April 2006 Ageless herbal newsletter

Underneath is the main part of the newsletter that was sent out (excluding special offers or promotional items). You can access all previous newsletters and also subscribe to the free newsletter.
	on this page Skin aging External factors causing skin aging Environmental factors causing ageing of the skin Previous newsletters

Skin aging

Aging is caused by more than a few wrinkles and is influenced by two major factors. The first being the natural occurrence of growing older and your inherited genes and the second being various external factors.

As we age certain physiological changes happen, and apart from the aches and pains we may feel in our bodies, the skin also ages, with resultant collagen production slowing down and the elastin in the skin no longer being as robust as before.

The skin’s 'turnover' and growth, with old skin cells being shed, gets slower and the skin does not look as vital as it did in your early twenties, with supportive tissue and underlying fat reducing at a steady rate.

These aging factors normally start to happen in our mid-twenties, yet it takes a good many years to manifest its damage, and for that reason, following a good skin care regimen from an early age is most advisable.

When this damage starts to appear it can manifest in a variety of ways and will include fine lines and wrinkles, as well as a thinner, drier and more easily damaged skin.

Although genetic predisposition plays a part in the rate at which you will age normally, external factors will greatly contribute to the 'look' you have in later years.

External factors, like the sun, will greatly damage your skin and make you look far older, whereas good skincare and treatments can help retard the signs of aging.

External factors causing skin aging

Sun and skin aging

The worst external factor is that of sun damage or 'photo-aging', as the sun is the most 'aging' thing around. Although some people may think that tanning on sun beds or at tanning boutiques will lessen the damage done – the truth of the matter is that all tanning is detrimental to your skin.

Not only will tanning and the sun create more wrinkles than normal, but will generally cause premature aging, as well as age spots, spider veins, freckles, rough and leathery skin, skin cancers etc.

If you are fair skinned and blonde, you will suffer even more from sun aging, with dark haired and dark skinned people getting the better end of the stick, yet they as well will suffer damage and aging from the sun.

The one problem is that sun aging is not immediately detectable, and after years of tanning, the nagging lines and wrinkles and a dried-up, rough and uneven skin will be your reminder of your sun-filled days.

The reason for this is that the sun breaks down the collagen in your skin and also impairs the formation of new collagen, and apart from this it also attacks the elastin in the skin.

For this reason try and limit your sun exposure and if you need to be in the sun make sure that you use a good sunscreen or sun-block to protect your skin.

Cigarette smoking and aging of the skin

Although it cannot be contested that smoking is dangerous to your health, that it is a leading factor in lung cancer as well as a whole range of other medical problems, it also impacts on the way that you look.

Akimichi Morita and his colleagues at the Nagoya City University Medical School have shown that cigarette smoking may upset the body's mechanism in skin rejuvenation.

The important factor here is that the collagen, which forms the connective tissue, is damaged.

What Morita shows in his research is that cigarette smoke causes an increase of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs), which is the enzyme that breaks down old skin to make place for the new, yet it causes less collagen to be formed in the skin.

Popular belief also proclaims that smoking destroys vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and this process is also thought to promote wrinkle formation, since collagen cannot be formed in the skin if there is a shortage of vitamin C.

The amount of vitamin C destroyed per cigarette smoked varies, depending on whom you talk to, but general consensus seems to be that one cigarette destroys about 50 mg of vitamin C.

Decades ago, the vitamin C promoter and Nobel laureate, Linus Pauling, as well as Adelle Davis, the very popular nutritionist, already advocated an increase of dietary vitamin C intake to counteract the toxic effects that smoking and environmental pollution have on the body.

So, if you do not want to quit smoking for the sake of your health, then maybe consider doing it for the sake of your looks.

Facial expressions causing the skin to look prematurely aged

Wrinkles appear at places where constant and repetitive movements of the facial muscles contract, and to illustrate this, imagine a piece of sponge rubber, which is constantly folded at the exact same spot.

The sponge, like your skin, will eventually start forming a 'wrinkle' at that spot, and each time the sponge, or your skin, is moved, it will wrinkle at that specific point.

These are particularly visible if the skin is dry, under-hydrated and is lacking in moisture, and is aggravated if the skin is damaged by sun aging.

Although some dermatologists advocate that careful facial exercises will cause wrinkles, we do not hold the same belief, as facial exercises are controlled movements, which are only repeated for a short period of time and do not involve the normal frown lines of the face.

Facial wrinkles are caused by the skin folding at the same spot hundreds of times a day, and most of the time the person is not even aware of the fact.

If you have a nagging frown line, and do not wish to use something like Botox to 'freeze' the muscle, you could apply a small piece of masking tape over the skin when it is relaxed.

Each time that you frown, the masking tape will contract and you will be made aware of the fact that you are frowning.

Gravity

Gravity constantly pulls on our bodies and after a couple of decades it also takes its toll, which can in some cases be corrected with plastic surgery, or can also be combated by ensuring that the muscle tone of your face stays in peak condition.

At this point we believe that well controlled facial exercises can assist in counteracting this by keeping the skin and facial muscles well toned.

Sleeping positions

Sleep lines that are formed by resting your face on a pillow can also affect your smooth unlined face over a period of time.

For this reason it is best to try and sleep on your back, since the facial skin is not stressed in any way. Some people opt for soft pillows to minimize this problem, and a soft pillow cover, like satin or silk, can also help to minimize the effect.

Environmental factors causing ageing of the skin

A dry and climate controlled environment in which so many of us live today, with air-conditioning and heating in either the office or home, can also impact on the health of your skin.

An excessively dry environment will rob your skin of moisture and will contribute to a dehydrated skin. This can be easily remedied by using a humidifier, which replaces the moisture lost through climate control.

Humidifiers are relatively cheap, and apart from assisting the health of your skin, will also help with other problems caused by very dry air, such as sinus etc.

Correct eating to fight aging

Although diet as such cannot really be said to be an external influence, it has a dramatic and profound effect on the way your skin looks and ages.

We do not believe that fad diets should be followed and a well balanced diet will contribute the most to an unlined face.

We do however believe that certain vitamin supplements can have a profoundly positive effect on the skin, for instance here we can look at adding vitamin E, A, D and once again vitamin C, as it is vitally important to the health of the collagen in your skin.

For an excellent combined supplement, specifically formulated for the health of your skin, hair and nails please look at our Zest for Life Hair Skin and Nail supplement.

Water

Adequate intake of water (not tea, coffee, cola, juice) must be adequate to keep your body hydrated and functioning well.

You can do without food for longer than you can without water, and your skin will also quickly show if your water balance and hydration levels are not at an optimum level.

Some people complain that they do not like the "taste" of water, if this is the case, simply adding a drop or two of lemon juice to the water, could make it taste better.

It is of very little value to supply your skin with hydration, emollients etc on the outside, if you fail to look at the internal needs as well.

Medical help

Skin specialists and dermatologist offer certain treatments which can help negate the effects of aging. Here a person can look at face lifts, eye tucks, dermabrasion etc.

These are all major procedures and most people will prefer not to go to this extreme, but for more information visit these pages on cosmetic surgery procedures. 

Good daily skincare and living a healthy life will contribute greatly in you keeping your good looks and with this in mind, you can look at our herbal skin care range from AgeLess or the very scientifically advanced Dermaxime range. 

Previous newsletters

Other articles of interest