Vitamins and minerals are essential for our body to function correctly. As our skin is an integral part of our body, healthy eating will assist with skin rejuvenation. In fact, an absence of some vitamins and minerals are damaging to the skin and possibly result in skin disease and a premature increase in aging.
The following are various vitamins and minerals important for healthy skin;
Vitamin B-Complex
B-complex normally refers to the group of vitamins that include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenate), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyancobalamine) and folate.
Vitamins B1 and B2 are important for energy production in the cells. Lack of these vitamins may occur in people who base their diet mainly on processed grains and potatoes.
Vitamin B12 is essential for a range of processes in the cells. A lack of this vitamin is very detrimental to neurons and rapidly dividing cells, including skin cells. B12 is found almost exclusively in meat, poultry, fish, eggs and diary products. It has been shown that no active B12 is found in algae (such as spirulina) or fermented soy products. Therefore, vegetarians are at risk of this vitamin deficiency.
Just like B12, folate is also important to rapidly dividing cells, including skin cells. Green leafy vegetables and beans are the most abundant sources of folate. Liver is the only food from an animal source that is rich in folate. Folate can break down during cooking. So the best way to get enough folate in your diet is to eat liberal amounts of fresh or slightly cooked vegetables.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential to the normal life cycle of skin cells. A lack of vitamin A causes the skin to become dry and prone to wrinkles. No skin treatment will work effectively if a person is vitamin A deficient.
Vitamin A can be found in foods such as eggs, organ meats and diary products. Several plants, like carrots and broccoli, can provide carotenoids that the body can convert into vitamin A.
Vitamin C, Iron & Copper
These three are important for the production of collagen. A lack of these nutrients decreases the skins elasticity and healing ability. Vitamin C can be found in fruit and vegetables, iron is found in whole grains and meat products and copper is found in trace amounts in a diverse assortment of foods.
Just about all vitamins and minerals are required for healthy skin, but some are particulary important. To maximize the benefits of any anti aging treatment, you need to eat plenty of healthy foods to get the necessary vitamins and minerals. But, all in moderation, of course. Too high dosage of some vitamins and minerals may be detrimental to the body.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Resources For Wrinkle Reduction Advice
So you've noticed a few (more) wrinkles appearing on your face and neck. What resources are available for obtaining wrinkle reduction advice or information regarding anti wrinkle products? There are several places where you can find the type of information you need to achieve younger looking skin.
Your local dermatologist is a good source for advice. A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin conditions and disorders.
There are also many online resources for wrinkle reduction guidance. Online forums can provide you with advice from people who have found solutions to wrinkle problems, who have tried anti wrinkle products or an anti aging treatment. Alternatively, websites can provide you with a wealth of information ranging from laser wrinkle removal to wrinkle cream reviews to treatment for under eye wrinkles, and any other skin and wrinkle problem that you may have. These sites will have recommendations for products and treatments that can get you on your way to having younger looking skin.
You can quiz your friends and colleagues as to what anti wrinkle products they have tried and would recommend. You may quickly discover an excellent product by just asking!
There are a lot of natural products that benefit your skin. So you could scour the bookshelves for homemade skin rejuvenation treatments. Some home-based treatments have been around for decades - these might be a great anti aging treatment for your skin.
When searching for advice, you need to be mindful that everybody's skin is different. Some people's skin is more sensitive than others. Therefore, some treatments and anti wrinkle products will work better for some than for others. You should be aware of the ingredients and products that might react badly with your skin.
Whatever you discover, make sure you take care of your skin every day. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, eat healthy food and don't get too much sun. It's the best thing you can do for keeping wrinkles at bay.
Your local dermatologist is a good source for advice. A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin conditions and disorders.
There are also many online resources for wrinkle reduction guidance. Online forums can provide you with advice from people who have found solutions to wrinkle problems, who have tried anti wrinkle products or an anti aging treatment. Alternatively, websites can provide you with a wealth of information ranging from laser wrinkle removal to wrinkle cream reviews to treatment for under eye wrinkles, and any other skin and wrinkle problem that you may have. These sites will have recommendations for products and treatments that can get you on your way to having younger looking skin.
