Chronic inflammation caused by sun, pollution, smoke and chemical exposure, alongside internal stressors like poor diet, lack of sleep and mental stress, all contribute to leaving the body in a constant state of inflammation – cue inflammaging.
The impact of inflammaging
“It’s an emerging area of science and research – but what we do know is that the accumulation of free radical damage caused by extrinsic and intrinsic factors leaves the skin unable to repair as well as it should. This leads to chronic skin conditions that exhaust the skins defensive and regenerative capacity, resulting in inflammaging,” explains Rick Woodin, Chief Scientist at ZO Skin Health.The likes of acne, eczema and psoriasis are well known inflammatory conditions, but inflammaging is a little more covert and undetectable – at least at first. “It’s a low-grade asymptomatic condition, so you don’t see a lot of redness,” shares Woodin. What you will see though over time is dehydration, sagging, uneven skin tone, and lines and wrinkles. This is because inflammaging impairs the protective barrier function, triggers pigmentation and leads to a loss of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.
“Through research we also learnt that the skin contains inflammasomes. These are immune system receptors and sensors that regulate the activation of caspase-1 and induce inflammation that’s been implicated in a host of inflammatory disorders,” adds Woodin.
The science behind the serum
Rather than shut down these inflammasomes, the aim is to stop them from becoming hyperactive – which is triggered when increased amounts of oxidants exceed the skin’s antioxidant defence system capacity. ZO Skin Health response to this, is the new supped up Daily Power Defense.Clinically studies show that thanks to advanced ZO technologies, namely the ZPOLY™ complex - this serum’s new formula it is able to offer a significant improvement in skin hydration, uniformity, radiance, and the depth of lines and wrinkles.
Exclusive to ZO, the ZPOLY™ complex is a plant-derived polysaccharide complex of brown seaweed extract, prickly pear stem cell extract, mushroom, and larch tree that provides powerful prevention by minimising the expression of Caspase 1, a key protein responsible for inflammaging. It also accelerates barrier repair to fortify skin against future external and internal stressors that cause premature ageing. As well as boosts hydration after a single application to immediately revive dehydrated and dull skin.
And it doesn’t end there, Vitamins A and E plus ZO-RRS2® - a combination of edelweiss, white horehound and meristem cell cultures – provide powerful antioxidant protection, neutralising oxidative stress and minimizing inflammation to prevent future skin damage. While enzyme extracts Micrococcus lysate, and arabidopsis thaliana enhance and shorten natural cellular repair to ensure optimum skin health, and an Omega-6 ceramide replenishes lipids and helps restore skin barrier function.
Made to be used both morning and night, this light serum that’s suitable for all skin types and tones is a major game changer in the fight against inflammaging – you heard it here first!