"Skin beauty... do anti-aging creams really turn back the clock?"

If you believe the television advertisements for skin care products, then, your answer would be a definite yes. These TV commercials suggest that, if you use this or that product, you too can have a flawless and beautiful complexion -- and, by
subtle inference, be happy. But, is this reality or an illusion? It is both. Many products can certainly make your skin look better at the time of application, but the real test is when all the make up is washed off.

Generally, the fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes and sagging skin still remain! However, having said that, there are a few natural products that will help firm the skin and reduce fine lines and blemishes. There are limitations on what they can do on their own. So, what is the answer? What causes skin to age?

Here is the brief version --FREE RADICALS.

Even though free radicals age our bodies and skin, they are a natural and essential part of life. They are everywhere, inside our bodies and out. They are more
concentrated in the cities or anywhere there is any form of environmental pollution. Sunlight also creates free radicals.

It is possible to see the effect of them quite dramatically when you cut an apple open and leave it exposed to the air. The parts without the skin quickly go brown. This is because the unprotected inside of the apple is being attacked by these free radicals.
If they were not there, then nothing would decompose, and the whole planet would be a massive garbage dump. So, what exactly are they? They are oxygen molecules that have lost an electron through interaction with other molecules. As with everything in nature, the molecule makes an effort to heal itself!

There is only one way it can do this... and that is by stealing an electron from another healthy molecule. It rushes around like a thief until it can find one!

When it does find an electron, and steals it, what happens?

You guessed it... another free radical is created, and in the process, cells where the 'thief' has entered are damaged. There is no security system that can shut free radicals out. They surround you, they enter your body with each breath you take.
The greater your intake of air, the higher the exposure you have to free radicals.
The good news is that this problem is lessened if the appropriate measures are taken. Your skin needs collagen (which is a protein).

This collagen gives your skin its suppleness and tautness. However, it is constantly bombarded with free radicals that damage the cells by the cross linking of
molecules. When this damage occurs, the collagen molecules can no longer smoothly slide over one another. They instead become rough, which impacts the appearance of your skin. Because collagen stays in the skin for many years, it is continually
subjected to this free radical damage. The effects are cumulative. If you could stop the actions of these free radicals, you could stop the aging process -- not only to your skin, but to your entire body. It simply is not possible to stop this process 100%.
However, you can reduce the impact of these free radicals to a measurable degree through the use of a series of compounds known as anti-oxidants. Exactly what
do anti-oxidants do? In simple terms, they donate spare electrons to the free radicals to 'heal' the damaged molecule. There are many different forms of anti-oxidants
available. Some are natural; some are synthetic. Some are potent; some are quite weak. For example, Vitamin C is an antioxidant which is relatively weak. On the other hand Alpha Lipoic acid is a relatively potent one, being about 400 times more powerful than most Vitamin C's. Other antioxidants are even more powerful than
Alpha Lipoic acid, and so on it goes.

So, how does this information apply to your skin?

Simple. When you are researching various crèmes and lotions to apply to your face, select those which are natural, which don't have any harsh chemicals that are likely to cause inflammation (free radicals love inflammation), and make sure they have
natural antioxidants in them (for example, alpha lipoic acid, vitamin C esters (fat soluble type), DMAE, etc). BUT -- and this is an important but -- if you are serious about your skin health, take heed of the old saying, “'Beauty comes from within.” Although this term is intended to relate to an individual’s mental attitude, it also applies in a physical sense. The health of your skin, and thus its appearance, is directly related to your internal health.

If you have free radicals rampant in your body, then putting l expensive antioxidant crèmes on your face will only do a part of the job. Nourishing your skin from the inside out is much more rewarding and effective than any topical application.
Don't forget about your internal health. Your skin is an organ, and it needs to be properly supported internally.

Back