Five natural substances to reduce facial wrinkles

Food feeds your skin, and this is clearly demonstrated by how a number of natural ingredients and herbal extracts can help reduce and prevent facial wrinkles. Here are five time-tested ways to say goodbye to those deep, unnerving wrinkles

(Article republished from GreenMedInfo.com)

While it’s impossible to turn back the hands of time, there are natural ways that can help manage the effects of aging along with the wrinkles and age spots that come with it.

Part of combating wrinkles and other age-related spots and imperfections is understanding the story of your skin: it mirrors your body’s health from the inside out, reflecting all the toxins and chemicals in food and the environment, chronic stress, activity level and other lifestyle choices you make.

It’s worth knowing that many wrinkles are not permanent and may even be reversible. They are often a sign that your body needs to be better hydrated.

The jury is still out on what the actual fountain of youth is, but there are natural substances that can effectively slow the appearance of wrinkles and keep your skin looking radiant and youthful for a very long time.

Food, for instance, feeds your skin; what you eat can radically affect the appearance of wrinkles. A study showed that women who consumed more green and yellow vegetables had significantly fewer wrinkles.^[i] Skin-friendly fats are also found in grass-fed meat and dairy, wild-caught salmon, coconut oil and olive oil, to name a few.

Even daily consumption of almonds, a healthy snack, may reduce the severity and depth of wrinkles in postmenopausal women, highlighting almonds’ potential anti-aging benefits.^[ii] Further, here are additional alternatives to costly, synthetic beauty products to help zap those wrinkles away.

1. Date Palm Kernel

Research shows that the date palm kernel contains phytochemicals that can potentially rejuvenate skin.

A 2019 study, in exploring the effects of a cream containing its extract on facial wrinkle reduction and other skin parameters in healthy subjects, found that an eight-week regimen improved facial skin hydration, elasticity and melanin concentration.^[iii]

It also reduced wrinkle size and depth. The cream was well-tolerated by the participants’ skin, and the effects may be attributed to the major phytochemicals and phytosterols offered by the extract.

2. Green Tea and Ginkgo

A combination of green tea and ginkgo biloba extracts was found effective in enhancing skin conditions and making it more elastic.^[iv]

This was concluded by researchers in a preclinical study on hairless mice as well as a clinical study on 48 human volunteers. The green tea and ginkgo extracts combined substantially enhanced epidermis thickness and the number of cell layers, suggesting a moisturizing effect in the deeper layers of skin as well as increased cell renewal.

3. Pine Bark and Antioxidants

A multi-nutrient mixture made up of vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, selenium, zinc, amino acids and glycosaminoglycans, blueberry extract and pycnogenol, which is derived from the French maritime pine tree, improved visible signs of aging in women ages 45 to 73.^[v] Skin elasticity was raised by 9% after six weeks of treatment, while skin roughness was 6% lower after 12 weeks of treatment.

4. Pomegranate Cream

A study from February 2020 found that an anthocyanins-rich pomegranate cream as a topical formulation can have strong anti-aging activity.^[vi] Anthocyanins are antioxidant compounds that offer pomegranate arils their color. They can protect skin from oxidant exposure, a major factor in the acceleration of aging and skin degeneration.

5. Red Ginseng

Red ginseng isn’t known as Panax for nothing, as the word means “cure for all.” It’s a fabulous herbal remedy for practically all body ailments there are.

It has also emerged as an excellent skin whitening and anti-aging product, helping suppress the production of melanin or the pigment that gives color to skin.^[vii] In an experiment, it also reduced wrinkle formation, inhibited collagen degradation and enhanced the resilience, moisture and tone of skin.

Note that red ginseng is a form of unpeeled and steamed Panax ginseng, also referred to as Asian or Korean ginseng. It is believed to have “heating” action that improves circulation. Red ginseng is available in liquid extracts, tinctures, capsules and powders.

Read more at: GreenMedInfo.com