Did you know your skin is actually an organ? And it’s the largest one in your body.
But unlike other organs, it is more exposed to the external environment. This level of exposure means your skin is susceptible to both intrinsic and extrinsic damage.
Such damage interferes with your skin’s elasticity and makes your skin age faster.
Aging skin is characterized by features including but not limited to wrinkling, laxity, rough texture, and loss of elasticity.
What Causes Loose, Saggy Skin?
If you’ve been in the wellness movement for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about collagen.
It’s one of the most abundant proteins found in the body and forms the support structure of tissues like:
- Muscles
- Tendons
- Ligaments
- blood vessels
- digestive tract
- Bones
- Skin
It is this protein that gives your skin the elasticity and strength needed to provide a mechanical barrier against the external environment.
Since collagen determines both strength and elasticity of the skin, it follows that the causes of loose, saggy skin are factors that interfere with the integrity and/or synthesis of collagen production.
Let’s look at 2 of the most common causes:
1. Aging is among the leading causes of loose, saggy skin
The aging process is influenced by several internal factors from hormones to metabolic processes and genetics.
External factors such as pollution, toxins, chronic exposure to sunlight, chemicals, and ionizing radiations are also known to accelerate the aging process.
It's important to realize that they don't affect the skin instantly - but over time. When skin eventually loses its elasticity, you experience the phenomenon of skin sagging.
Such factors that accelerate aging not only interfere with the integrity of collagen in the skin but also compromise the cellular turnover and cell cycle in the skin.
Specific elements such as sunlight increase the degradation of collagen, leading to a condition called solar elastosis. Such skin is then referred to as a photoaged skin.
2. Diet is often the culprit behind lost elasticity in the skin
For collagen synthesis to be complete, our bodies need vitamin C in sufficient amounts. And since we don’t synthesize vitamin C on our own, it’s up to us to consume adequate amounts of it in our diet.
If we don't, our skin will reap the consequences by aging before our time.
How Herbs Can Help Tighten Skin
Herbs can help tighten the skin in several ways. For instance, they can help increase collagen production by providing the necessary nutrients to do so.
Plus, most herbs are rich in polyphenols. These are antioxidants that help protect the skin from chemicals, toxins, radiation, and other external factors that ultimately lead to cell damage.
In this way, herbs can play an important role in preventing premature aging of the skin.
4 Best Herbs for Skin Elasticity
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Horsetail
Horsetail has a legendary reputation of being one of the oldest plants in the world. In the herbal community, it’s been branded – the ancient bone healer.
Its therapeutic shoots and hollow stems contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, silica and other nutrients.
But of all these nutrients, its beneficial effects on the skin are derived from its high silica content.
Its silica is easily absorbed by the body and helps to develop, strengthen, and maintain bones structures and teeth.
More importantly, silica helps restore the strength of loose connective tissue made of collagen. As such, it has a direct (and noticeable) effect on skin texture.
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Nettle
This ancient “skin mineralizer” is an excellent booster of collagen receptors. By activating and boosting these receptors, it increases the rate of collagen synthesis for a quick and beautiful impact on skin.
Some of its important constituents are minerals like calcium, sulfur, silica, and vitamins that are geared toward collagen synthesis in the skin.
Nettle is also a valuable herb because it acts a tonic for the immune system. Many people see great results by combining nettle with horsetail.
Nettle is also a powerful anti-inflammatory herb. And since many skin issues are rooted in inflammation, it’s helpful in this regard as well.
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Green Tea
Green tea is popular in the wellness community because it's loaded with polyphenols that are beneficial for managing several concerns.
Polyphenols are antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals, which of course, are among the leading causes of premature aging. So it’s understandable why there is so much anecdotal evidence behind green tea’s ability to improve both skin strength and elasticity.
But green tea is not just loved for its antioxidant effects. It is also an anti-inflammatory agent and a potent antimicrobial herb that nourishes the skin and prevents infection that may compromise its integrity.
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Rose Hips
Rosehips is a go-to for people with loose skin because of its high vitamin C levels.
As previously mentioned, exposure to sunlight is one of the primary causes of skin aging (aka photoaging.) Conveniently, vitamin C has remarkable photoprotective effects against ultra-violet radiation from the sun.
But vitamin C alone is not sufficient for optimal protection. Combining it with other products rich in vitamin E is beneficial.
Studies also show that Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis. Supplemental vitamin C has been shown to stabilize collagen at the gene level, thus increasing repair and maintenance of collagen in the skin.
Collagen is an essential protein involved in the integrity, strength, and elasticity of the skin. Herbs containing nutrients that encourage collagen synthesis present a helpful solution to combat skin that’s grown loose and saggy.
The most beneficial herbs for skin elasticity are those rich in silica, vitamin C, and other antioxidants to protect skin cells from damage. The higher the antioxidant content in a herb, the better it works as a tonic for the skin.
Try our Organic GLOW tincture - containing many of the ingredients just discussed - for strong, healthy skin, hair, and nails!