Wrinkles
What woman hasn't heard someone say that wrinkles make men look wise and
distinguished, and make women just look old. As today's baby boomers approach
middle age, cosmetic sales are soaring. The most prevalent attitude toward aging
today is, "age gracefully by fighting it every step of the way." Most bathroom
cabinets are chuck full of jars, potions, elixirs and chemical peels designed to fool
Mother Nature. Alas, wrinkles usually always prevail.
Unfortunately, wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process despite our
obsession with somehow obliterating them. They develop due to the gradual
wearing away of the outermost layer of skin called the epidermis, which is comprised
of dead tissue. This skin is replaced by more dead tissue that comes from the lining
base. Wrinkles are permanent features of aging skin because they originate from the
dermis, which is deeper than the epidermis.
After the age of 25, the cells in the dermis begin to die off and become smaller.
Skin begins to lose some of its elasticity and resiliency. Any shrinkage of tissue in
the dermis causes a wrinkle in the epidermis. The dermis becomes stiffer as we age.
The more the dermis is stretched, the greater the risk for developing wrinkles.
Because the face and its muscles are so active, it can be the site of significant
wrinkling.
Contrary to popular belief, wrinkles are not caused by dehydration or dry skin.
Frowning and squinting; however, do cause wrinkling by constantly stretching the
dermis. Other factors associated with an increased risk for wrinkling are
smoking,
radiation damage from sun exposure, scrubbing the skin with caustic or harsh
substances, sleeping on your side or stomach, a lack of vitamins and minerals, and
drinking alcohol.
Supplements and herbs
A diet high in saturated fats has been linked to the development of dry skin. Eat
a low fat high fiber diet. Use polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils. Add
essential fatty acids to your diet through OMEGA 3 oils. Good oils include
safflower,
sunflower, corn, sesame, pumpkin seed,
olive, canola,
flaxseed,
almond
and hazelnut. Avoid shortening, animal fats, hydrogenated oil and
coconut oil.
Eat a diet high in raw fruits and vegetables, lean meats, low fat dairy products,
whole grains and drink plenty of pure water.
B complex vitamins: Essential for healthy skin. Cracks and lines that form around
the lips can be a sign of a B vitamin deficiency. The B vitamins found in chicken,
eggs and whole wheat can help to promote healthy, young looking skin.
Vitamin A and
beta-carotene: Antioxidants which can minimize cell damage.
Very dry skin can be one of the first indications of a
vitamin A deficiency. In
some cases, applying cod liver oil, which is very rich in vitamin A, to very dry
areas of skin can bring more relief than commercial lotions. Eat plenty of
carrots,
sweet potatoes, and tomatoes to supply vitamin A. Supplements are also
recommended in safe dosages. Eating plenty of green leafy vegetables, carrots
and fresh fruits helps to promote and maintain healthy skin.
Vitamin C: Helps to repair connective tissue, which comprises the dermis layer
of the skin.
Vitamin E: Helps to decrease scarring and aids in skin repair. It is also good for
relieving dry, rough skin. Vitamin E can be directly applied to the skin. Often
commercial preparations which contain vitamin E do not have rich enough
concentrations of the vitamin to achieve good results. Open a capsule of the
vitamin or use wheat germ oil directly.
Honey facials can help to make the skin soft and supple. Smooth pure, raw
honey on the face and let it stay for 15 minutes. Then rinse off with cool water
and a washcloth.
Dried peppermint leaf tea (1 pint) strained and added to a pint of apple cider
vinegar makes for a wonderful facial rinse that is recommended for dry skin.
Diluted myrrh extract is considered a good herbal skin conditioner.
Jojoba oil: used for generations by the American Indians to condition skin and
improve its quality. It has a similar structure to natural sebum found in the skin.
Redmond clay: A traditional herbal treatment for toning the skin.
Aloe vera: Helps to heal cell damage to the skin and can be used in gel or lotion form.
