Anti Wrinkle Creams
« Previous EntriesThe Best Anti Aging Serum – Searching for a Fountain of Youth
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009The world has searched for an anti aging serum throughout recorded history. But, the proverbial fountain of youth has been elusive. Perhaps, we were simply looking in the wrong places.
Judging by the latest research, the secrets to health, longevity and good looks are found in the foods that we eat. If we eat the right foods, we can expect to live long, healthy lives and look younger than our peers.
If we eat the wrong foods, we can expect to have a variety of health problems and develop wrinkles at an early age. The popular theories about the causes of wrinkles, including habitual facial expressions and genetics, may be incorrect.
According to scientists, free radical damage causes the majority of wrinkles and other signs of age. Chronic inflammation and glycation play a role, as well. Only a very small percentage of wrinkles and other outward signs of age are related to facial expressions and only a very small percent are related to genetics.
We don’t know exactly how the percentages break down. Science has not gone that far, yet. But, it really doesn’t matter. We know enough to create an effective anti aging serum.
When it comes to the health of the whole body, the three big causes of age-related diseases are the same as the three that cause most wrinkles:
- Free Radical Damage
- Chronic Inflammation
- Glycation
The body’s natural defense against free radical damage is the antioxidant. We create some of them within the cells of our body. Others are consumed through the foods that we eat.
Some foods have natural anti-inflammatory activity. Others contribute to chronic inflammation. Certain foods are the causes of the glycation process that ends with the creation of Advanced Glycation End-products or AGEs.
An anti aging serum can address all of these things. For inner health, a good multi-nutritional supplement is necessary. For the health and appearance of the outer body, nourishing skincare products are necessary.
Eating a healthy diet and being physically active are also important. Advice about all of those things cannot be included in an article of this length. So, let’s stick with the skincare products.
First, of all, you should never use anything on the outside of your body that you would not take internally. So, when you see warning labels about the poisons, allergens and irritants, don’t buy those products. They are simply not worth the risk.
The best anti aging serum will contain antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories. It will also contain ingredients that stimulate the production of antioxidants within the skin’s cells.
It is not possible to address the issue of glycation from the outside in. It would be worth your while to learn more about the foods to avoid, because they contribute to the production of AGEs.
But, when it comes to getting rid of wrinkles or preventing them from forming in the first place, the proverbial fountain of youth may have been found in a bioactive protein called Functional Keratin. If you want the most effective anti aging serum for your face and body, you should look for that ingredient.
Anti Wrinkle Creams Have Come a Long Way
Friday, November 20th, 2009
Shopping for anti wrinkle creams can be very confusing. You see manufacturers making lots of claims. But, how can you be sure that the claims are honest?
Well, there’s been a lot of scientific research on reducing wrinkles. Not as much as there has been concerning health problems like cancer, but still a significant amount.
The better manufacturers are aware of the research. You can confirm their products’ claims by doing a little online research. The information in this article should help with that.
Research indicates that the causes of wrinkles and sagging skin are several. The primary cause is free radical damage. Combine that with decreased production of new cells and fibers, low levels of hyaluronic acid and chronic inflammation, what you will have is a recipe for an aged look. Luckily, those factors can be addressed with the right ingredients.
Several studies have shown that the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 is effective when applied topically. The most effective form of COQ10 for the skin’s health is one in which the molecules have been reduced in size.
So, when you are shopping for anti wrinkle creams read the label of ingredients and look for the nano-emulsion form of COQ10. It works best when combined with vitamin E, another antioxidant that has been used for decades to improve the skin’s health and appearance in many ways.
If you want to see the biggest improvement, it’s probably a good idea to increase your antioxidant intake as well. Dietary supplements containing coenzyme Q10, vitamin E and green tea extracts are among the many that have been studied for their “anti-aging” effects.
Antioxidants neutralize free radical molecules before they can damage the cells or the cellular DNA. We are starting to see more and more anti wrinkle creams containing antioxidants. But, now, there is also an ingredient that increases the production of antioxidants within the skin’s cells.
A bioactive form of the protein keratin, one of the skin’s important structural proteins, is now available. For many years, it was impossible to include keratin in a lotion or cream without rendering it inactive. The processes necessary to soften it were too harsh.
A New Zealand manufacturer was able to extract keratin from sheep’s wool and process it gently, without rendering it inactive. The company is called KERATEC and the ingredient is called Functional Keratin.
It was created using patented processes, but it’s still a natural product. So, supplies are limited. Only a few companies make anti wrinkle creams containing Functional Keratin.
Research showed that the bioactive protein stimulates the production of new skin cells and the production of two important antioxidants. One is called superoxide dismutase or SOD. The other is called glutathione. Increased production of those antioxidants should help fade age spots caused by overexposure to sunlight and the free radical damage caused by UV radiation.
Functional Keratin has the ability to do many other things that you might want to learn about. It should be a primary ingredient in all anti wrinkle creams.
Skin Firming Methods – Plastic Surgery or Creams?
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Skin firming can be done through plastic surgery, the use of injectable fillers or with nourishing creams and lotions, if they contain the right ingredients. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the alternatives for firmer, younger looking skin. Here’s a look at them.
Plastic surgery is rarely used these days. In the old days, we called them face lifts. They worked by pulling the skin tight, sometimes to the point where people were unrecognizable.
Today, it is the injectable fillers that have center stage. Basically, they work by fattening up the skin’s deeper layers, which has the effect of stretching them out. Women (and men) that have the procedures done appear to have gained weight, but only on their faces. Obviously it’s not a natural look.
The fillers available include hyaluronic acid and collagen. There are also a couple of synthetic fillers that I’ll get to in a moment. First let’s look at hyaluronic acid.
Although it is a natural component of the skin’s outer layers, it is not found in the deep layers into which it is injected. Because of that, it is prone to “clump” when injected. Hard spots or bumps sometimes form at the sight of injection and do not fade over time.
Skin firming injections containing hyaluronic acid, will cost between $600 and $1000. Results are not guaranteed. If the bumps form or if your face looks too puffy, you can return to the doctor to have an enzyme (hyaluronidaise) injected that dissolves the hyaluronic acid. But, your doctor is likely to charge extra for that. So, ultimately it could be a waste of money.
A low level of hyaluronic acid on the skin’s surface is one of the reasons for lost firmness. Creams on the market contain it, but are only semi-effective.
Hyaluronic acid levels are low because of hyaluronidaise. Creams containing wakame kelp inhibit hyaluronidaise, which allows levels of hyaluronic acid to increase. That provides skin firming with no unwanted side effects.
Collagen shots cost less than hyaluronic acid. The potential side effects are the same and the results are not long lasting.
The synthetic fillers are supposed to stimulate the body’s production of collagen, the protein that makes up the skin’s elastic fibers. The production of collagen naturally decreases with age. So, anything that we can do to get production going again is a good thing. It’s just that topically applied skin firming creams are safer, cost less and may be more effective than an injectable.
Research has shown that some topically applied ingredients stimulate the production of new cells and collagen fibers. Others repair sun damage and reverse wrinkles. The prices vary, of course. A designer label product will cost two or three times more than other creams that contain exactly the same ingredients.
Ultimately, your best choice is to give the creams a try. If you are unhappy with the results, save your pennies and get a skin firming injection. Just remember that many people are unhappy with the results.