MANILA, Philippines — When she was in her 20s, Anne Curtis never really thought about aging.
“But when you reach 31, parang I’m really seeing an (aging) effect…To be honest, I won’t deny it naman. Yes, (I’m seeing signs of aging). I’m 32 already,” the actress-TV host told Philstar.com in a recent press conference.
“Once you hit 30, your wrinkles start coming out. Yes, it’s happening. It’s part of the aging process.”
Since she is always under the sun when running and under bright studio lights with damaging ultraviolet rays, these can take a toll on her skin, she said.
“The production of collagen in our body weakens as we age, which can result to wrinkles, stretch marks and sagging skin,” the actress further explains in a video statement.
Collagen, according to dermatologist Dr. Anna Palabyab-Rufino, is the building block of protein that gives one baby skin. But due to pollution, stress, sun exposure and other toxins, the body’s capacity to produce collagen starts to deplete at age 30. By 40, collagen drops dramatically, leading to signs of aging such as wrinkles, skin sagging, skin drying and loss of energy, Rufino explained.
Although collagen can be found in one’s daily diet, such as fish and vegetables, these are not enough to compensate for what one loses as one ages, the doctor said.
Hence, Dr. Rufino advised even those in their 20s and 30s like Anne to do collagen banking, that is, to stack up as much collagen as possible so that when they reach their 40s, they would still look youthful. The doctor recommended following a collagen product's prescribed dose, although there are no side effects known associated by taking more than the recommended dose, except that it might cause one to produce more gas.
Having enough collagen in the body, said the doctor, goes skin-deep as collagen is also responsible for healthy hair, beautiful nails, and a higher level of energy and vitality.
"Experts refer to collagen as the new anti-aging product of the century...Collagen helps me in a way because I don’t always get a good night’s sleep,” shared Anne.
“For me, if you can, that’s the number one thing, get a good night’s sleep. But if you can’t, you have alternatives to get fresh in the morning. Make sure you remove all your makeup before you go to sleep. Have a good skincare regimen. Moisturizing is key. Except if you have pimples, do not moisturize because you’re only asking for more.”
While Anne has nothing against those who want to go under the knife to prevent aging, she prefers to do things the natural way. “I respect anyone who chooses to do other things to become still beautiful but I want to age as is.”
Thus, she makes sure to take her daily dose of Shiseido Collagen, which, according to her, takes pride of two patented ingredients – lingonberry and amla extracts – that are responsible for the rejuvenation of skin inside and out.
“It helps to have something like collagen. It will help you stay youthful every day. But as long as you’re happy and you’re content, and you learn how to take care of yourself, you’ll stay youthful pa rin!” assured the actress, encouraging everyone to fight aging, but not take it in a negative way.
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