Trending Beauty Term: Inflammaging (What It Is + How to Prevent It)
Are you familiar with the concept of inflammaging?
Inflammaging is a word that’s been trending in the beauty world lately. A meshing of two skin-centric words: inflammation + aging.
Inflammaging refers to the link between chronic inflammation and premature aging in the body.
The thought is:
→ If you’re experiencing signs of premature aging, chronic inflammation could be a big factor at play.
AND
→ If you’re chronically inflamed, you’re likely to experience signs of premature aging.
When we feed + surround our bodies with inflammatory stimuli, it creates a dangerous cascade.
And this can lead to more serious health conditions throughout your body. So reducing inflammation is vital. It equips your body to resist degenerative diseases and inflammaging in your skin.
So what can you do about inflammaging + how can you stop it in its tracks?
It can be a big issue to tackle, but don’t let it overwhelm you. Pick and choose a few things to add to your routine – by adding a few consistent changes to your routine you’ll notice a big difference over time. Added stress only adds to inflammation. So keeping it simple + consistent is key.
With that said, here are 10 easy hacks to reduce chronic inflammation. Trust us, it'll help you work towards a healthier body + youthful skin. ;)
Hack #1: Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet + Avoid Seed Oils
Many people don’t realize the harmful effects of inflammatory foods. As tasty (and tempting) as they may be, they encourage inflammaging in the skin. If you’re not familiar with inflammatory foods, start by learning about seed oils. Eliminating seed oils is a great starting point to prevent or reverse inflammaging.
- Focus on real, whole foods free from preservatives and additives
- Eliminate as much processed food + sugar as possible
- Eat organic, wild-caught, and grass-fed (as much as possible)
- Increase healthy fats + oils in your diet (ghee, grass-fed butter, MCT oil)
Resource: Check out this post on nutrition for more information.
Hack #2: Earthing + More Time Outside
Did you know stepping outside barefoot can automatically decrease inflammation in your body?
Your body is positively charged by the excess of technology + radiation from devices. All day long. This exposure contributes to chronic inflammation… and over time, you guessed it – signs of premature aging in your skin.
The earth contains a negative charge that “resets” the charge of your body – woah.
Studies show time spent in direct contact with the Earth can:1
- Reduce Inflammation
- Improve immune responses
- Speed up wound healing
- Treat (+ prevent) chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
- Negate some of the negative effects of EMFs from technology/devices
Resource: Check out this post on earthing for more information.
Hack #3: Protect Your Microbiome/Skin Barrier
Don’t forget about your microbiome if you want to avoid inflammaging. There are many factors in your environment that can affect your skin’s balance. We know environmental toxins cause inflammation in your skin.2
A weakened or unbalanced skin microbiome makes your skin barrier more susceptible. You may struggle with harmful bacteria, water loss, external injuries, or poor vitamin D synthesis.2
A few of the best ways to keep your skin microbiome strong, balanced, and protected:
- Don’t over-cleanse + only use gentle cleansers
- Prioritize non-toxic + moisture-rich products
- Skinimalism – less is more for the sake of your microbiome
Resource: Check out this post on your skin’s microbiome to learn more.
Hack #4: Limit Alcohol
As fun as a night out on the town with friends may be, alcohol is a big player in inflammaging. We’re not saying you can’t have a drink or two every once in a while, but moderation is key.
Studies show that alcohol causes inflammation in the gut.3 We already know gut health is directly linked to overall health + skin. So it’s not surprising that inflammaging would show up with an excess of alcohol.
Resource: Check out this post on taking a break from alcohol if you’re looking for some guidance or tips.
Hack #5: Keep a Gratitude or Prayer Journal
There’s a theory that your beliefs about aging are part of what actually causes you to age. (Crazy, right? But also cool!) This would suggest that there’s power in your mindset to defend against inflammaging.
A negative outlook creates inflammatory responses in the body. Just think: you could potentially prevent inflammaging with the power of positivity. The mind is a powerful tool.
Changing your mindset will make you feel better and it’s free to practice. ;)
Resource: Check out this post on gratitude for more information + ideas on what mindfulness might look like for you.
Hack #6: Topical Applications
Inflammation stems from inside the body. But gentle + reparative topical applications can still help prevent unwanted inflammaging. Though it’s important to note: some topical remedies may do more harm than good – so we put together a list for you.
Embrace these topical nutrients + practices to prevent inflammaging:
- Antioxidant-rich serums + creams to fight free radical damage and signs of premature aging.
- Biocompatible ingredients that match the biological makeup of your skin. They work with your skin, not against it.
