What is Epigenetics?
How It Works and Affects Your Skin

Ever wondered how Epigenetics influences your skin and ageing? Learn how Epigenetic factors affect your skin health and how you can minimise their effects.

Read Time

5 min

In Short:

What is Epigenetics?
The Role of Epigenetic Factors in Skin Ageing
How Epigenetics Affects the Skin
How to Support Healthy Skin Taking Epigenetics into Account
Facts Overview
NIVEA Skin Care Routine:
A Youthful Appearance with the NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler Range For
Summary
FAQs

Understanding Epigenetics

What is
Epigenetics?

Epigenetics is the study of changes in how genes work without altering the DNA sequence itself. In simple terms, it’s about how your environment, lifestyle choices and even your skincare habits could influence how your genes express themselves. While your genetic make-up is set, Epigenetics is like a dial that controls the volume of gene expression, turning it up or down depending on several factors. These changes can have a significant impact on your skin health, ageing and overall appearance.

Understanding Epigenetics helps show why it’s so important for you to take care of your skin with good habits and the right skincare products.

The role of epigenetic factors in
Skin Ageing

As you age, your skin naturally undergoes changes, but Epigenetic factors can influence the speed and extent of these transformations. Environmental stressors like pollution, smoking and sun exposure can affect gene expression, leading to fine lines, wrinkles and a loss of elasticity. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition, quality sleep and a consistent skincare routine can help you preserve a youthful appearance.

Epigenetics shows that skin ageing is not solely determined by your DNA, it’s also shaped by your daily habits. By making mindful choices to protect and nourish your skin, you can help slow the ageing process and promote long-term skin health.

How epigenetics
Affects the Skin

Your skin is continuously exposed to environmental factors, which can affect its health and appearance. Epigenetics plays a crucial role in how your skin responds to these influences. It helps determine how well your skin can repair itself, combat inflammation and produce collagen. Epigenetic modifications can have numerous effects on the skin, but further studies are needed to confirm these effects and their mechanisms.

Examples of How Epigenetics Changes Could Affect the Skin:

1
UV exposure and skin ageing:
It’s well known that UV rays can induce oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, DNA damage and reduce immune responses. However, they can also trigger epigenetic changes. All these effects can accelerate skin ageing, leading to the appearance of wrinkles and brown spots, for example. Sun protection can help protect your skin from these changes and contribute to slowing down the process of premature skin ageing induced by UV rays.

2
Pollution and inflammation:
Pollution can cause inflammation and oxidative stress, which could lead to epigenetic changes resulting in increased collagen degradation. Regular cleansing and an intake of antioxidants could help protect your skin from some of these effects.

3
Diet and skin health:
Foods rich in antioxidants help to protect your skin from oxidative stress, while a poor diet can trigger inflammation and skin lesions. Oxidative stress and inflammation may promote epigenetic changes and skin ageing. A balanced diet can help you maintain healthy-looking skin.

4
Stress and skin sensitivity:
Chronic stress could activate certain genes that cause inflammation, which could lead to breakouts and dryness. Managing stress helps keep your skin calm and balanced.

5
Sleep and skin regeneration:
Insufficient sleep disrupts your skin’s natural repair processes, while 7–9 hours of quality sleep can help support cell regeneration and healing. Getting enough rest is essential for maintaining healthy-looking skin.

6
Exercise and collagen production:
Exercise boosts blood flow and activates genes that promote collagen production, helping your skin stay firm and elastic. As a result, regular exercise can support youthful-looking skin.

4 ways to support skin taking epigenetics into account

How to support healthy skin
Taking Epigenetics into Account?

To keep your skin looking healthy, it’s important to support the natural processes happening in your body. Here’s how you could improve the appearance of your skin by following a few general tips that could have an influence on epigenetic changes:

Eat a balanced diet:

Eating foods full of vitamins and antioxidants could help protect your skin and reduce stress on your cells by fighting free radicals that cause damage.

Get enough sleep:

Sleep is essential for skin repair. When you rest, your skin works hard to fix damage and refresh itself. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night to support this natural healing process and maintain healthy-looking, radiant skin.

half face of a young man, with cream under his left eye

Protect your skin from the sun:

UV rays can harm your skin over time, leading to wrinkles or sunburn. Wearing sunscreen helps protect your skin and keeps it safer from this damage.

a young woman holding a glass of water looking into the camera

Manage stress:

Stress could encourage breakouts or make signs of ageing show up faster. Relaxing with things like meditation or simply taking time for yourself helps keep your skin calm and clear.

Facts overview

Epigenetics

What is epigenetics: Epigenetics involves changes in gene activity that don’t alter the DNA sequence but affect how genes function, influencing traits like skin ageing.

Epigenetic factors: These are external and internal influences, like UV exposure, diet and stress, that affect gene activity and impact skin ageing and repair.

Can epigenetics be changed: Yes, lifestyle choices such as diet, sleep and stress management can influence gene expression and could therefore help slow down skin ageing and promote healthy skin.

