The Secrets to Youthful Skin

Most bathrooms have a shelf or two of lotions and potions which claim to keep us looking young and fresh. The way we look is big business - particularly in this day and age of photoshopped perfection online, on TV and in magazines. But what really helps our skin to stay firm and bright as we age? Can we really do anything to put a break on how old our skin looks?

Here, in a special addition to this evening's episode of the Tonight programme - Help Stop Me Ageing! - Dr Sean Lanigan, leading dermatologist and Medical Director of the SK:n clinic in Birmingham gives his top tips on the best way to keep wrinkles at bay.

The most ageing things for your skin, in order, are:

Sunburn: ultraviolet light ages the skin virtually more than anything else.

Smoking: not only do the chemicals in cigarette smoke damage tissue, smokers also screw their eyes up a lot so they get crow’s feet and lines around their upper lip.

Bad diet: too much sugar is thought to cause a reaction called glycation in our cells. This can affect the collagen in our skin, resulting in wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and accelerated ageing.

Too much alcohol: along with sugars in alcohol, drinking can also trigger rosacea, a chronic redness in the skin where blood vessels enlarge and produce more blood flow. Over time this can lead to a permanent enlargement of the blood vessels and visible thread veins on skin.

Lack of sleep: if we don’t get enough sleep, the body’s ability to heal, renew and eliminate toxins from the skin is reduced. The body can be more stressed, raising cortisol levels and increasing inflammation.

How to protect your skin - it's as easy as ABC...

Antioxidants - these are best ingested, rather than applied to the skin. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — damaging molecules produced when the body breaks down unhealthy food or is exposed to tobacco smoke. Top antioxidants include berries, leafy vegetables - the darker the colour the better - and green tea. Orange foods, like sweet potato, carrots and mango also contain an antioxidant called beta carotene. Beta carotene protects the proteins in our skin - making the skin smoother and fighting sun damage.

Block - the sun! Use high factor sun cream - even if it’s cloudy or you’re behind glass, and stay out of the midday sun.

Creams - while there isn’t research supporting claims about many ‘miracle’ anti-ageing creams - there is one ingredient that Dr Lanigan recommends. Look for face creams containing vitamin A, he says. Vitamin A, or retino acid, can actually slow down and improve the appearance of aging skin. However: a note of caution - in too high concentrations Vitamin A can irritate skin, and if the concentration is too low, it won’t have much of an effect.