Here’s Why You Should Add Calcium to Your Skin Care Routine

When we think of calcium, we often think of a glass of milk or how the mineral helps our bones. In fact, you may think your daily intake of calcium is meant to come out of your food and drinks — benefiting your body’s bones by keeping them strong.

What is Calcium?

While the mineral calcium is well-known for its key role in bone and teeth health, with its anti-aging properties, it also plays an important role in your skin’s surface and cell turnover. Most calcium in your skin is found in its outermost layer. When you’re young, new skin cells are produced and replenished through the natural skin cycle. During that cycle, these skin cells travel to your skin’s surface and then die once they reach their destination (the surface of your skin). Dead skin cells collect on the skin and are typically removed with cleansing and exfoliating. As you age the surface cell renewal process, or creation of new skin cells will slow down. Calcium helps replenish those skin cells, which is what makes it a star ingredient in anti-aging.

What are the Benefits of Calcium?

Skin aging is associated with the thinning of your skin. Thinning skin is then vulnerable to visible drooping and an overall loss of skin integrity. It’s common to begin seeing visible thinning, sagging skin in your mid to late 50s, but some may experience it earlier — especially if sunscreen application was not a part of your regular skin care routine throughout your younger years.

You can regain the plumpness of a youthful-looking appearance by trying an anti-aging day or night cream formulated with calcium. This can help reinforce your skin’s natural resilience, keeping it looking more firm. Calcium may seem like an unexpected anti-aging ingredient, but it does many of the same things for your mature skin as it does for your body, keeping both skin and bones looking strong and better prepared to combat the common effects of aging.

Why Add Calcium to Your Skin Care Routine?

According to a study published in the Annals of Dermatology, calcium is essential in regulating your skin’s function (as in, it helps protect your skin from conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis). This means that calcium is an important part of your skin barrier as well. Your skin barrier can be irritated by internal factors like stress and dehydration or external factors like pollution and harsh ingredients, which can result in dry, loose skin that’s prone to fine lines and wrinkles.

Source: L'Oréal