfoliants that contain harsh particles as these can scratch the skin. If you have oily or acne prone skin LAMAV’s Award Winning AHA Face Exfoliant offers 2 in 1 exfoliation to stimulate cell turnover, deeply cleanse and encourage collagen production. If you’re looking for an exfoliant that supports sensitive skin, try LAMAV’S Jojoba Exfoliating Scrub - a creamy exfoliant formulated with soft-melting jojoba beads and AHA’s to gently encourage cellular turnover without causing irritation.
Treatment
While not always necessary, there are treatments such as serums, oils and masks that may help to treat and prevent skin concerns when used regularly. Layering a nourishing serum or oil under your moisturiser (particularly at night) will give your skin an extra hit of antioxidants or hydration to support your overall skin health.
Key Skincare Ingredients to Prevent Premature Ageing
Look for the below active ingredients in your cleansers, serums and moisturisers to support collagen production, hydration and brightening.
Natural Retinol (Vitamin A) alternatives such as Bakuchiol can encourage cellular turnover to support collagen production. Try LAMAV’s Bakuchiol 4% Natural Retinol Alternative.
Vitamin C serums and oils will assist with antioxidant protection while brightening the skin and potentially reducing signs of pigmentation. LAMAV’s Daily Vitamin C Serum is a must have morning serum.
Hyaluronic Acid is a powerful humectant with the ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water! Binding to water in our cells, it helps to boost hydration and replenish moisture in the skin. And we all know that hydration is key when it comes to the health of our body and skin! Apply LAMAV’s Hyaluronic Moisture Cream every morning to ensure skin is hydrated and protected before you leave the house.
Lifestyle Tips for Youthful Skin
Whilst we can’t change the inevitable, it is possible to control some of the environmental and lifestyle factors that lead to premature ageing. If you haven’t already, now’s the time to implement the below in your everyday routine.
Apply Sunscreen Every Mornin
Even if you will be indoors, dermatologists recommend we all apply SPF 30-50 every morning to prevent sun damage. Cloudy days and exposure through driving and windows can still cause sun damage.
Eat an Antioxidant-Rich Diet
We all enjoy an occasional treat, however a consistent daily diet with a focus on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, protein, and healthy fats will all contribute to health skin.
Increase Water Intake
Drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day will support hydration from the inside out, contributing to skin elasticity maintenance, removing toxins from the body and an overall healthy appearance.
Sleep
Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night to reap the benefits of “beauty sleep”. It can be difficult with our busy, technology driven lives, so implement good sleep hygiene habits in the hours leading up to bedtime to give yourself the best chance of quality sleep. Don’t eat too close to bedtime and switch off screens 1-2 hours before sleep to give your mind and body time to wind down.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise boosts circulation, reduces stress, and supports healthy ageing overall. From yoga at home to a walk on the beach, even small efforts of exercise can contribute to skin health.
When to Start an Age-Defence Skincare Routine
It’s never too early to start an age-defence skincare routine. Even children who are regularly applying sunscreen and washing their face every night are on the path to good skin health and preventing unnecessary signs of premature ageing. Tweens and Teens can begin to implement a more consistent cleansing and moisturising routine and implementing skin treatments such as serums can be introduced from late teens and early twenties onwards.
Premature ageing isn’t just about how your skin looks, it’s a sign that your body may be under unnecessary steps and it’s time to evaluate your lifestyle choices. With some small, consistent changes it is possible to bring your skin back to life while improving overall health.
