Generational Glow 

Aging is a fact of life, and while some researchers suggest that aging begins even before birth, as cellular damage can accumulate in parental germ cells or during conception, some believe it begins at birth.1 Others argue that aging begins at sexual maturity, as the body is no longer under evolutionary pressure to constantly regenerate. Despite the debate regarding inception of the again process, how it occurs and how it affects skin is much better understood. 

The two main types of aging are intrinsic aging, which is genetically determined, and extrinsic aging, which is caused by external factors. Intrinsic aging, also known as primary aging, is the natural aging process which everyone undergoes as a result of biological and genetic factors. Extrinsic aging is the type of aging caused by external factors such as lifestyle choices and environmental factors like pollution and ultraviolet exposure. 

Oxidative stress in skin plays a major role in the aging process. This is true for intrinsic aging and even more for extrinsic aging. Although the results are quite different in the dermis and epidermis, extrinsic aging is driven largely by oxidative stress caused by ultraviolet irradiation. Oxidative stress affects the epidermis by reducing the barrier function of aged skin, while the negative effects on the dermis lead to the appearance of wrinkles.2 

When and how skin ages can vary depending on the stage of life. A lot of research is focused on the aesthetics of aging skin; however, skin deterioration due to aging is more than a cosmetic issue. Recent advances show that the degenerative changes that occur in aging skin are increasingly understood at both the molecular and cellular level, facilitating a deeper understanding of the structural and functional deterioration that these changes produce.3 Treatments and products for skin should be catered to the stage in life, as well as the current state presented, or challenges being presented at that time. 

GEN Z PREVENTION & EDUCATION 

Teenage and early adulthood years can present a number of skin care challenges that require flexibility in care and treatment, as skin concerns often present during this time. Pubescent skin changes during puberty, a time when the body matures into adulthood. The release of hormones like testosterone and estrogen during puberty stimulates oil glands in skin, causing them to produce more oil. Mitigating oil control and addressing acneic skin can be two of the main challenges during this time. It is also important to avoid compromising the skin barrier while treating acne, which can lead to transepidermal water loss. 

Treatment Options 

Regular facials that deeply cleanse skin and incorporate gentle exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid) or beta hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) in low concentrations will support homecare. Skin care professionals can also incorporate LED blue light therapy. Research indicates that LED blue light therapy can be effective in treating mild-to-moderate acne, particularly inflammatory lesions, by targeting and killing the bacteria (C. acnes) responsible for breakouts, with studies showing a significant reduction in acne severity when using blue light treatments.4 

References  

1. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2025. “January 2010 – Volume 125 – Issue 1: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.” Lww.com. 2025. https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/abstract/2010/01000/. 

1. Diala Haykal, Foad Nahai, and Hugues Cartier. 2023. “Prejuvenation: The Global New Anti-Aging Trend.” Aesthetic Surgery Journal 5 (January). https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojad061. 

1. Diogo, Mara Lúcia Gonçalves, Thalita Molinos Campos, Elsa Susana Reis Fonseca, Christiane Pavani, Anna Carolina Ratto Tempestini Horliana, Kristianne Porta Santos Fernandes, Sandra Kalil Bussadori, et al. 2021. “Effect of Blue Light on Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review.” Sensors 21 (20): 6943. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21206943. 

1. Esposito, Christine. 2024. “Millennials, Gen Xers Not Following Safe Sun Habits: Infographic.” Happi. April 28, 2024. https://www.happi.com/library/millennials-gen-xers-not-following-safe-sun-habits-infographic/. 

1. Farage, Miranda A., Kenneth W. Miller, Peter Elsner, and Howard I. Maibach. 2013. “Characteristics of the Aging Skin.” Advances in Wound Care 2 (1): 5–10. https://doi.org/10.1089/wound.2011.0356. 

1. Iriarte, Christopher, Olabola Awosika, Monica Rengifo-Pardo, and Alison Ehrlich. 2017. “Review of Applications of Microneedling in Dermatology.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology Volume 10 (10): 289–98. https://doi.org/10.2147/ccid.s142450. 

1. Kinzina, Elvira D, Dmitriy I Podolskiy, Sergey V Dmitriev, and Vadim N Gladyshev. 2019. “Patterns of Aging Biomarkers, Mortality, and Damaging Mutations Illuminate the Beginning of Aging and Causes of Early-Life Mortality” 29 (13): 4276-4284.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.091. 

1. Korhonen, Veera. 2024. “U.S. Population Share by Generation.” Statista. July 5, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/296974/us-population-share-by-generation/. 

1. National Institute on Aging. 2017. “Skin Care and Aging.” National Institute on Aging. October 1, 2017. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/skin-care/skin-care-and-aging. 

1. Rinnerthaler, Mark, Johannes Bischof, Maria Streubel, Andrea Trost, and Klaus Richter. 2015. “Oxidative Stress in Aging Human Skin.” Biomolecules 5 (2): 545–89. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom5020545. 

1. Statista. 2022a. “Skincare: Shoppers Looking for Specific Ingredients 2022.” Statista. September 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334331/skincare-consumers-looking-for-specific-ingredients-us/. 

1. Statista. 2022b. “U.S.: Most Popular Skincare Products among Generations 2022.” Statista. September 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334315/most-popular-skin-care-products-in-the-us-by-generation/. 

1. Takemasa, Hiro. n.d. “Marketing to Baby Boomers Market Report – US – 2019.” Store.mintel.com. https://store.mintel.com/report/us-marketing-to-baby-boomers-market-report. 

1. Yadav, Savita, and Aashim Singh. 2016. “Microneedling: Advances and Widening Horizons.” Indian Dermatology Online Journal 7 (4): 244–54. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-5178.185468. 

1. Zhang, Hanlin, Keyun Tang, Yuchen Wang, Rouyu Fang, and Qiuning Sun. 2020. “Rosacea Treatment: Review and Update.” Dermatology and Therapy 11 (1): 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-020-00461-0 

Lila Castellanos has focused her energies into the beauty industry for the past 19 years, specializing in skin rejuvenation. As a licensed aesthetician, she has lent her expertise to working as a paramedical aesthetician in the medical spa field as well as in both day spa and mobile spa business models. It was through these varied experiences, along with the interactions with her loyal clientele, that she honed her passion for improving and maintaining the health and integrity of her clients’ skin. Castellanos thrives on being able to use her extensive knowledge to customize each treatment to help her clients achieve the results they are searching for, from antiaging facial and, treating acne to minimizing the appearance of scarring and addressing skin conditions that arise as a result of hormonal changes.