Natural Solutions To Ageless Skin
Male and female,. Young and old, we all fight a never ending battle to keep our skin healthy and prevent the signs of aging. From moisturizing daily to getting botox in our twenties, many us go to great pains to make time stand still for our skin. Unfortunately, the ravages of the season, inevitable aspects of modern living and some of the unhealthy lifestyle choices we all make do little to aid us in our quest for younger, smoother looking skin. The trouble is that the beauty industry has a habit of bombarding us with pseudoscience to make us believe that healthy skin is something that can be bought in a bottle. While there are certainly some excellent products on the market that have proven anti-aging effects (which we’ll discuss shortly), the reality is that making the right lifestyle choices can be just as effective as buying the right products.
Get tough on the causes of skin aging
There are many different causes of skin aging (apart from getting older, obviously) and knowing them is half the battle. We can buy all the rejuvenating skin products on the shelf but it will amount to little if we indulge the bad habits that cause premature skin aging like:
Not drinking enough water
Drinking alcohol regularly
Using tanning booths
Using alcohol based perfumes and beauty products
Leading a sedentary lifestyle
Poor diet
The fountain of youth is in the gym
Few people are aware that aside from the obvious health and weight management benefits, regular exercise is also proven to have an anti aging effect on the skin. Studies carried out by Mcmaster University, Ontario showed that regular exercise stimulates the body to create substances that showed the signs of aging and that frequent exercisers over the age of 40 had more elasticity in their skin than sedentary counterparts in their 20s and 30s.
Retinol and why it works
While indiscriminately dousing your face with products can be counterproductive, the Retinol blog shows why the substance is effective in reducing the signs of aging. Retinol is a weaker version of tretinoin, a vitamin A derivative that has been proven for decades to be very effective in reversing the signs of aging; decreasing fine lines, evening out skin tone,tightening pores and improving overall texture by stimulating blood flow to the skin to enhance its natural collagen production. While retinol can be found in vitamin A rich foods like red meat, offal, eggs and dairy products, you’d have to eat way beyond a human being’s reasonable caloric intake to get the required amounts.
Diet is everything
In skincare, as in most things, you are what you eat. Subsisting on a diet of fatty, sugary and processed foods will do little good for your skin or your general health. Load up on these nutrient dense foods and your skin will start to look younger as you get healthier.
Nuts and seeds- These are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which will help your skin to retain moisture and stay full and firm. Pumpkin seeds in particular are also high in zinc which boost immune function and can quell outbreaks of spots or acne.
Leafy greens- There’s so much good in kale, bok choy and spinach but among their many nutritious properties is chlorophyll which will improve circulation to your skin, giving it a healthy glow and facilitating nutrient absorption by the skin.
Berries- These tiny tasty morsels are packed with antioxidants which can protect against the aging effects of sun damage.