- Whole vitamins (vs. synthetic lab-made vitamins) that provide more benefits for your skin. Focus on untouched, pure nutrients.
- Rethink intense treatments. Many claim to prevent premature aging, but disrupt the skin + its ability to heal.
Resource: Check out this post on anti-aging ingredients to learn more about the best ingredients to protect skin from premature aging.
Hack #7: Move Your Body
Whether you’re actually working out or not, movement is essential for your body. It keeps the systems running smoothly. And when everything runs smoothly, there’s less chance for inflammaging to take hold.
Studies show that only 20 minutes of moderate exercise improves inflammation markers.5 On top of that, movement encourages healthy fascia. Your fascia contributes to a youthful appearance + preventing signs of inflammaging.
Bonus points if you get your sweat on. You’ll move out toxins + reset your body against the effects of chronic inflammation.
Resource: Check out this post on the benefits of sweat to learn more about movement + why sweat is important.
Hack #8: Support Lymphatic Flow
Your lymphatic system plays a powerful role in the health of your skin. Stimulating lymphatic flow encourages the movement of lymphatic fluid underneath your skin. It also boosts blood flow and circulation – all reducing chronic inflammation.
The best ways to support lymphatic flow to fight signs of inflammaging:
- Dry brushing – a bristled brush stimulates flow beneath the surface. It also minimizes premature aging by nudging cell turnover for a youthful complexion.
- Rebounding – jumping on a small trampoline for just a few minutes can boost your lymphatic flow by 15-30 times.6
- Facial cupping or gua sha stone – both gently move excess fluids to reduce swelling, activate the lymphatic system, and boost blood flow. In short, you’re sending fresh nutrients to the skin to lower inflammation levels and aging.
Resource: Check out this post on the lymphatic system to support your body’s natural detox system.
Hack #9: Breath Awareness
Your breath is a powerful tool in preventing premature aging. How? It resets your body to function at its highest capability. Proper breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system – calming anxiety, stress, and fear.
For example, nose breathing is far more effective than mouth breathing. It delivers more oxygen to your body. And it can physically change the structure of your face, diminishing premature aging. When your body has more oxygen, it's better equipped to fight off inflammation.
Vagus nerve exercises calm the mind + body to reduce inflammaging over time.
Resource: Check out this post on mouth taping. It explains how breathwork affects both the structure of your face + the health of your skin.
Hack #10: Hydration
It’s no secret that hydration is a powerful tool for health. Without proper hydration, your entire body suffers. Hydration is an easy way to keep inflammaging of the skin at bay. After all, many signs of aging are ultimately tied to dehydration.
The best ways to up your hydration game:
- Gel water foods – foods like melons, cucumbers, and ground chia seeds are dense with hydrogen molecules your body can easily absorb. This makes it more efficient for your body than regular water.
- Electrolytes – gain energy without a crash. And restore critical mineral depletions most people struggle with. (We love LMNT.)
- Hot lemon water – helps aid digestion. Also contains antioxidant properties + vitamin C to reduce the effects of premature aging. It’s even said that lemon has anti-inflammatory effects on your body.7,8
Resource: Check out this post on hydration to learn more about the power of hydration.
Feel + Look Your Best
When it comes to aging, we don't adhere to culture's typical (aka negative) POV. We believe that everything is repairable – including inflammaging – when we give our body what it needs to thrive. When you focus on decreasing inflammation in the skin, there’s a powerful ripple effect. You'll see longevity, vitality, and vibrancy take hold.
On that note: the goal is not to try to recreate your 20yr old self at 55 – that’s not realistic – or helpful. But you can still feel strong and vibrant and have beautiful skin no matter your age.
Our bodies are self-healing organisms.
Let’s support our bodies to do their best work – naturally. ;)
XO
Sources:
- National Library of Medicine | The Effects of Grounding (Earthing) On Inflammation, the Immune Response, Wound Healing, and Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases
- National Library of Medicine | Human Skin Microbiome: Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Skin Microbiota
- National Library of Medicine | Alcohol and Gut-Derived Inflammation
- National Library of Medicine | A Review and Novel Theoretical Model of How Negative Emotions Influence Inflammation: The Critical Role of Emotion Regulation
- Inflammation and Exercise: Inhibition of Monocytic Intracellular Tnf Production by Acute Exercise via β2-Adrenergic Activation
- Well Being Journal | Rebounding: Good for the Lymph System
- Cleveland Clinic | 7 Reasons to Start Your Day With Lemon Water
- Medical News Today | Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water
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