Skin Creams and Wrinkles

The skin is an indispensable structure for human life. Because it forms a barrier between the internal organs and the external environment, the skin participates in many vital functions of the body.

The outer surface consists of stratified layers of dead, “keratinized” cells that form an effective protective covering against the penetration of noxious substances from the outside environment. The protective function is further enhanced by the oily and slightly acid secretions of the sebaceous glands, which discouraged the growth and multiplication of many harmful bacteria.

Underlying this tough outer layer or the epidermis are the dermis and subcutaneous tissues that, far from being homogeneous, are composed of a multitude of tissues, which are supported and maintained in proper relation to one another by means of fibrous and elastic connective tissue.

Obviously, the skin, rather than being a single organ, consists of groups of organs, each responsive to its own particular stimulus, and each vulnerable to any harmful influence that would threaten it elsewhere in the body.

Once these so-called harmful influences had taken so much effect in the skin, the resulting product would be numerous dermatological problems like wrinkles.

Although wrinkles are more associated with the dermatological clock of the skin, it is still considered as the resulting product of the greatest effects of harmful influences in the skin. One of which is the damaging effects of the sun. Prolonged exposure to it can prematurely age one’s skin.

Usually, wrinkles appear when the skin has already lost its elasticity and firmness. This is usually brought about by the harmful effects of the sun and other environmental factors. It is also brought about by the loss of fatty tissues in the skin’s innermost layer.

Hence, medical and skin experts contend that applying topical creams and other skin creams are best for the skin’s regeneration process.

Basically, skin creams consists of substances that help the skin to regenerate its lost fatty tissues and elasticity. It has special components that specifically aim at the targeted areas in order to stimulate the skin to produce collagen and elasticity. These two elements of the skin are the ones responsible in the restoration of the innate moisturizing ability of the skin.

However, not all skin creams are created equal. There are some factors that need to be considered when choosing skin creams that will best work for wrinkles. Here are some of them:

1. Choose skin creams that contain the necessary components that will work best on wrinkles. There are many skin creams that are made to remove wrinkles. However, not all of them are created equal. Therefore, it would be better to choose skin creams that contain the necessary ingredients that will work best on wrinkles. It is best to choose skin creams that contain essential oils and anti-oxidants such as the grape seed that will help rehydrate the skin’s natural moisture.

2. Choose a skin cream that contains Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is not only good for the bones and teeth but also best for the skin. In fact, Vitamin C has long been proven to fight and prevent wrinkles. It helps to counteract skin ruptures caused by the harmful rays of the sun. Moreover, Vitamin C is known to produce collagen, the known protein that contributes to the skin’s strength.

3. It is best to choose skin cream that can be easily absorbed by the skin. One of the factors that will affect the efficiency of the skin creams is its ability to penetrate quickly into the skin. It is best if it can seep through the innermost layer of the skin. Hence, even if the skin cream contains most of the necessary ingredients needed to cure wrinkles but the fact that it does not penetrate easily into the skin, the whole treatment is useless. It has to work thoroughly inside the skin in order to produce the lost elements due to damage.

4. It has to be hypoallergenic.

As mentioned, not all skin creams are created equal and not all skins are the same. Hence, there are some instances wherein some skins are really sensitive and can generate adverse reactions once there are some components that they cannot tolerate. So, it would be better to use skin creams that contain hypoallergenic materials or natural substances that will work safely on the skin.

Indeed, even if the skin has the natural ability to heal itself, it still needs some help from other substances that are usually contained in the skin creams. It is true that people can never wash away years but skin creams can help the skin rejuvenate itself to a better state.

Good Nutrition and Your Complexion

As the old cliche goes, “Health is Wealth.” Hence, it is always important to uphold the value of proper eating and living a healthy lifestyle in order to stay in shape and to be perfectly well.

However, being healthy is not only constrained on having a perfect body. In fact, aside from having a perfect body, being healthy could also mean having a healthy skin as shown in the skin’s complexion.

That is why, most people who are known to be health buffs are also known to be good-looking people. This is because the inner beauty radiates and exudes deep from within, even without the traces of make up.

Nowadays, looking good is not anymore a factor of being vain but is already considered one way of staying healthy. This is because many medical experts are now insisting on the fact that good nutrition is, indeed, an important factor in having a good complexion and image.

In reality, many people are not aware that good nutrition is a great factor in generating a healthy good-looking skin. They only thought that eating the right kind of food would make people healthier and live life longer. What they do not know is that good nutrition is also a big factor in having a good complexion and healthy skin.

Therefore, for people who are not aware why good nutrition is important in maintaining a healthy skin complexion, here are some reasons that they should be aware of.

1. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin A is important in maintaining a healthy skin. A daily dose of vitamin A is proven to be an effective way of reducing the appearance of acne, wrinkles, and other skin problems. However, care must be properly observed when taking foods rich in vitamin A. Too much intake of this vitamin may result to serious problems like liver diseases.