Irish moss,
marshmallow and comfrey are emollient herbs which help to soothe
and lubricate dry skin. They can be used in strained tea form as rinses, wet
compresses or used in a facial mist machine.
Marigold,
lady's mantle and
witch hazel are considered natural astringents which
can tone and refresh the skin. They can be used in tea form as a rinse or sprayed
on with a fine mist atomizer.
Elderflowers,
violet,
yarrow and
chamomile make good herbal cleansers.
Lavender and
thyme are antiseptic herbs that stimulate the skin.
Herbal creams and ointments that contain marigold, comfrey, marshmallow,
peppermint oil and olive oil are also recommended for good skin repair.
Aromatherapy
To minimize the appearance of wrinkles and help prevent new ones a
skin-nourishing face oil is suggested. To prepare it, add one drop of
rose and two drops of ever last
(sometimes called immortelle or helichrysum)
essential oils to one ounce of rose
hip seed essential oil. Store the mixture in a dark glass bottle and apply it
every morning, immediately after cleansing. This blend smells great and keeps
skin hydrated.
Additional things you may do
- Avoid sun exposure. Cells from young skin that have been exposed to too much
sun look the same as cells that are old and have naturally wrinkled. Unprotected
sun exposure can unquestionably cause premature aging. The midday sun is the
most damaging. Avoid direct exposure between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00
p.m. Use strong sunscreens with a high SPF if you must be in the sun. Apply
these 30 minutes before exposure and reapply after swimming. Highly reflective
surfaces such as water, sand, and concrete can cause considerable sun damage by
intensifying its effect on skin cells.
- Tanning booths can contribute to skin damage just as much as sunshine.
- Use a good moisturizer daily. While moisturizing your skin will not stop wrinkles
from forming, it can significantly improve the texture of the skin, making it
appear smoother.
- Whipping up egg whites into a meringue like texture, applying it to your face for
30 minutes, and then rinsing can help to temporarily tighten the skin. The effect
only lasts for an hour or two.
- Use mild soaps and cleansers that will not dry out or remove oils that help to
keep the skin supple and well nourished. Soaps such as Neutrogena are gentle
enough not to disrupt the normal balance of the skin.
- Train yourself to sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side or stomach can create
a number of unnatural creases on the face. Bunching up your pillow and nestling
your face in it can scrunch up facial tissue and create lines.
- Don't smoke: Smokers have significantly more wrinkles than nonsmokers and
age faster. Smoking decreases the body's oxygen supply, which can contribute to
reduced blood circulation to the face, which causes more epidermal damage. The
very act of smoking causes the face to contract in various ways, which may also
contribute to the formation of creases and lines.
- Don't drink alcohol: Drinking can cause facial swelling, which stretches the
skin, thereby causing wrinkling. Alcohol can also rob your body of essential
nutrients which promote healthy cell function in the skin.
- Wear hats and sunglasses to prevent squinting, frowning and sun damage.
- Use a humidifier in your home if you live in an arid climate. While moisture will
not prevent or cure wrinkles, it can minimize their notice ability.
- Treat yourself to facial massages, which increase circulation and stimulation.
- Keep yourself at an optimal weight. Becoming overweight and then losing fat
can create sagging, wrinkled skin.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise can increase circulation to skin cells and improve
overall oxygenation. People who exercise routinely have better overall elasticity
and density to their; skin. Exercise also gives skin a healthy glow.
- Manage stress through relaxation techniques. People under tension frown a lot
and develop unattractive ridges and furrows. Laugh lines are unquestionably
preferable.
- The shoulder stand and mudra practices in yoga are recommended for wrinkle
control.
- Often highly priced wrinkle creams are not what they're touted to be. Before you
spend a fortune, do a little homework and compare ingredients and percentages
of chemical substances in a number of brands. Often the price tag reflects on the
brand name rather than its contents.
Other beneficial herbs
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