Looking for the best anti aging skin care regime? The best anti aging skin care products are not necessarily what you put on your skin as what you put in your mouth. Oxidation and sun exposure cause wrinkles, sun exposure and hormone imbalances cause age spots, smoking, toxins and hormone disruptors also cause oxidation and inflammation. Inflammation can manifest as rashes, dryness, breakouts, dullness, wrinkling, sagging and a whole host of skin disorders. Here are some tips to keep your skin soft, smooth and resilient.
What you see on the outside is a reflection of what is going on inside. Anti aging skin care has to address all of the issues.
•Avoiding oxidation is the top anti aging skin care secret. Smoking, sun exposure, poor diet and exposure to toxins causes oxidation which is the main cause of wrinkling and loss of collagen and elasticity.
-Take a broad spectrum anti oxidant supplement that contains vitamin A as mixed carotenoids: 2,500 to 5,000 IU; a balanced B complex (which includes all the B vitamins); vitamin C with bioflavonoid, 500 to 1,000 mg; natural E with mixed tocopherols, 200 IU for younger people and 400 or more if you are over 35,
-Add coenzyme Q10, 30 to 100 mg ,which will give you energy to regenerate and repair.
-Add the master antioxidants alpha lipoic acid which is a broad spectrum fat and water soluble anti oxidant plus and N-acetyl cysteine that is the precursor to glutathione a master antioxidant and detoxifier. Both recycle other anti oxidants.
-Lutein and zeaxanthin found in kale, spinach and chard may protect against sun damage and are essential elements of anti aging skin care. They are also available as supplements.
-Protect your skin against damaging rays from the sun using a sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Avoid sun at peak hours of the day between 10AM and 4PM.
-Don’t smoke! Smoking is a major producer of free radicals that causes wrinkling.
-Eat plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables that are full of anti oxidants and phytonutrients that you can’t get in a supplement.
•Reducing inflammation can make your skin clear, smooth, supple and blemish free and is an essential component of anti aging skin care.
-Detoxify by doing an elimination diet such as the Shake, Bake and Salad Slimdown with detoxifying herbs and supplements. This includes avoiding the troublesome 10 for 2 weeks: alcohol, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, corn, dairy, eggs, peanuts, sugar, soy, wheat and anything with gluten in it. Watch your skin clear up and glow.
-Test foods after the elimination diet and avoid those that cause symptoms, which are a sign of inflammation. Reducing inflammation is not only for anti aging skin care, it is the root cause of most major illnesses and can reduce your risk of many diseases of aging.
-Eat more fats that flow that is anything that can be made into oil such as fish, olives, avocados, nuts, seeds and any of their oils.
-Anti aging skin care requires that you eat less sugar, grain, starches, meat, dairy and saturated fats, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, which cause inflammation.
-Add a good quality fish oil with an EPA/DHA content of at least 700 in the natural triglyceride form.
•Balancing hormones can keep your skin elastic and preserve collagen and is not just for anti aging skin care, it can slow the aging process by preserving memory, bone, brain, heart and preventing illness.
-Reduce the stress hormone cortisol that breaks down collagen by taking a potent multivitamin with at least 50mg of B vitamins, 1,000 mg of Vitamin C and 400 mg of magnesium.
-Reduce stress with deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, and any stress reduction technique that works for you to avoid collagen breakdown and worry lines.
-Assure you have adequate estrogen, which keeps skin elastic and lessens sagging. Topical estriol cream is especially good for skin, which has specific receptors for this weak estrogen. It is a safe estrogen to take if you don’t want to be on hormone replacement.
-Build collagen with from the inside out with Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid. It works on restoring hair, skin, nails and bone.
-Have your hormones measured and balanced and consider hormone replacement therapy when symptomatic.
Of course there are many potions and lotions, injectable botox and fillers and other things you can add to your regime. An anti aging skin care regime has to work from the inside out to preserve your skin and overall health. Start with the basics, which are less expensive and reap greater rewards. Consult with a functional and anti aging medical specialist to get the best results.
Lorraine Maita, MD is a recognized and award winning physician and author transforming people's lives through preventive and anti aging medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Anti Aging and Regenerative Medicine and Board Certified in Internal Medicine and has over 18 years experience in Preventive Health and Wellness, Internal, Occupational and Travel Medicine and Executive Health.
Dr. Maita served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Prudential Financial, Medical Director on The Pfizer Health Leadership Team and Medical Director of North America for Johnson & Johnson Global Health Service and was an attending physician at St.Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital, Emergency Department and Executive Health Examine rs in New York City. She is a consultant for companies wanting to develop or enhance their employee and occupational health and wellness programs and has a private practice in Short Hills, NJ.
She is author of "Vibrance for Life: How to Live Younger and Healthier".