You can quiz your friends and colleagues as to what anti wrinkle products they have tried and would recommend. You may quickly discover an excellent product by just asking!
There are a lot of natural products that benefit your skin. So you could scour the bookshelves for homemade skin rejuvenation treatments. Some home-based treatments have been around for decades - these might be a great anti aging treatment for your skin.
When searching for advice, you need to be mindful that everybody's skin is different. Some people's skin is more sensitive than others. Therefore, some treatments and anti wrinkle products will work better for some than for others. You should be aware of the ingredients and products that might react badly with your skin.
Whatever you discover, make sure you take care of your skin every day. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, eat healthy food and don't get too much sun. It's the best thing you can do for keeping wrinkles at bay.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Marketing - Don't Get Suckered In!
The skin care market is a mega-billion dollar industry. There is so much demand for effective anti wrinkle products, cosmetic companies are continually introducing new anti wrinkle creams to take advantage of this fact.
People are hungry for products that promise skin rejuvenation, and will pay a lot of money in the belief that it will give them younger looking skin.
More often than not, however, it is the pricier skin care products that are ineffective. And it really annoys me when the products don't even come close to achieving the promises that the advertising leads you to believe.
Many of these products are generated and pushed onto the market without testing or proof that they will do anything beneficial for your skin. Instead of spending time and investing money to produce superior, proven anti wrinkle products, most manufacturers will spend their money on marketing and product staging.
And if you haven't realised it yet, marketing is very expensive! But even so, a good marketing campaign can turn a not-so-spectacular small bottle of goo into a huge earner for a cosmetics company.
But don't get me wrong. There are some excellent products that will give you younger looking skin. The complication is in knowing which skin care ingredients and products actually work. Without good information, it can be very hard to find a product that works for you.
Unfortunately, there will never be a lack of people willing to spend good money for the latest anti wrinkle creams, irrespective of whether they help or not. The reality is that most people will not make the effort to investigate cosmetic products and ingredients.
So do yourself a favour, start reading a few wrinkle cream reviews and GET INFORMED before you commit to purchasing that next product. As an informed buyer, you won't fall for the marketing hype. Find out which ingredients are effective and those that can actually damage your skin.
People are hungry for products that promise skin rejuvenation, and will pay a lot of money in the belief that it will give them younger looking skin.
More often than not, however, it is the pricier skin care products that are ineffective. And it really annoys me when the products don't even come close to achieving the promises that the advertising leads you to believe.
Many of these products are generated and pushed onto the market without testing or proof that they will do anything beneficial for your skin. Instead of spending time and investing money to produce superior, proven anti wrinkle products, most manufacturers will spend their money on marketing and product staging.
And if you haven't realised it yet, marketing is very expensive! But even so, a good marketing campaign can turn a not-so-spectacular small bottle of goo into a huge earner for a cosmetics company.
But don't get me wrong. There are some excellent products that will give you younger looking skin. The complication is in knowing which skin care ingredients and products actually work. Without good information, it can be very hard to find a product that works for you.
Unfortunately, there will never be a lack of people willing to spend good money for the latest anti wrinkle creams, irrespective of whether they help or not. The reality is that most people will not make the effort to investigate cosmetic products and ingredients.
So do yourself a favour, start reading a few wrinkle cream reviews and GET INFORMED before you commit to purchasing that next product. As an informed buyer, you won't fall for the marketing hype. Find out which ingredients are effective and those that can actually damage your skin.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Bad Ingredients - Part 2
Along the same theme as "Bad Ingredients - Part 1", here are a few more components that you may find in anti wrinkle products and various skin care creams. You should be aware of these ingredients and avoid them (especially those associated with being potentially carcinogenic).
Dioxane
Dioxane was originally produced from coconut. Like many other ingredients, it is now created artificially and used in a number of anti wrinkle creams. Unfortunately, the synthetic product now used often contains high concentrations of 1,4-dioxane, which quickly penetrates the skin and blood stream.
It is unregulated in most states and countries, but the state of California lists it as a known carcinogen.
