There’s more to aging than creams and serums. Understanding how your skin ages can help you become better prepared for the years to come: You’ll learn how to tailor your skincare routine to successfully target each type of aging.

Inevitable intrinsic aging

What it means: It’s the kind of aging that normally comes to mind when you think about getting older — wrinkles, loss of moisture and dull, sagging skin with more pronounced imperfections.

“What happened to my perfectly plump cheeks?” you might ask yourself. Well, you can thank two main contributors for your newfound thinness: the loss of subcutaneous fat underneath the dermis and epidermis — which previously provided skin with fullness — and menopause. Less estrogen (and the reduction in oil and sweat glands) also means more dryness.

Stay tuned for more on how you can treat intrinsic aging and see a resurgence in the appearance of your skin.