Understanding Anti-Ageing Supplements

Anti-ageing supplements are a sure bet when it comes to assisting in ageing gracefully. Apart from common-sense practices (healthy living), anti-ageing supplements can bridge the gap between the lack of nutrients found in our foods and your body’s necessity for vital nutrients that aid in key anti-ageing mechanisms performing optimally. With the onslaught of modern living, fast-paced lifestyles, processed foods and toxic environments your body is under huge strain trying to expel, regenerate and perform even the most basic of processes. When the body has to make a choice between keeping you alive or keeping you youthful - you know where its priority will first and foremost lie.

For the vast majority of the population living modern, city lives, anti-ageing supplements are an easy and convenient choice to add into your daily routine. From the age of 30 onwards your body will start to steadily age with key markers being your skin, internal body movement and pain, along with cognitive decline and lower energy levels.  

How do anti-ageing supplements actually work?

Good quality, decent anti-ageing supplements will target the main areas of ageing, as mentioned above, which include skin, internal organs, joints and tendons, brain health, endocrine system (hormones), digestive health and stress & sleep management.

Anti-ageing supplements assist in giving back the essential vitamins, minerals, compounds and “food” in key quantities and formulas that aid the body in certain biochemical processes that ultimately can reverse, improve, slow-down and manage ageing in the body. 

It’s important to know that the body works as a whole and a holistic approach to anti-ageing needs to be adopted in order to successfully tackle this issue. Supplements are only one part of the puzzle. Adopting a strict healthy lifestyle is key with supplements as your ultimate secret weapon.

Types of anti-ageing supplements

Direct

These include supplements that have been formulated to directly target key ageing markers and issues and have key ingredients either as a single potent ingredient or extract, or a blend of targeted ingredients created in specific and unique quantities that work together as a whole to target the area of concern.

Indirect

Indirect, general supplements can also be utilised as a blanket approach for health boosting or maintenance protocols. For example, Vitamin C is critical in your body’s natural collagen synthesis, however most of the population take this as a supplement for many reasons including immune aid and general wellbeing. Indirectly, supplementing with a good quality multivitamin will inevitably aid in general health which supports your body in its daily functioning. This daily support naturally helps the body to reduce stress and aid in anti-ageing processes.

Types of anti-ageing products

It can be highly daunting to choose anti-ageing products as this market category is totally saturated and inundated with everything under the sun - from pills, to powders to creams and even ancient herbal remedies. Most people end up opting for something within their budget and  whether it can easily fit into their daily lifestyle. Although this seems like the most sensible route to take, especially if you are uneducated or ignorant in this field and simply wish for a quick solution that doesn’t break the bank, in the long run it is far more frugal and fruitful to take some time to research brands and ingredients as one thing is absolutely clear - NOT ALL SUPPLEMENTS and PRODUCTS are created equal. 

Vitamins and minerals

Readily available and the highest selling category within the supplement arena - general vitamins and minerals are a dime a dozen. Always remember it is better to eat your vitamins and minerals than to supplement, however, unless you have access to consume organically farmed fruit, vegetables and meat, then a good quality supplement might be a better option. Always opt for high bioavailability.

Dietary supplements

Your body will always absorb and utilise macro and micronutrients far better if these are consumed as a food source. The closer the ‘supplement’ is to actual food, the better. 

Creams and serums

Probably the most difficult of the anti-ageing product selections out there as this area of concern is totally different from one person to the next. Most people choose with their budget in mind and unfortunately this is one category where cheap is really and truly nasty! With the thousands of skin brands available a good rule of thumb if you are uncertain of where to begin, is to start with the most natural brands and work your way to the more scientific, salon-pro and medical brands. 

Tools

Skin massaging tools are a wonderful and effective way to improve blood flow, increase circulation and assist with cellular renewal. There are many facial and body massage and dry brushing tools available that can assist in overall skin health and appearance, which in turn aids in reversing the signs of ageing.

Electronic home devices, such as galvanic machines and infrared massage units are all great additions to your beauty anti-ageing routine.

How to Choose the right anti-ageing product or supplement 

This is highly subjective and depends on your age, condition, budget and lifestyle. Budget aside, there are certain checks you need to tick for overall peace of mind and to ensure you are buying a quality product, regardless of the price. 

The ingredients

Natural extracts and lab-made ingredients can, and do complement each other. Billions of dollars worth of research goes into anti-ageing products annually and we are lucky to be living in an era where the science is on point. The best solution is to research the brand and / or product to satisfy yourself that the ingredients are top-notch and align into your own personal ethos.

Are they free of chemicals?

The majority of the mainstream brands and products will contain a small amount of real “goodness” or active ingredients and the rest will be filled with fillers to bulk up the product. This is very true for both ingestibles and topical products. 

Allergies

Certain common ingredients, especially in skincare, may cause an allergic reaction to sensitive skin.