Tried & Tested Ways To Tighten Slackened Skin
If you feel like you need a bit of a facelift, you should know that the surgical route isn’t the only option. There are many products, skincare ingredients and techniques that can help tighten skin on both the face and the body.
We went straight to the experts and asked
What causes skin to loosen and slacken?
The primary cause is the loss of collagen. “As we age, we lose collagen, and this results in skin laxity or looseness of the skin. While ageing can contribute to collagen loss, other factors may also contribute, including UV exposure and environmental stressors,” says Dr Garshick.
McHale elaborates on this: “All of it comes down to a few key components in the skin. Sometimes, skin slackening occurs because of the production of collagen and elastin slowing down.”
It’s important to understand what’s causing your skin to slacken or sag before trying to treat it. That’s because how you treat it depends on the cause.
Targeted treatments to tighten skin
Cause: Stress and lifestyle
If you’re in the early stages of skin ageing, then you’re probably experiencing fibroblast damage due to stress and lifestyle-related decisions.
“A lot of people in their 30s are burning the candle at both ends,” says McHale. “You’ve got social lives, you may be working really hard to get to the peak of your career, maybe you’ve also got a family, a mortgage, etc. It seems to be the decade you do everything. And I think we can agree, it’s exhausting.”
She adds: “In that period, it’s free radicals that are going to be damaging the fibroblasts. Because they are produced by things like external aggressors like pollution, sun damage, bad diet, lack of sleep, etc,”
What skincare product should you use?
Plant extracts like the teasel in the
Cause: Collagen loss
In your late 30s to 40s, you may notice that your expression lines appear deeper – that’s because of collagen loss (technically, it starts declining from age 25).
“Here, you want to protect the production of fibroblasts, so that more of them reach maturity,” McHale explains.
What skincare product should you use?
Kangaroo flower extract helps reinforce the protective layer around groups of fibroblasts. “It also enhances the bonds between them,” explains McHale. “So, you’re more likely to have good collagen production for longer, therefore preventing skin slackening.” It’s the key ingredient in the
She adds: “Other ingredients such as peptides can help to firm and tighten the appearance of the skin. Peptides provide a signal to the body that healing or recovery needs to take place and this actually boosts natural collagen production, which helps tighten the skin.”
At Clarins, we developed an exquisite eye cream—infused with precious Moonlight Flower cryoextract and a trio of revitalising and replenishing anti-ageing peptides:
Cause: Hormonal changes
Hormonal changes start to play a part in skin slackening during the perimenopausal or menopausal stages. “The cause of skin slackening here is two-fold,” says McHale. “The massive drop in oestrogen affects the production of collagen and elastin, but it also affects the fibroblasts’ ability to hold on to collagen and elastin after it has produced it.”
What skincare product should you use?
Again, retinol is the ingredient for this. But you could also try harungana, its plant-based alternative that has been proven to synthesise collagen like retinol.
“To help the fibroblast really hold on to collagen, we pair harungana with organic gorse extract in the
Combining
Don't forget the area around your neck and décolleté. Take care of the area with love, supported with Super Restorative Décolleté and Neck Concentrate that immediately lifts the surface of the skin and smooths rough skin.
Cause: Post-menopausal skin
After menopause, skin tends to fluctuate less and remains stable. But the level of collagen and elastin has depleted. So, along with boosting collagen, we also need to rely on other solutions to make it appear plumper. You want to ensure the efficient flow of nutrients around the skin.
What skincare product should you use?
The plant extract duo of horse chestnut flower and escin is great for the micronutrient network. Plus, harungana will help continue the production of collagen. These are key ingredients in the
“In
Nutri-Lumiere Revive is a day cream, ideal for mature skin. The formula also contains Illuminating purple pearl pigments that help brighten up dull skin.
Bonus tip: “It is important to remember that regardless of what you use to address the tightening, always apply
How does skin slackening affect the skin on the body?
“While skin on the body can also experience a loss of collagen, some people may find they notice loose skin developing after the skin has stretched after having a baby or after losing weight,” explains Dr Garshick.
To combat this and tighten skin on the body, we like the
If you prefer an oil, try the
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