Anti-aging is a bit of a misnomer and I’ve yet to meet anyone who has turned back the hands of time. However, as we age our skin becomes depleted of nourishment and hydration which leads to pre-mature skin aging. Antiaging skin care are formulated to renew and reclaim our youthful appearance.

Through a combination of hydration, protection with antioxidants, and anti wrinkle creams, lotions and moisturizers, those of us in the baby-boomer stage of life can add years to aging or damaged skin.

Antiaging skin care begins with several fundamentals we should all follow together with the use of effective skin care. Diet, fitness and health, together with maintaining proper hydration for healthy cell membranes and a bit of scientific “know-how”, allows us to look years younger, slow or halt pre-mature aging, improve suppleness and smoothness, and somewhat “turn back the hands of time”.

Keeping Your Skin Clean

As simple as this may sound, many skin problems result from lack of proper cleansing. Clogged pores can cause skin rashes, rosacea, blackheads and whiteheads, and prevent the proper irrigation of pores. Dermal layers require adequate moisture and circulation; and nutrition can be hampered without proper cleansing.

As part of a daily skin care regimen, using a facial cleanser in the morning and at night before bed is recommended. Avoid cleansers with harsh surfactants that may irritate the skin – this only worsens the problem and my offset gains from products formulated to treat or protect.

Oily or dry skin may need special attention, but a good, deep cleaning, removing makeup and pat drying are the first best steps towards protecting your skin from aging quicker than you would like.

Hydrating Your Skin

You have probably heard by now that our bodies are made-up in large part of water. Water is the primary component of skin cells, so it holds true that proper hydration is important. Moisture content directly effects healthy cell maturation and development, while improving circulation and delivery of nutrients.

Maintaining adequate levels of bodily fluids is a must. As the doctor says, drink plenty of fluids and avoid liquids high in caffeine and sugar. Caffeine is a diuretic that acts to deplete fluids and sugar is known to increase metabolism, both flushing nutrients and reducing fluid levels. It goes without saying diet and regular exercise and stopping smoking (if you do) are hugely helpful.

Anti-Aging Skin Care

Though anti aging covers a broad topic, to keep the conversation succinct and to focus on the most effective products, anti aging skin care can be categorized into a relatively small group:



Wrinkle Treatment

Antioxidants Skin Care

Age Spots

Dry Skin

Enlarged Pores

Body Firming

Spider Veins

Stretch Marks



 

Granted this is not an all encompassing list, but it covers many of the skin care issues we face as we age. Skin care is fundamentally developed to address symptoms, but effective products can remedy the causes as well. Let’s take a closer look at antiaging skin care and how it can help in our anti aging “quest”.

Wrinkle treatment comes primarily in the form of wrinkle creams formulated to reduce the density and depth of wrinkles. Many provide added hydration that acts to reinforce and provide nutrients to cell membranes – improving the skin’s health, while improving healthy cell rejuvenation.

Argireline and Matrixyl are two of the most commonly used active ingredients. These peptide compounds act similar to BOTOX in that they relax facial tissue – smoothing wrinkled skin and eliminating fine lines. Many are somewhat temporary in nature, though consistent use will aid to further prevent wrinkles.

Common in anti wrinkle eye and face cream, Argireline and Matrixyl are also effective for use on the neck (where my wrinkles started) and on the chest. Hyaluronic Acid is also useful in wrinkle treatment. Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies. It helps cells retain moisture and acts to plump and smooth. Used as an active ingredient in wrinkle creams, it has a cumulative effect in relaxing and smoothing wrinkles.

Antioxidants skin care should not be overlooked. Free-radicals produced from naturally occurring oxidization destroy cells – and are especially fond of skin cells. Antioxidants are common in many fruits and vegetables – in particular, Green Tea, Idebenone and coffee.

All three have found themselves as popular ingredients in anti aging skin care. Green Tea in particular is promoted in consumables (tea), moisturizers, and topical serum applications. Free-radicals, in a nut shell, lead to pre-mature skin aging and can be accelerated if you smoke or are over exposed to the sun. Using an antioxidant as part of your anti aging program is a great step in the right direction.

I turned 50 last year…mmm…I still feel 30, but I’ve started noticing some things on my skin that I only linked to my grandmother – age spots. As we age melanin pigment in our skin loses its ability to protect from sun damage, thus dark, brown or age spots appear.

Bleaching or skin whitening creams can be effective reducing the appearance of age spots, but should be used with care. Many whitening agents make skin sensitive – and sensitive to the sun. Also, use should be confined to the age spots themselves, unless used in light(er) formulations for overall skin lightening.

Dry skin is the hidden villain of aging. As we age our skin naturally loses moisture, the ability to retain hydration, and this leads to amplifying other skin problems such as, wrinkles, rashes, and psoriasis.

