The Natural Wrinkle Cure

If the main cause of wrinkled skin is sun exposure, the main preventive measure would seem to be avoiding the sun. But if you already have wrinkles, what can you do. Fortunately, there are natural remedies for wrinkling that begin by making skin healthy from the inside out.

For starters, reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar in your diet. Sugar is enemy number one of circulation in the skin. Even in people who are not diabetic or pre-diabetic, excessive levels of sugar in the bloodstream can, through a process known as glycation, "sugar-coat" cells throughout the body. In the skin, glycation impedes circulation, restricting access of the immune system, and making the skin less supple. If you can't cut out the sugar, at least drink more water.

And alpha-lipoic acid, taken by mouth or applied to the skin in skin creams, partially offsets the effects of glycation. Many dermatologists use alpha-lipoic acid in creams to treat bags under the eyes, dull skin, and enlarged pores, and in lieu of botox injections to the neck area.

Beta-carotene, the famous nutrient from carrots, also provides needed antioxidants. Natural pharmacy experts Joe and Teresa Graedon tell the story of one of their counselees who misunderstood their recommendation to eat a few extra carrots, ate 3 pounds (about 1500 grams), and turned orange.

But eating carrots, or taking beta-carotene, or, better, mixed carotenoids, makes skin more resistant to damage from active UV-B and heat. Skin that is well supplied with alpha- and beta-carotene can take more UV exposure before damage sets in.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish, microalgae, and nuts, reduce inflammation and increase the rate at which healthy cells multiply. And vitamin C and E applied directly to the skin in creams can reverse wrinkling. (Don't go the route of wrinkles and juicing.) There are two things to remember about C and E for your skin:

You apply C and E to the skin. You don't take them as supplements.

You have to use a cream that contains both C and E. They don't repair skin if the cream does not contain both vitamins.

Use natural ingredient liquid foundations for oily skin and for dry skin alike, but remember, alpha-hydroxy acids are not helpful for people under 30 or over 70. That's because they shorten wrinkles rather than eliminating them. They work by stimulating the growth of the basal layer and forcing a turnover of old skin for new.

The perplexing thing about alpha-hydroxy acids for consumers is that they come under a tremendous variety of labels. Here is a partial list:

Alpha hydroxy acid ingredients may be listed as:
• alpha hydroxy and botanical complex
• alpha hydroxycaprylic acid
• alpha hydroxyethanoic acid + ammonium alpha hydroxyethanoate
• alpha hydroxyoctanoic acid
• citric acid
• glycolic acid
• glycolic acid + ammonium glycolate
• glycomer in cross-linked fatty acids alpha nutrium (3 AHAs)
• hydroxycaprylic acid
• lactic acid
• L-alpha hydroxy acid
• malic acid
• mixed fruit acid
• sugarcane extract
• tri-alpha hydroxy fruit acids
• triple fruit acid

And vitamin C esters are preferable to vitamin C. Ascorbyl palmitate is about 10 times as active in restoring skin as regular vitamin C.

What else can you do about wrinkles?

Apply SPF-30 or higher sunblock to exposed skin every day of the year.

There is no single best carrier oil for wrinkled skin. If you have oily skin, don't try to dry out your skin. Oils protect it. Limit use of astringents to twice a week. Use oil-free foundation. An anti-aging face wash for oily skin that you use every day should not contain astringents.

If you have dry skin, don't use buffing pads, granular soaps, or hard soap. Lock in moisture to your skin by using moisturizers when your skin is still damp.