Rosemary, an essential oil for firming the skin?

Over time, the contours of the face become less defined and the skin increasingly slackened. One of the reasons for this loss of skin elasticity lies in the slowing down of the cellular renewal process. The fibroblasts located in the dermis become less active and produce less of collagen and elastin, two essential proteins for maintaining the firmness and elasticity of the skin. Over time, the amount of collagen fibres decreases by about 1% each year from the age of thirty, and this significant decrease accelerates during menopause, leading to a significant skin sagging (with a loss of about 30% in the first four years, then an average annual decrease of 2%). This effect can be accelerated by oxidative stress which produces free radicals attacking the collagen and elastin.

Exposure to UV rays can also promote skin sagging by activating metalloproteinases that degrade collagen. The presence of hyaluronic acid, one of the main components of the dermis's extracellular matrix, whose essential role is to maintain tissue hydration, becomes increasingly scarce. This gradual decrease contributes to the loss of tissue volume and, consequently, to skin sagging. Thus, the skin dehydrates, loses its radiance and firmness.