2. Good nutrition replenishes the lost vitamins and minerals that the human body is not capable of producing. When people are exposed to the sun the skin’s reservoir of vitamin C goes down, and unlike most animals, humans cannot make vitamin C. Therefore, it is important to reproduce vitamin C by eating foods that re rich in vitamin C. In this way, the skin will be able to combat the harmful effects of the damages caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

3. Eating foods rich in antioxidants is definitely good for the skin. In order for the skin to work against the upshots of oxidants or the free radicals that are manufactured when the body cells burn oxygen in order to generate energy, it is important for the people to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. These foods are the “green, leafy vegetables” like the spinach. Antioxidants are also present in foods that are rich in carotenoids like beta-carotene. A good example of this is carrots. It can also be present in food supplements such as vitamins E and C.

4. Eating foods rich in fiber can also contribute to good skin complexion. Fiber, or roughage, is composed from the plant’s cell wall material. Whole grains, legumes, citrus fruits, nuts, and vegetables are all good sources of dietary fiber. On its basic sense, fiber is an example of complex carbohydrate that is relatively essential in the absorption of the other nutrients into the body. Without fiber, some of the nutrients will only be put to waste and will not be consumed by the body. Hence, with fiber, the skin’s complexion will be healthier looking and will even produce healthy glow.

5. For proper growth and production of new skin cells, proteins are the best sources in order to help in this process. Proteins are chains of amino acids responsible for the skin’s cell growth and maintenance. Protein in foods from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy is called complete protein because it contains essential amino acids necessary for building and maintaining skin cells. Thus, a properly maintained skin cell will result to a good skin complexion.

Indeed, eating right does not merely produce a healthy body but a healthy skin as well. Hence, people should be more aware of what they are eating because it will surely reflect on their skin’s appearance.

As most people say, “You are what you eat.”

How Free Radicals Damage Skin Cells

For those who haven’t heard about what free-radicals are yet – read and weep. Free-radicals are bad news. These free-radicals are linked to the origins of cancer, illness, an aging. Scientists are now focusing their efforts on understanding how free-radicals work what effects they have on the body.

For those interested in how free-radicals affect the skin, let it be said that free-radicals are definitely harmful to the skin. Free-radicals initiate the deterioration of the skin’s structural support and decrease the elasticity, resilience, and suppleness of skin. They are often tagged as the culprit in the case of wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity and suppleness.

Damage due to free-radicals isn’t something that is easily explained, as it happens on an atomic level. When oxygen molecules are involved in chemical reactions, they usually lose one electron of their electrons. In turn these molecules, which are now called free-radicals, will take electrons from nearby molecules. This will set off a chain reaction that is summarily called free-radical damage.

So pretty much anything that contains oxygen – carbon monoxide, hydrogen peroxide – can cause free-radical damage. Often the causes of adverse free-radical damage in the natural world are exhaust fumes, too much sunlight, and other sources that contain oxygen.

Other Causes of Free-radical Damage to the Skin

Radiation Radiation may cause the build up of free-radicals. X-rays, gamma rays and others may increase the presence of free-radicals in the body.

Cigarette Smoking Smoking, aside from being a health hazard to the lungs, has been known to cause dry, unhealthy skin, and pale, unhealthy complexion. Also, they have been studied to promote the presence of free-radicals in the body, further complicating the adverse affects tobacco brings.

Inorganic Particles There are also other substances that cause free-radical damage. Among these substances are asbestos, quartz, silica.

Gases Although ozone is not a free-radical, it is a very powerful oxidizing agent. Ozone which degrades under certain conditions, contain two unpaired electrons. This suggests that free-radicals can be formed when this decomposition happens.

But wait, don’t we all need oxygen to live? Yes, we do. Fortunately, we have antioxidants to help us survive!

Antioxidants Antioxidants help prevent free-radical damage by preventing these free-radical molecules from interacting with other molecules, therefore stunting the chain reaction of the process. The good news is that these antioxidants exist bountifully in the human body and the plant world. Antioxidants include ingredients such as vitamins A, C and E; flavonoids; super oxide dismutase; beta carotene; selenium; glutathione; and zinc.

Now back to business. How does this affect one’s skin? Studies are pointing to the fact that wrinkles and other age related skin factors are directly related to free-radical damage that is not countered by antioxidants. If one does not get enough antioxidants from their diet and other sources, their skin cells could break down and lose their ability to function well.

Most lotions and moisturizers nowadays bandy an antioxidant formula specifically targeted to those who are concerned about the free-radical damage. Unfortunately, it is hard to prove if these compounds can actually show dramatic results since it isn’t practical to expect results overnight.

It is however, still a good idea to splurge on antioxidants as the benefits of these compounds are well-known. Some people even believe that with further scientific inquiry, free-radical investigation could lead to startling advances against the effects of aging.

To increase antioxidants in the body one may increase the intake of antioxidants in the diet, or may purchase topical applications of the vitamins A, C, E and the other antioxidant compounds to increase the defense against free-radical damage.

Some scientists think that should free-radical damage be halted or reversed, antioxidants are the answer.

Therefore, to increase the presence of antioxidants in the body, a modified diet presence of antioxidants in the diet, and, possibly, the topical application of antioxidants in skin-care products, plays a part in slowing down free-radical damage.

Conclusion Now, should we all jump into the anti-free-radical bandwagon? Although science has yet to put the finishing touches on the studies regarding free-radicals, there is enough evidence to suggest that antioxidants can benefit the body. Although it will not guarantee an overnight skin miracle, it will at least stymie the effects of free-radical damage, and possibly, reverse them.