Fragrance
Everyone likes nice smelling creams. However, of the hundreds of different chemicals that fall into the category of "fragrance", many of them contain poisons or known cancer-producing agents.
In reality, there is no reason to include perfumes in skin rejuvenation products. If you want to smell nice, stick with a daub of perfume or body spray. I believe that it's better to use a small amount of fragrance here and there than to apply it onto a large area of skin while applying anti wrinkle products.
Parabens
These may be either propyl, butyl, methyl or ethyl paraben. In many countries they are banned, but many skin products and moisturizers still contain them.
Parabens are preservatives that extend the active life of creams and products. They have been linked to a variety of cancer. They are shown to interfere with the endocrine system (ie the body's gland system), causing allergies, irritation and rashes. One study reported that parabens were discovered in human breast tumors.
If you see parabens listed when you read the product label, don't buy it!
Alcohols
Alcohols can come as either ethyl alcohol (ethanol), methyl alcohol (methanol), SD alcohol, benzyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Each type of alcohol has slightly different properties, but an alcohol used in anti wrinkle products will cause dryness and irritation since it removes the skin's protective oils.
So are the cosmetics manufacturers going to alert the public about these deleterious products? Not likely! These companies are too driven with making money, and any admission - especially any association with cancer - would cost them dearly. It's frightening to know that people spend a lot of money to unwittingly apply these poisons to their skin!
Dioxane
Dioxane was originally produced from coconut. Like many other ingredients, it is now created artificially and used in a number of anti wrinkle creams. Unfortunately, the synthetic product now used often contains high concentrations of 1,4-dioxane, which quickly penetrates the skin and blood stream.
It is unregulated in most states and countries, but the state of California lists it as a known carcinogen.
Fragrance
Everyone likes nice smelling creams. However, of the hundreds of different chemicals that fall into the category of "fragrance", many of them contain poisons or known cancer-producing agents.
In reality, there is no reason to include perfumes in skin rejuvenation products. If you want to smell nice, stick with a daub of perfume or body spray. I believe that it's better to use a small amount of fragrance here and there than to apply it onto a large area of skin while applying anti wrinkle products.
Parabens
These may be either propyl, butyl, methyl or ethyl paraben. In many countries they are banned, but many skin products and moisturizers still contain them.
Parabens are preservatives that extend the active life of creams and products. They have been linked to a variety of cancer. They are shown to interfere with the endocrine system (ie the body's gland system), causing allergies, irritation and rashes. One study reported that parabens were discovered in human breast tumors.
If you see parabens listed when you read the product label, don't buy it!
Alcohols
Alcohols can come as either ethyl alcohol (ethanol), methyl alcohol (methanol), SD alcohol, benzyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. Each type of alcohol has slightly different properties, but an alcohol used in anti wrinkle products will cause dryness and irritation since it removes the skin's protective oils.
So are the cosmetics manufacturers going to alert the public about these deleterious products? Not likely! These companies are too driven with making money, and any admission - especially any association with cancer - would cost them dearly. It's frightening to know that people spend a lot of money to unwittingly apply these poisons to their skin!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Bad Ingredients - Part 1
It's unfortunate that so many skin care and anti wrinkle products on the market contain a range of constituents that can potentially harm you over a period of time, some being carcinogenic. The following are ingredients to be aware of:
Mineral Oil
The moisturizing effects of anti wrinkle creams are commonly achieved by the mineral oils in them. Companies use mineral oil because it cheap. Call it what you will (mineral oil, petrolatum, liquid paraffin, paraffin wax), they are all bad for your skin.
After a single application of an anti wrinkle cream containing mineral oil, your pores will become blocked and your skin won't be able to breathe. Consequently, your skin may form pimples and rashes. And after continued use, your skin will stop producing it's own oils. When this happens, it will become dry and scaly.
This common ingredient in creams can actually do the opposite of giving you younger looking skin.
And what's worse is the result from a recent study on mice that found the application of commercial anti wrinkle creams containing mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulphate significantly increased the frequency of skin cancer.
That brings me onto the next ingredient to avoid...
