Though skin aging is inevitable, there are things that you can do to slow down the process and prevent premature aging. If medical and surgical treatment methods are not an option, there are many different natural anti-aging solutions that can help you effectively maintain a youthful, radiant, moisturized, and healthy skin. Here are some of them.
All people go through constant body changes. Through the years, this continuous process of change becomes gradual. Some of our bodily functions start to deteriorate as early as middle age and as we enter adulthood, our body undergoes the natural aging process. This natural phenomenon can be prominently seen through our skin.
As we get older, our skin tends to produce lesser amounts of elastin and collagen proteins. Elastin is an extracellular matrix protein that is found in the dermis of the skin. It lends resilience and elasticity to tissues like the lungs, arteries, ligaments, tendons, and skin. Collagen, on the other end, is a protein that can be found in the tendons, muscles, bones, and skin. It provides strength and structure for much of your body. With less collagen and elastin, the skin becomes thinner, less moisturized, and more prone to damages.
The natural aging process can cause the skin to become wrinkled. Skin aging is a natural process that starts during early adulthood but some people experience premature aging for some reason. Heredity, excessive exposure to the harmful rays of the sun, lifestyle, diet, and other personal habits like alcoholism and smoking are just among the most common causes of premature skin aging especially in exposed areas like the forearms, neck, hands, and face.
Though skin aging is inevitable, there are things that you can do to slow down the process and prevent premature aging. With today’s technological medical advancement, dealing with skin aging has become easier and quicker especially for those who are willing to spend money on repairing aged areas. Medications like prescription topical retinoids and non-prescription wrinkle creams as well as surgical and medical procedures like laser microdermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing, chemical peel, soft tissue fillers, light source, and radiofrequency treatments, dermabrasion, photodynamic rejuvenation, botulinum toxin type A (Botox), facelift surgery, and skin-tightening techniques like "ultherapy" are just some of the common modern ways used to combat skin aging.
These treatment approaches have been proven effective; however, each one entails a considerable amount of money. Unfortunately, not everyone has enough resources for these treatments. The good news is that there are also a number of natural anti-aging remedies that you can use at home. Natural remedies are equally effective and less expensive. Side effects are also relatively lower and very rare.
Without further ado, here are a few natural anti-aging solutions that can help you effectively maintain a youthful, radiant, moisturized, and healthy skin.
Benefits of Papaya
is one of the most common ingredients used in commercial beauty and exfoliating products. It contains vitamins A, B, and C, and an abundant amount of antioxidants that can help nourish the skin, delay signs of skin aging and fight free radical damage.
It also contains natural papain which is not only considered as a potent skin whitening ingredient, but it also provides anti-aging benefits and exfoliating effects on the skin. It can also help get rid of dead skin cells, thus revealing a softer, younger, smoother, and fairer skin. The proteolytic enzyme found in papayas, such as the natural papain and chymopapain contains antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties that can help treat and protect the skin against infections and other skin problems including acne and melasma.
To use papaya as a natural skin-aging solution, simply apply its pulp directly on the skin. Let it stay for around 20 to 30 minutes before you rinse it with clean tap water.
Benefits of Ginger
is not only used in treating nausea and soothing sore muscles and arthritis symptoms, but it can work well against skin aging. This aromatic spice is packed with over 40 antioxidants that can help flush out harmful toxins, reduce free radical damage, encourage proper blood circulation, and eliminate signs of skin aging. Its gingerol antioxidant is also known to help boost skin elasticity, improve skin tone, and prevent collagen breakdown.
To use ginger as an all-natural anti-aging remedy, you can either consume it raw, add it to your dish, drink ginger tea, or create a homemade ginger + honey facial mask.
Olive Oil
contains monounsaturated fats and Vitamins B and D as well as polyphenols and oleic acid that possess anti-aging properties that can help moisturize skin, and eliminate existing wrinkles and at the same time prevent the appearance of new ones.
Apply a layer of olive oil onto your face and leave it for 10 minutes before rinsing off. You can use olive oil alone or mix it with freshly squeezed lemon juice in a 1:1 ration to maximize its anti-aging effect.
Natural Herbal Supplements
Applying natural remedies directly to your skin can help maintain its youthful glow. However, it is also important to nourish your skin from within by taking foods and natural herbal supplements.
According to a study entitled “Discovering the Link Between Nutrition and Skin Aging” that is published on the official website of National Center for Biotechnology Information, vitamins and minerals like Vitamins A, C, D, and E, Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10, zinc, lactobacilli, essential omega-3-fatty acids, proteins like collagen peptides, as well as antioxidants like flavonoids carotenoids, and tocopherols can help promote skin health and beauty.
Taking natural herbal supplements that contain these essential vitamins and minerals will not only help treat skin aging-related problems, but it can also prevent premature aging from occurring and at the same time slow down the natural aging process.
Prevention is always better than cure. If you want your skin to stay healthy and beautiful regardless of your age, don’t wait for the extrinsic skin aging effects to appear before you start taking action. Protect your skin against the detrimental action of free radicals by minimizing direct exposure to the sun, taking the best supplements for skin anti-aging, regulating your lifestyle, maintaining a well-balanced anti-oxidative rich diet, drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day, and keeping stress at a minimum.
In Summary
To keep your youthful glow for as long as you can be mindful of sun exposure, your diet, your exercise, how much water you intake, and of course use and take products that help fight free radicals. Products that included collagen are helpful to replenish the loss of elasticity of the skin, to help you keep a flawless look. Perfect daily options to help keep you looking your best are Green Science or Collagen Complex which contains 5 different types of collagen.
Our blog post is a collaborative effort by the founders of More Natural Healing in conjunction with Editors of Renewed Health Alliance, and our board of advisors including doctors, herbalists, and experts in using natural herbs and supplements to enhance our daily lives. We only provide information that has been researched, validated, and vetted for our posts and includes validation from experts in the herbal community. A person of interest on our team is:Cindy Burrows, B.S., M.T., Herbalist, and Nutritional Health Consultant. Cindy helps individuals start health programs to improve their life, wellness, and happiness. She is a speaker, writer, and entrepreneur of several businesses. Cindy is a contributing writer and blogger for More Natural Healing & Renewed Health Alliance