How to support healthy skin through epigenetics: Adopting healthy habits, including eating antioxidant-rich foods, getting enough sleep and using protective skin care products could have a positive impact on gene expression and your skin’s appearance.

NIVEA
Skin Care Routine:

1. Cleansing:

Start with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser to remove dirt, oil and pollutants from the surface of your skin. Pollution and environmental toxins can trigger oxidative stress and inflammation, which could have a negative epigenetic effect on your skin, leading to premature ageing. Neglecting the cleansing stage could also encourage the appearance of imperfections. A good cleanser clears these impurities without disrupting the skin’s natural moisture barrier, ensuring that your skin is clean and ready to absorb the next steps in your routine.

Discover NIVEA’s range of cleansers, designed to suit all skin types. From gentle micellar waters to pore-refining cleansers, NIVEA offers a variety of products to cleanse and refresh your skin.

Explore NIVEA Face Cleansers

2. Toner:

After cleansing, use a toner to help restore your skin’s pH balance and ensure any remaining impurities are removed. Toners help refresh your skin and prepare it for the next steps in your skincare routine. Some toners contain ingredients like witch hazel, aloe vera or rose water, which have soothing properties.

Explore the NIVEA range of toners, formulated to balance and refresh your skin. Whether you’re looking to tighten pores, hydrate or revitalise, NIVEA offers a variety of toners to complement your skincare routine, leaving your skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

A smiling woman, holding up two products of NIVEA Epigenetics serum and Day Care Cream to her face.

3. Cellular Epigenetics Age Rewind Serum:

A high-performance serum is essential for targeting deeper skin concerns and enhancing renewal at a cellular level. The NIVEA Cellular Epigenetics Age Rewind Serum is expertly formulated with Epicellin, a revolutionary ingredient inspired by epigenetics, to help reactivate the youthful functions of skin cells. It also contains three types of hyaluronic acid to help lock in moisture and smooth out wrinkles. Designed to target the signs of ageing, this advanced formula acts on 10 visible signs of ageing, such as wrinkle volume, firmness and elasticity, for smoother, younger-looking, more radiant skin.

"There are different sizes of molecular hyaluronic acid which penetrate and add moisture to the skin at different levels, contributing to hydration, plumpness and wrinkle filling."
Dr Christiane Meyer, Head of R&D Face Category, Beiersdorf
Dr Cassandra Falckenhayn, Sr. Scientist Bioinformatics, Beiersdorf

4. Moisturiser:

Applying a moisturising cream helps to lock in moisture and maintain your skin barrier, helping to protect your skin from dehydration and environmental irritants.

Day creams help to lock in hydration, helping your skin to feel supple and supported throughout the day. The NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler Intensive Anti-Age Day Cream SPF 15 combines micro & macro hyaluronic acid and pure folic acid to fill wrinkles, smooth skin and enhance hydration. It works to help restore firmness and volume, giving your skin a plumper, more youthful look. Integrated SPF 15 combined with anti-UVA protection helps protect against UVA/UVB rays, helping to prevent premature skin ageing and UV-induced damage, while preserving your skin’s plumpness.

In the evening, swap to a night cream to intensely nourish your skin whilst you sleep. The NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler Intensive Anti-Age Night Care is designed to firm skin and reduce the signs of ageing while you sleep. Its formula combines ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and folic acid to support your skin’s natural cell renewal process overnight for a fresh, rested complexion when you wake up.

5. Sunscreen:

Daily sun protection is crucial for shielding your skin from harmful UV rays, which contribute to premature ageing and epigenetic changes. Regular use of sun protection can help protect your skin from short- and long-term damage caused by UV rays, helping to prevent the appearance of signs of ageing caused by the sun.

Explore the NIVEA range of sunscreens, designed to protect your skin from UV rays while keeping it hydrated. With options for all skin types, NIVEA sunscreens provide long-lasting protection, helping you maintain healthy-looking, comfortable skin in the sun.

NIVEA Face Sunscreens

A youthful appearance with the
NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler Range

The NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler Range is designed for anyone looking to support their skin’s natural renewal process and maintain a youthful appearance. It helps to nourish and smooth the skin, leaving it feeling firmer and more refreshed.

Formulated with carefully selected active ingredients—such as pure folic acid, micro & macro hyaluronic acid, bakuchiol and Epicelline—different products in the range feature unique combinations tailored to target specific signs of ageing and promote a rejuvenated appearance.

NIVEA Cellular Expert Filler Range

"From a personal perspective, I love using the NIVEA Epigenetics Rejuvenating Serum, the texture and feel on my skin is great and I find my skin looks more youthful with continued use. Please do give it a go!"
Dr Angela Tewari, Consultant Dermatologist MBBS BSc MRCP(UK) PhD(London)

Summary

Epigenetics is all about how the environment and your lifestyle choices influence how your genes work, especially when it comes to your skin. By making smart choices—like protecting your skin from the sun, eating well and using effective skincare products—you can help your skin to stay youthful and healthy. With a little effort, you can support your skin’s natural beauty by taking into account the factors that can influence epigenetics.