Let’s face it, by the time you reach “a certain age,” you’re seeing that your skin has lots of “flaws:” You likely have dark spots, age spots, fine lines, deeper lines, and all sorts of bumps that leave your face, arms, hands and other body parts less lovely than you might ideally like. The good news is that skincare companies are now on trend with marketing campaigns that embrace “skinclusivity,” i.e., models and muses for their products that have less than “perfect” skin, including models with acne, discoloration, or the lines and wrinkles that come with aging. For example, the brand Tula Skincare uses a diverse array of models for their “#embraceyourskin” campaign, in which they promote “ageless” beauty with the slogan, “ageless is the new anti-aging.”

So with an eye toward ageless beauty, consider a few of the skin issues that arise as we age. Especially at this time of year, when much of our skin may be exposed to the sun, there’s the perennial problem of dark spots, especially on our hands and faces. Also known as hyperpigmentation, these spots reflect the production of too much melanin on your skin, due to sun exposure, scarring, hormonal changes, or other factors. There are both over-the-counter products, as well as prescription drugs and procedures that can lessen the appearance of these annoying spots. You’re always advised to seek consultation with a dermatologist just to be sure there’s nothing more sinister lurking in the area of such a spot, but chances are, it’s one of those “gifts” of aging that few of us avoid and some of us ignore. For ideas about how to help such a spot fade, pull out your magnifying mirror and click here.  You may also want to check out the recent post from Harvard Health that discusses the pros and cons of chemical peels as a way to eliminate such spots and slough off dead skin at the same time.

A recent post from Dr. Cynthia Cobb at Medical News Today addresses the process of obtaining “glowing” skin, which she equates with healthy-looking skin (though not “perfect” skin, for, as she states, “perfect skin is not attainable”). Recognizing that healthy skin may still have visible pores, fine lines, and wrinkles, as well as birthmarks and blemishes, Dr. Cobb reviews the factors that influence skin health (genetics, hormones, lifestyle, and environment, to name a few) as well as suggestions for simple, effective measures to improve your skin’s quality. Among the top recommendations? Sun protection, which New York Times writer Jane Brody recently admitted she was remiss in using and was now paying the price for. We’ve recently surveyed the skin cancer concerns that arise from too much sun exposure but it’s always good to be reminded about the damage that skin can endure, including those dark pigmentation spots mentioned above. 

The good news is that there are excellent sunscreens on the market (take a look at the 21 best sunscreens recently profiled by Allure magazine) as well as hand creams that do double duty as a moisturizer and sunblock (for example, try Deborah Lippman Rich Girl Hand Cream with SPF 25). Last year’s sunscreen is likely still up to the job, according to Consumer Reports, which found that a sunscreen less than 3 years old should continue to provide protection, even if it’s been opened. But if you’re looking for something new, and also, worried about the harm to coral reefs from washed off sunscreen in our oceans (this is actually a serious problem), then you need to know about new research just published in Nature Scientific Reports. Researchers at the University of Maryland recently discovered that Methylene Blue, a dye and medication previously used for its antimalarial properties during World War I and World War II, turns out to have excellent antioxidant properties and could be a fine chemical for UV sunblock to replace the oxybenzone currently being used in sunscreens- and harming our coral reefs. Moreover, when combined with Vitamin C, methylene blue appears to have amazing “anti-aging” effects on older skin. The result? Terrific sun protection, safety for coral, and better-looking skin to boot! In fact, there are now laboratories working on developing products with this combination. To find out more, put on your sun hat and click here and here.