WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH CLARKE,
INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST

Skincare devotees are talking about “inflammaging", but what does this beauty buzzword mean, and why are leading skincare experts and brands investing in the latest and most effective methods to reduce its impact?

Inflammaging has skyrocketed to the top of the beauty agenda since the term was coined twenty years ago. A portmanteau word combining inflammation and ageing, inflammaging describes the body's natural immune response to external aggressors that hasten the skin's ageing process by reducing collagen production and inhibiting the skin’s ability to renew and repair. Knowing how to treat the effects of inflammaging using the most efficient skincare ingredients is critical to maintaining good skin health and achieving a radiant and youthful glow.

What Is Inflammaging?

While everyone's skin naturally ages over time, inflammaging can occur at any age. It is our body's way of signalling stress triggered by lifestyle choices and factors, including smoking, pollution, sun damage, poor sleep habits, diet, or stress. 

When inflamagging impacts the skin's dermis (the thickest layer of the skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous layer), it damages skin cells and leads to a decrease in collagen, hyaluronic acid and other structural skin components, triggering conditions such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity, redness, swelling, dullness and pigmentation. In response, our immune system goes into overdrive, working extra hard to repair the skin barriers that rob the body’s systems of the optimal protection required to combat bacteria and viruses. 

How To Treat Inflammaging

Long-term, low-grade inflammation accelerates the visible signs of ageing. Prevention is always preferable to cure, and research focuses mainly on preventing or slowing down its process. Best results are achieved with considered daily lifestyle choices, starting with a balanced wholefood diet, 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night and regular exercise. For optimal skin health, skincare products formulated to tap into the body's innate ability to rejuvenate itself and prompt collagen and elastin production are critical for preserving a youthful and radiant complexion. 

Ingredients With Efficacy

As the visible signs of ageing are not dissimilar to the symptoms of inflammaging, adopting similar skincare protocols, such as cleansing, exfoliating, treatment serums, hydration, and sunscreen, are the most effective. 

Critical to each treatment is the inclusion of anti-inflammatory agents that reduce the production and activities of pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. small proteins that control the growth and activity of other immune system cells and blood cells). One of the most naturally occurring ingredients scientifically proven to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent is Indian sandalwood (Santalum album).

Sandalwood & Other Key Ingredients For Glowing Skin

Comprising powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-MMP, anti–tyrosinase, and antiproliferative properties, sandalwood has been a central and active ingredient for holistic and cosmetic applications for centuries for its ability to protect and heal the skin. Quintis is the global leader in the supply of premium, ethical, and sustainable Indian sandalwood that is 100% pure, natural oil distilled from Indian sandalwood heartwood and fully traceable from seed to oil.

If you're looking for an intense treatment formulated with sandalwood to target signs of inflammaging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation, and to protect collagen, look no further than About Time We Met's Naturally Brilliant Oil. Layer with The Glow Day Cream for the ultimate moisturising treatment and safeguard skin against environmental pollution and blue light. New clinical research published in Cosmetics Journal has reinforced that Indian sandalwood oil is a powerful antioxidant and offers protection against blue light damage, after 2021 cellular research found it to be more potent than lipophilic antioxidant vitamin E (alpha tocopherol

 La Roche Posay Retinol B3 Anti-Ageing Serum harnesses the benefits of B3, teaming it with retinol, which stimulates collagen to keep the skin's architecture firm while smoothing lines and wrinkles and refining skin for a more even-toned complexion.

Vitamins C and E can also provide antioxidants and protect the skin from environmental stressors, encourage collagen production, brighten the skin and lessen the effects of photoaging. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is high in both and ferulic acid, which helps boost their benefits. 

Evening is when the skin works hard to repair itself. Layer your serum with a hardworking night cream such as RéVive Moisturizing Renewal Cream Nightly Retexturizer, which gently resurfaces skin with glycolic acid and uses peptides to renew and brighten skin. About Time We Met's Restore Night Cream harnesses sandalwood oil to soothe and brighten skin, postbiotics to protect collagen and maintain skin elasticity and grapeseed oil to lock in moisture and strengthen the skin's barrier while you sleep. 

Protecting skin from daily UVA and UVB (the two types of ultraviolet radiation that contribute to premature ageing) is critical for preventing and worsening the visible signs of inflammaging. Brands like We Are Feel Good Inc. format clean, 50+ lightweight, moisturising sunscreens that are gentle and effective for sensitive and mature skin.

When tackling the effects of inflammaging, it's not so much about what you see in the mirror, but what is happening beneath the surface. A holistic, 360-degree approach to daily wellness and an effective skincare regime formulated with ingredients like Indian sandalwood are key to combating inflammaging and helping you feel more confident in your skin.