Using a night cream that moisturizes is the best advice. Avoid the sun, drink plenty of fluids, and attempt to eat fruits and raw vegetables if possible. As mentioned, many products utilize Hyaluronic Acid to aid moisture retention. Often found in face applications, it is also used successfully in body lotions and creams.

In the past couple of years, Emu Oil has also become a favorite in anti aging skin care. Emu Oil is known to penetrate into the dermis and subcutaneous skin layers and is super-moisturizer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties as well as being an antibacterial. It has carrier benefits allowing it to “carry” other anti aging ingredients deeper into the skin – improving their effectiveness. Like Hyaluronic Acid, it can be found in body lotions and creams for the eyes and face.

Enlarged pores create havoc on the face. A result of heredity, clogged pores, or excessive oils, enlarged pores accumulated dirt, oil and dead skin cells. Often they lead to rough skin, bacterial infections, blemishes, swelling and irritation, inflammation, or acne and rosacea.

Daily and effective cleansing usually helps reduce pore size and irrigates bacteria-laden pores. Light use of makeup or using mineral makeup that does not irritate the skin and cause inflammation is recommended.

Many skin care products use either Emu oil or Alpha Hydroxy crystals to clean bacteria and reduce pore size. Both are effective active ingredients and when used in concert, help clean and clear your complexion and make skin pores smaller.

Ah…if you’re still with me, there are just a few items to cover – but, they are the top-three on the countdown list. Let’s start by discussing body firming lotions. Again, I know you’re tired of hearing this, as we age our skin loses elasticity and elastin fiber production drops. So?…well, this causes loose skin.

Outside the more obvious causes of lack of exercise and diet, collagen production and elastin development diminishes. Combined with depleted hydration, you get a one-two punch for loose and sagging skin. To get skin tight, body firming lotions use a complex of ingredients that firm and tighten skin, improve hydration, and nourish for optimal cell reproduction.

Many body firming lotions use Collagen III, Emu Oil, a firming peptide complex, and nutrients and amino acids that act together to firm sagging skin. Particularly useful on the arms, stomach, neck, and legs, these lotions tighten skin while adding moisture.

Spider veins are generally the result of several common occurrences – weight gain, pregnancy, having work responsibilities that require you to be on your feet a lot, or often from sun exposure – especially facial spider veins.

Considered a result of damaged or weak veins and capillaries, spider veins occur when damaged valves allow blood flow to get in, but not get out. Weight gain and gravity complicate the problem and in some respects may contribute to the problem. Anti aging skin care focuses on two results.

One, healing or strengthening the vessel walls. There are several active ingredients considered useful in helping the vessels and restoring healthy walls, but Vitamin k is consider the most effective currently. Two, you can cover them up. Repairing spider veins usually requires a spider veins cream or a spider veins treatment.

In fact, I had several facial spider veins removed from below my eyes and at the top of my nose with laser treatment – the result of too many days in the Florida sun growing up, per my dermatologist. But, I have had great success using a cream enriched with Vitamin K and have experienced measurable and noticeable clearing since use.

But, back to covering them up. Many folks have begun using spray-on pantyhose (men and women) to add some tint and color to their legs as the warmer seasons approach. Many spray-ons are formulated to not run when wet or to give you a weird coloring. Often available in a variety of shades, they can be chosen to give you a hint of color that matches your body without being noticeable.

Finally, whew, stretch marks. Though not necessarily at the top of the anti aging list, they are a common problem that folks like to address, especially as they age and become more “aware” of their bodies or pass through the child-bearing age.

Stretch marks are often result from childbirth, pregnancy, weight loss and gain, and are common among body builders. Simply, stretch marks are just that, marks created when the skin stretches faster that the skin can keep-up. Elastin and collagen are not able to reproduce quickly enough to counteract the stretching and the result is scarred and torn tissue.

Underlying the obvious, stretch marks core issue is elasticity and hydration. There’s that word again. True, though. If you are experiencing weight gain or are pregnant, using a stretch mark cream developed to add moisture and hydration has been shown to significantly reduce or even prevent stretch marks. If you already have them, as the title of this article suggests, there are several options.

Again, a stretch marks and scar creams help increase collagen and elastin fiber production. If used with ingredients that stimulate healthy cell reproduction, consistent, disciplined use can often marks and scars.

An alternative is to use an in-home, soft light laser. Low-level lasers emit light waves in oscillations that have been shown to stimulate cell growth and increase circulation. Used for many applications such as scars, burns, sores, and blemishes, low level “soft light” lasers have been shown effective.

Anti aging is a goal we all have and can be effectively dealt with using anti aging skin care. The reduction or elimination of wrinkles, smoother, softer clear skin, protection with antioxidant products, a firmer, tighter body and the elimination or fading of spider veins and stretch marks is possible with the right skin care products.

