By Warren Matthews
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
that you too can have a flawless and beautiful complexion
and, by subtle inference be happy.
But, is this reality or an illusion?
It's a combination of both a partial reality and illusions.
With the majority of skin products it is definitely an illusion
as most women over thirty would attest to. 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 of
skin still remain!
Having said that, there are however a few natural products
that will help with firming up the skin and reducing fine
lines and blemishes but you have to accept that there are
limitations to what they can do on their own. More about
this later in the article!
So, what is the answer... plastic surgery? Many people
obviously think that it is, given the booming cosmetic
plastic surgery industry. But is it? In my opinion
definitely not! I have met quite a number of people that
have had plastic surgery and I have not been impressed.
I remember just a few years ago meeting up with some old
friends from St Louis for dinner in Palm Beach Florida.
My friends who were in their late 70's brought along a
friend who would have been in her early 60's. It was
apparent that this friend had had a number of plastic
surgery procedures on her face and not all of them were
successful. I remember thinking at the time that she
would have looked better without them.
Of course that is not always the case. Some people get
really good results, but they are very much dependent
upon the skill of the surgeon. So, the risks are high.
So, what causes skin to age which results in
sagging, wrinkles and blemishes?
If you want to maintain clear, healthy, and firm skin
into old age you need to know this. So ... here is the
brief version ... FREE RADICALS. That's it in a nutshell.
I am sure that you have heard about free radicals and
you may even know exactly what they are, but nonetheless
I will give you a quick briefing about them.
Even though free radicals age our bodies and skin they
are a natural and essential part of life. They are
everywhere, inside our body 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 it 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 an effort
is made (in this case the molecule) to heal itself!
There is only one way it can do this... and that is by
stealing an electron from another healthy molecule. So,
it rushes around like a thief until it can find one!
When it does and it steals the electron, 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 exposure that
you have to free radicals. Ever wondered why long distance
runners look older than their years, particularly their face?
They inhale more air than most other people and with it more
free radicals. They therefore age faster if they don't
counteract the effect of the free radicals. Everyone who
exercises should be aware of this. The good news is that this
is not a problem if the appropriate measures are taken... more
info soon.
Anyway, back to your skin. It needs good healthy 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 occurs the collagen molecules can no
longer smoothly slide over one another. They instead become
rough which impacts directly on the appearance of your skin.
Because collagen stays in the skin for many years it is
continually subjected to this free radical damage and the
effects are cumulative.
If you could stop the actions of these free radicals you
could stop the aging process. This applies not only to your
skin but to your entire body. But, it simply is not possible
to achieve a 100% success rate. However, you can reduce the
impact of these free radicals to a measurable degree.
This is through the use of a series of compounds known as
anti-oxidants. I am sure that you have heard of these but
you may be unsure exactly what they 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 natural some synthetic. Some really potent, some 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 apply to your skin and what should you
do to protect it?
Simple. When you are reviewing various crèmes and lotions
to apply to your face select those ones which are natural,
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 individuals mental attitude it also applies in a
physical sense. The health of your skin and thus the
appearance of it is directly related to your internal health.
If you have free radicals rampant in your body, then putting
all the 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.
Warren J. Matthews
Warren is the editor of XTEND-YOUR-LIFE, Free a bi-monthly
Newsletter aimed at helping you live a healthier life.
He is also the Chairman of Xtend Life Natural Products,
manufacturer of anti aging and immune support products.
All products are certified true to label, manufactured
under pharmaceutical grade conditions, and come with a
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