Archive for April, 2011
Anti Aging Creams that Work
The Health and Beauty market is full of products and anti aging creams that promise to improve skin and give a youthful appearance, erasing wrinkles, and overall making you look younger. It is a very profitable market and one that has a lot of competition between companies that manufacture this type of product. Every time a new ingredient is discovered or brought to light by scientific studies, manufacturers of anti aging products jump on it to include it on its beauty products and market it to the masses. With so many products around, and all the ingredients included, from chemicals to organic compounds, it is no wonder that the public may feel a bit confused about which anti aging product to buy. The truth is that there is not a right or wrong to answer this question. While there are many anti aging products that are manufactured to low standards and water down, there are also very good anti aging products being manufactured with pure ingredients and to high standards. In addition, every person is different, with different types of skin and skin conditions, and what works for someone might not work for another individual. So it is a matter to get educated in the most effective ingredients, scientific research and trying the anti aging creams that contain the most effective ingredients supported by scientific research in a most pure form. Pricing on these products will range from very inexpensive and affordable, but effective, to higher up in price. However, most people will be able to find an anti aging cream that works for them tailored to their budgets.
Some of the most important ingredients in anti aging creams include collagen, retinol, vitamin E, vitamin C, and herbs with anti aging properties. Collagen is found in our skin, and it what makes skin look supple, young, and firm. Some anti aging creams use peptides to increase the production of collagen in the skin, which is necessary to maintain this firm and youthful appearance. With these types of creams, an individual should start seeing results in four to twelve weeks of use. The problem is that most people, who do not see quick results, will stop using the product before the four weeks, rendering the product useless. With beauty aids, it is important to let the compounds do their work according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Another effective ingredient is argireline. This complex is supposed to mimic the effects of Botox, but without destroying the protein that is involved in the release of neurotransmitters, such as Botox does. This ingredient is included in creams and is for individuals who do not want to try injections. Another effective ingredient is the palmitoyl peptide, which helps in the increase of collagen in the skin. Many anti aging creams with this ingredient can be found in all price ranges.
Other ingredients that are effective include apple root extract, oxa acid, pomegranate juice, and a yeast complex known as saccharomyces/pichia petone. When looking for the right anti aging product people should focus on ingredient research and effectiveness, instead of name or brand. However, many reputable brands include the best anti aging ingredients.
Aging Gracefully Using Antioxidants
It seems that everyone is looking for the fountain of youth in beauty products, creams, serums, or worse yet – surgery. While aging is a natural part of life, the effects of aging can be minimized by making a few changes to your lifestyle that are not as costly or risky as some other methods. The secret to aging gracefully is perhaps found in ways that many people don’t even think of, such as the foods they eat.
You’ve heard it before that a healthy diet can do wonders for your body, but did you realize that it could actually help to fight the effects of aging? Fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals your body needs to function at its peak.
The effects of aging are more than just wrinkles and sagging skin. Brain function decreases and memory loss is incurred, as well as risk factors for diseases increase. Antioxidants are believed to be the key to unlocking longevity and avoiding disease. Phytonutrients are part of the family of antioxidants and work to rid the body of “free radicals”, which cause illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidants can literally slow the effects of aging at the cellular level. Certain aging effects can actually be reversed by eating foods such as cold-water fish as well as fruits and vegetables that are brightly colored. Foods that are considered pro-inflammatory can actually speed up the aging process and should be eliminated from your diet whenever possible. Saturated and trans fats, sugar, and starch make insulin levels rise which in turn sets off an acceleration of the aging progression.
Oxidation is the process of browning and drying out. If you have ever noticed what happens when you cut an apple in half, you’ve noticed what oxidation can do. While the process of aging can never be stopped completely, the premature effects of free-radical damage can be halted by the use of antioxidants such as green and white tea, and rose hip oil. Vitamin C is perhaps the most important of all, and when blended with Vitamin E, the benefits are increased as these vitamins reduce the effects of UV light, and help speed up the healing function.
Other vitamins that are vital antioxidants are Vitamins A, B-6, B-12, Beta-carotene, Zinc, Folic Acid, and Selenium. Making sure you are supplying your body with enough of these antioxidants is vital, and whether you ingest them through nutritional supplements or apply them topically by way of creams, it only matters that you are receiving them.
10 Common Causes of Aging
In the intrinsic aging process, the production of collagen and elastin decreases and dead skin does not shed as quickly as it once did. A person’s genes control much of this process, as you may know people who have gray hair in their 20s, but others do not see any gray until they reach 40. It is difficult to fight the effects of intrinsic aging as it is very much built into our genes.
With extrinsic aging, the most damaging of factors is often damage from sun exposure. Smoking is another large cause of premature skin damage. Gravity and repeated facial expressions are also leading reasons for wrinkles and sagging skin. Daily life stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet and exercise round out the main reasons for skin to age prematurely.
Sun damage can actually occur with only minimal daily exposure to the sun’s harmful rays. Age spots, freckles, spider veins, and rough skin that look like leather are common effects of sun exposure. Skin cancer of course is the worst of the injuries that that sun cooks up and photo aging, while not as severe, causes a premature look brought on by fine lines and a blotchy complexion.
Smoking cigarettes is known to cause cancer and be bad for our overall health, but smoking also causes deep wrinkles and leather-looking skin. The chemicals in cigarettes bring about a biochemical change in our bodies that speed up the aging process. Whether you smoke or spend time around a smoker, the signs of aging will affect you. Stopping smoking is the only way to diminish the effects of smoking.
Stress and lack of sleep are two more reasons for the early appearance of wrinkles and advanced age. By incorporating a healthier lifestyle that includes proper diet and exercise along with regular indulgence in relaxation activities, the effects of premature aging can be significantly lessened. Serotonin and melatonin are chemicals released when a body sleeps and are vital in the elimination of depression and the regeneration of cells.
