“It’s my life and I’ll do what I want!” You used to blast The Animal’s song at top notch in your youth. But now your delicate fifty-year-old skin is showing telltale signs of eye wrinkles, skin tightening and skin damage. Suddenly, many Americans are wishing they could go back in time and replace the baby oil beach days with sunscreen and shade-producing umbrellas. All those years of smoking didn’t help either, but a thirty year habit is hard to kick. The good news is that there is a plethora of anti aging skin care products on the market and you don’t have to be Demi Moore or George Clooney to be able to afford these products.
As we age, not only are we exposed to more cumulative sunlight, which is responsible for 90% of all skin changes, but there is a breakdown of DNA, collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and other supporting molecules in the dermis. Into our fifties, oil glands will secrete less frequently, and we’ll experience uncomfortable skin tightening, in addition to noticing lines and wrinkles. When shopping for anti aging skin products, don’t overlook the importance of a daily moisturizer. In fact, moisturizers can help restore the skin’s elasticity, easing wrinkles and creating softer, smoother skin. Ingredients like petrolatum, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and cyclomethicone encourage your skin’s water retention. Many dermatologists also recommend Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Cream, avoiding hot or frequent showers and substituting bar soap with a moisturizing body wash.
You may have also noticed a wrinkle reducer cream among the skin care products. These are generally comprised of cell damage reversing antioxidants like vitamin A (retinoids), B, C or E that are intended to neutralize free radicals and stimulate your body’s natural collagen production. As you know, collagen injections are a popular and relatively inexpensive way of bolstering your skin’s rejuvenation process. You can try Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Cream, Retinol or L’Oreal’s Line Eraser. Alpha Hydroxy Acids are a less potent first line defense against skin aging and Peptide products like StriVectin, Olay’s Regenerist Serum or Estée Lauder’s Perfectionist are cosmeceuticals that also stimulate natural collagen production.
Many people don’t think of diet when they’re browsing anti aging skin care products, but doctors suggest that the best way to stay young is to exercise and eat well. Drinking lots of water helps remove free radicals from the body and keeps rejuvenation processes regulated. As we age our blood sugar levels will fluctuate, causing mood swings and skin aging, but a low carb diet can help stabilize the system. Try substituting white bread, refined foods, cereals, sugar, white rice and potatoes with fruit, beans, vegetables, sourdough, multigrain bread, Japanese short grain rice, honey and sweet potatoes. New research suggests that fish seed and flax seed oil rid the body of free radicals in amazing ways. Also, doctors recommend that your diet contains no more than 10% saturated fat to ensure younger looking skin.
What does the future hold? Skin experts at Voss Laboratories claim that “stem cells” are the future of anti aging skin care products because they naturally awaken your body’s undifferentiated stem cells in a revolutionary way. “Cosmetic chemists around the globe are burning the midnight oil for one simple reason,” explains researcher Richard Wells, Ph.D. “As we age, stem-cell utilization for skin repair is less efficient. However, the potential that nature has given us to access these endogenous stem-cell reservoirs for skin rejuvenation is quite remarkable. That’s why science is seeking to activate the potential of our inherent adult stem-cell reservoirs. In so doing, the practical use of stem-cell technology can provide the consumer with a topical, anti-aging cosmetic formula that simply makes everyone look years younger.
