Top 5 Anti-Wrinkle Skin Secrets: How to Look Years Younger Without Plastic Surgery (part 1)

ANTI AGING SKIN SECRETS By Sadie Gillam (Page 1)

Most women outside of their twenties would love to look 10 or 15 years younger than they really are, and the older we get the harder we try to fight back the years to retain our youthful appearance.

This constant obsession with looking younger has led to a huge exponential growth in the cosmetics industry. Competition in the anti-aging skin care market is fierce, and the marketing tactics used today are more questionable than ever. You simply cannot trust the claims made by many of the 'commercial brand' skin care manufacturers.

Nonetheless, it won't stop us from searching for thst 'miracle cream' or that 'wonder lotion' that will delay or even reverse the natural aging process. Who knows... perhaps in 20 or 30 years time? But today it simply doesn't exist!

But there are a few things you can do to SLOW DOWN the aging process and to age more gracefully. It's never too early to get started and it's never too late to correct any problems.

How to Look Years Younger Without Plastic Surgery

Aging is inevitable and as women we absolutely dread it, and although scientists and doctors are continually coming up with a new skin care products and procedures that promise to make us look younger, the key really is in 'aging prevention'.

Learning how to prevent the skin from aging with preventative skin care is a priority for almost every women, especially our facial complexion which is the most visible of all areas and also the most revealing.

Start by following the advice given by doctors, making these lifestyle changes will significantly improve any anti-wrinkle or anti-aging skin care program you follow.

Don't smoke, it's one of the leading causes of premature wrinkles.
Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water, it's your internal moisturizer.
Exercise regularly, as an anti-aging medicine it is one of the best.
Limit your alcohol and caffeine intake as these dehydrate the skin.
Eat a healthy diet, eat less processed foods, and don't forget your omega-3s.

Here are our top 5 steps to dramatically slow down the aging process and keep your skin looking youthful and wrinkle free.

Anti-Wrinkle #1: Avoid The Sun and Wear Sunglasses

The sun is both a blessing and a curse, although the sunshine provides us with a healthy dose of vitamin D, too much sun exposure ages the skin. It is the number one cause of wrinkles. The one thing that all dermatologists agree upon is that UV exposure ages the skin, it breaks down the collagen which is key to healthy skin.

Try to stay in the shade when you are out and about. You can decrease your exposure to the sun by walking on the shady side of the street, and always wear a hat to shade your face in strong sunlight.

Sunglasses are an essential especially on sunny days, not only will they protect the delicate skin around the eyes from sun damage they will also keep you from constantly squinting. Excessive squinting will over time create wrinkles and unsightly crows feet.

A more important reason for always wearing sunglasses in the sunshine is to protect your eyesight, and the prevention of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is currently irreversible and can lead to loss of vision.

AMD is associated with aging and is a slow progressive disease that gradually destroys the central vision, the part that allows you to see things infront of you in fine detail. The UV light exposure from the sun is one of the main risk factors that can damage the cells in the retina and cause macular degeneration.

The type of sunglasses you need to wear to protect your eyesight from sun damage are those that provide 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays, and preferably 'large wrap around' sunglasses that also offer side protection.

Anti-Wrinkle #2: Apply Sunscreen Daily Even on Cloudy Days

Hyperpigmentation (sun spots), skin roughness, leathery skin texture, wrinkles on the face and neck, sagging skin, severe dehydration and premature skin aging are all directly related to sun exposure. It's important that you incorporate a daily sun protection routine, and the easiest way to do this is to always use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor, at least SPF 30.

Apply a sunscreen daily, even on cloudy and rainy days and not just to the facial areas, don't forget your ears and the front and back of your neck. Just get into the daily habit of using sunscreen no matter what the weather is like outside.

Dermatologists also noted that although women were diligent in protecting the facial areas, they quite often forget to apply sunscreen to their hands, neck and chest, and those areas if left unprotected would age much faster.

Traditionally, people purchase sunscreen based on SPF ratings. However, SPF only protects you from the burning UVB rays but doesn't tell you how much protection you have from harmful UVA rays, and they are the ones that cause premature aging of the skin and some skin cancers.

In this video Dr. Schultz explains how to find a sunscreen that offers both UVB and maximum UVA protection, and understanding how much protection each provides.

To be certain you are fully protected from the sun, it's essential that you block both the UVA and UVB rays with an SPF30 broad spectrum sunscreenng.

Alternatively any PA+++ sunscreen will provide you with maximum protection against the cancer causing and wrinkling effects of the sun. (PA+++ is the highest rating in the Japanese system for protection against UVA - this system has now been adopted by many American sunscreen manufacturers).

Finally, if you do a lot of driving, place a transparent UVA/UVB protector screen on the driver's side window. Recent studies have shown that people who spend a lot of time traveling develop more wrinkles on the left of their face (on the right in the UK). The side window lets through almost 65 percent of the sun's UVA radiation.

For more sun protection tips and facts about suncream visit the American Melanoma Foundation www.melanomafoundation.org

Anti-Wrinkle #3: Treat Your Skin With Alpha-hydroxy Acids

Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) is a chemical compound that contains natural food acids and is made from sour milk, fruit or sugar cane. It is primarily used in skin rejuvenation products for its ability to exfoliate the skin.

As we grow older our skin becomes thinner, duller and drier, applying alpha hydroxy acid topically helps to remove the outer layer of dry and dead skin cells, smoothing out wrinkles and stimulating new skin cell growth.

There is evidence to show that when used in higher concentrations, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) can help stimulate collagen and elastin production, resulting in increased skin thickness, much improved skin texture and minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

In this video, skin expert Allison Browning from adorebeauty.com.au discusses the importance of using AHA's.or BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids) as part of your skin care routine.

Over-the-counter skin care products are usually limited to a concentration of 14% AHA or less. Higher strengths of 20% - 40% AHA are available but should only be applied by a professionally trained aesthetician. Even so, with regular application of 10% or 12% concentration AHA skin care products you can significantly improve the appearance of your skin with less facial irritation.

The two most common types of alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) used in skin care are lactic acid and glycolic acid. They are generally suitable for all skin types both dry and oily skin. Beta hydroxy acids (BHA), also known as salicylic acid, function similarly to AHAs except that they are oil soluble.

Since BHAs can dissolve in oil they're more effective at getting inside oil-clogged pores that can cause acne and blackheads, and are therefore more suited for oily skin types.