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
This inexpensive detergent is commonly used in cosmetic cleansers, shampoos and bath/shower gels to enhance penetration and absorption of other active ingredients. It is arguably the most dangerous ingredient used in skin care products. SLS is used for industrial cleaning of workshop floors, engine degreasers and car wash detergents. It is highly corrosive and attacks oils and greases.
Sodium lauryl sulphate is harmful to skin as it cleans by corrosion. It dries skin by stripping the external protective lipids, which help control skin moisture.
Another serious dilemma is the association of SLS with nitrate contamination. SLS reacts with many ingredients used in skin products to form nitrosomines. These nitrates are potentially carcinogenic.
There are several more bad ingredients discussed in Part 2 of this post.
Mineral Oil
The moisturizing effects of anti wrinkle creams are commonly achieved by the mineral oils in them. Companies use mineral oil because it cheap. Call it what you will (mineral oil, petrolatum, liquid paraffin, paraffin wax), they are all bad for your skin.
After a single application of an anti wrinkle cream containing mineral oil, your pores will become blocked and your skin won't be able to breathe. Consequently, your skin may form pimples and rashes. And after continued use, your skin will stop producing it's own oils. When this happens, it will become dry and scaly.
This common ingredient in creams can actually do the opposite of giving you younger looking skin.
And what's worse is the result from a recent study on mice that found the application of commercial anti wrinkle creams containing mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulphate significantly increased the frequency of skin cancer.
That brings me onto the next ingredient to avoid...
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)
This inexpensive detergent is commonly used in cosmetic cleansers, shampoos and bath/shower gels to enhance penetration and absorption of other active ingredients. It is arguably the most dangerous ingredient used in skin care products. SLS is used for industrial cleaning of workshop floors, engine degreasers and car wash detergents. It is highly corrosive and attacks oils and greases.
Sodium lauryl sulphate is harmful to skin as it cleans by corrosion. It dries skin by stripping the external protective lipids, which help control skin moisture.
Another serious dilemma is the association of SLS with nitrate contamination. SLS reacts with many ingredients used in skin products to form nitrosomines. These nitrates are potentially carcinogenic.
There are several more bad ingredients discussed in Part 2 of this post.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Ineffective Ingredients
Have you ever wondered why anti wrinkle products don't work when they are meant to be chock full of active ingredients, each with a "proven track record" of providing wonderous benefits to your skin?
Well, one reason is that the ingredients just can't penetrate the epidermis. Creams containing collagen and elastin are good examples. They never reach the dermis layer of the skin because their molecules are too large to be absorded into the skin. Therefore, no matter what the advertisements say, these anti wrinkle creams will do little for skin rejuvenation.
The cosmetic manufactures know about this - they're not fools. They also know that if they use words like 'collagen' and 'elastin', then people will be very tempted to purchase their product.
Another reason as to why creams are ineffective is that most of them have a large water component and only minimal active ingredient. So when you apply the products to your skin, your body heat drives off the moisture. It appears that the creams are penetrating the skin, but this is not the case.
And yet another reason for creams not working as you would expect is due to them not containing natural ingredients. Nature ingredients are more active, but also more expensive, to include in anti wrinkle products than their artificial equivalents. The downside to this, however, is that the synthetic constituents do very little to help you get younger looking skin.
Well, one reason is that the ingredients just can't penetrate the epidermis. Creams containing collagen and elastin are good examples. They never reach the dermis layer of the skin because their molecules are too large to be absorded into the skin. Therefore, no matter what the advertisements say, these anti wrinkle creams will do little for skin rejuvenation.
The cosmetic manufactures know about this - they're not fools. They also know that if they use words like 'collagen' and 'elastin', then people will be very tempted to purchase their product.
Another reason as to why creams are ineffective is that most of them have a large water component and only minimal active ingredient. So when you apply the products to your skin, your body heat drives off the moisture. It appears that the creams are penetrating the skin, but this is not the case.
And yet another reason for creams not working as you would expect is due to them not containing natural ingredients. Nature ingredients are more active, but also more expensive, to include in anti wrinkle products than their artificial equivalents. The downside to this, however, is that the synthetic constituents do very little to help you get younger looking skin.
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