Though it’s a lot to consider, a skin care regimen focused on cleansing, moisturizing, and treating will to give you substantial short-term and long-term benefits.

The signs of aging are usually first seen and most obvious on our skin, which is why anti-aging skin treatments have become practically a necessity for most people. While aging is a natural process that cannot be stopped, there are certainly ways of delaying it and you shouldn’t wait until you are 40 to start. Premature aging is the real problem for younger people, especially with increased negative elements in the environment speeding up the process.

Perhaps the most harmful of these are the UVA and UVB rays from the sun that can damage our skin cells. Aside from these, toxins from the air we breathe and the food we eat also cause unhealthy skin, as well as inadequate amounts of sleep and stress. But all of these are almost impossible to avoid, and can result in wrinkles, fine lines, impurities, pigmentation, roughness, dryness, and dehydration of our precious skin. So what to do?

Some of the solutions are quite obvious. To begin with, a proper diet is key to maintaining youthful skin. Most anti-aging diets recommend five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to get sufficient amounts of antioxidant nutrients. These antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E fight cell damage and can help delay the onset of skin aging.

Essential oils or fatty acids that are found in certain seeds and nuts are also vital elements of an anti-aging diet. Nutrients such as polyphenols found in grape seed and coenzyme Q10 found in peanut oil are some examples. Sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds are also good sources of anti-aging nutrients. It is recommended too that you eat more fish than meat if you want younger looking skin. Of course, you can always take oral antioxidant supplements to ensure you are getting enough anti-aging protection.

Aside from a nutritious diet, getting enough sleep and drinking lots of water are about the most practical ways to improve your skin’s health. Regular exercise and massage likewise help by stimulating our cells to rejuvenate. Sun protection is also as important, so make sure you are wearing SPF 15 at the very least when going out into the daylight.

Lastly, having the right skin care regimen can also do wonders. The first rule is: Don’t go to bed with your make-up on. Cleansing should always be the first step of your nightly anti-aging skin routine, followed by toning and applying the right moisturizer.

There are various products that are formulated to produce anti-aging effects. A lot of cleansers, moisturizers, and bath products are made from natural ingredients with antioxidant vitamins, essential oils, and collagen, which restores the skin’s elasticity. Alpha hydroxy acids and tretinoin are also ingredients that have been used as anti-aging skin treatments for years; while more and more beneficial substances are being included in the newer products.

Some of these include idebenone (an organic antioxidant), ceramides (lipids that replenish lost collagen), argireline (a combination of amino acids that has the same effects as botox), palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3, and kinetin (a substance that promotes cell regeneration and is a gentler alternative to tretinoin).

You can also choose to go really natural and whip up your own anti-aging skin treatments at home. Oatmeal, honey, egg whites, almonds, and milk are the most common and effective ingredients you can use.

The idea of beauty, grace, health and happiness are often associated with how we perceive ourselves and how other people view us. In defining beauty, many people still believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, what better situation is there that being able to confidently prove that we are indeed beautiful while at the same time, others also think the same way about us. The concept of beauty has long been connected to the idea of youth. Most of us believe that if we look younger, we look healthier, better, and more attractive. However, we also need to accept the fact that time does take a toll on us, especially on our skin and on our looks.

Even if there are times when we want to stop time so we will not age, we cannot do that. Time flows and so does our looks. One myth, though, is the belief that we can do nothing when it comes to challenging the effects of time. In the field of beauty, technology and innovation has equipped us with additional armor. We now have numerous anti-aging products that may not stop time but may definitely give us youthful skin and health.

The most common problems of men and women today is the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin discoloration, stretch marks and other impurities that changes our physical looks. Some people may have tried numerous products out in the market today and most of these people can attest to which anti-aging products are effective and which are not.

For anti-aging products and general skin care, Arbonne is one of the most heard names. Arbonne started in Switzerland in 1975. Arbonne’s products have been used by many in the past decades and the company had been proud of their skin care line based on natural and organic products. The company is known internationally and has distributors in many parts of the world. Arbonne offers different products for skin care and one of the company’s top sellers are anti-aging products.

For general skin care, it is important to choose a company which has been established in the market based on users and consumers feedback. Although the company history matter, the effectivity and efficiency of the products must be tested. Once tested, one can have the confidence is continuing the use of skin care products such as night and day creams, skin vitamins, sun protection products, cosmetics, anti aging treatments, toners, cleansers, and other skin formula. The secret to having great skin is the ability of these products to be effective and accessible to most. If a product claims to remove stretch marks, then it should. If it claims to create younger looking skin, then the product should do just that. The credibility factor is important for both anti-aging product lines and skin care companies.

With a wide variety of choices for anti-aging products, the great number of consumers are given more options to choose the best products for them. Accessibility to these anti-aging miracle formula aid in spreading the products themselves. Yet, we should choose carefully and critically especially when it involves our health and beauty.