Age Spots
What to Look for in the Best Age Spot Removers
Monday, February 8th, 2010
The best age spot removers, in terms of effectiveness, are those that inhibit melanin production. Until recently, the only ingredient that provided that benefit was hydroquinone, a compound recently banned by the European Union because of a possible cancer risk. Thankfully, a safer ingredient has been found.
Many plants have medicinal qualities. They were, in fact, our first forms of medicine. Herbs, spices, fruits, nuts, tree bark and other botanicals were used to treat all kinds of diseases.
One of the plants used historically to relieve irritation and reduce inflammation is cyperus rotundus. The plant goes by many common names, including nut sedge or grass, purple nut sedge and coco-grass, but most people call it a weed. From what I have read, it is particularly difficult to control, as far as weeds go, because it is very resistant to herbicides.
An herbalist or traditional healer would pull up the plants to get at the tubers, which are something like roots, in that they grow underground. The tubers resemble nuts, which is the reason it has been called “nut grass”.
The best age spot remover on the market today contains extracts from the nut grass root, because recent studies have shown that it inhibits melanin production as much as hydroquinone, but without having any detrimental effects. As already mentioned, it is an anti-irritant.
The only disadvantage to melanin inhibitors is that they could lighten the surrounding area, too, which might not be desirable. For someone that wants a lighter complexion overall, daily lotions containing nut grass are a good choice. For someone that simply wants to even out their complexion, something like coenzyme Q10 might be enough.
Coenzyme Q10 does not inhibit melanin production, but the best age spot removers contain it, because it reverses sun damage. Ultimately, an age spot is sun damage. It really has very little to do with the natural aging process.
The natural aging process means that our bodies produce fewer elastic fibers and skin cells. There are ways to stimulate those processes, according to clinical studies, which could help increase the skin’s firmness and reduce wrinkles.
But, free radical damage is the primary cause of the outward signs of aging. We cannot prevent it entirely, but we can keep it to a minimum.
Free radical damage to the melanin producing cells causes them to produce melanin clumps, what we call age spots. Coenzyme Q10, as well as other antioxidants, has been shown to prevent and reverse free radical damage. So, that’s why the best age spot remover contains coenzyme Q10 and other antioxidants.
A really good lotion would contain compounds that stimulate the production of new cells and fibers, too. You may as well cover all of the bases whenever you can.
Remember to read the label of ingredients on any anti-aging products that you buy. If you are not familiar with the ingredient, do a little research and find out what it is. You may find that a lot of them have been banned in Europe. The US is a bit more lenient about cosmetics.
The best age spot removers can improve your appearance in a matter of weeks without increasing your risk of cancer or anything else. The worst ones…well they might cause health problems.
Extrapone Nutgrass for Skin Whitening and Age Spot Lightening
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009The subject of skin whitening has been somewhat controversial over the years. Bleaches and other solutions used to lighten or even out pigmentation have a bad reputation.
Today, there are some safe solutions, although the more hazardous ones are still on the market.
For those of you that are interested in lightening your complexion, here’s a look at what’s safe and what’s not. Let’s start with hydroquinone.
Hydroquinone has a long history of use. In ancient Persia, it was used by farmers and other workers, in its purest form. The goal was to keep the skin clear and soft.
But, now we know that skin whitening creams containing hydroquinone increase the individual’s risk of skin cancer, presumably by making the skin more sensitive to sunlight.
The skin’s tone, color, complexion or pigmentation, whatever you want to call it, is caused by melanin. Melanin is actually a hormone produced by specialized cells called melanocytes located in the dermis layer.
Sunlight stimulates melanin production. New cells being created by the skin’s stem cells, also located in the dermis layer, are injected with melanin. The darker cells work their way to the surface and after a few weeks, you start to see a tan. The tan protects the melanocytes and the stem cells from UV damage, which can eventually lead to skin cancer.
Skin whitening creams containing hydroquinone inhibit melanin production, but that also means that the deeper cells are more susceptible to UV radiation.
The use of hydroquinone has been banned in the European Union, because of a perceived cancer risk, but it is unclear if the cancer risk is caused by hydroquinone itself. The cancer risk could be due to continued exposure to sunlight, without the protective tan.
In other words, any skin whitening creams could be accompanied by a risk, if a person fails to protect themselves from UV rays of sun, either with clothing or an effective sun-block.
In the next paragraph, you will learn about a plant extract that is completely safe and non-irritating. But, as you use it, and after your complexion becomes lighter, you need to focus on sun protection, consistently.
One of the medicinal plants frequently use in Asia, India and Europe is thought of as a weed in many countries. The botanical name is cyperus rotundus, but it goes by many common names, including sedge grass and nut grass.
Its use for skin whitening is relatively new. But, researchers have shown that it inhibits melanin production by 41% at a .5% concentration. People that have tried it report a significant difference after only a few weeks of use.
It can be added to other anti-aging ingredients to provide additional benefits, such as reduced wrinkles and improved firmness. If those things are not problems for you now, the better anti-aging ingredients may help you avoid them in the future.
Today’s skin whitening creams are far less controversial, because they are used primarily by people that want to look younger, not just “whiter”.
To learn more about the natural skin whiteners and natural skincare products that the editors use and recommend visit the Xtend-Life website.