Retinol

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that comes from animal sources such as cod liver oil, butter, margarine, liver, eggs, cheese, and milk.

When applied to the skin in a cream or lotion, retinol acts similarly to lavender essential oil by speeding up the rate at which new skin cells appear, and the old ones fall away, so promoting a fresher appearance.

It also increases the production of collagen, the skin’s supportive protein, to give a more youthful appearance and reduce fine lines.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid

Alpha hydroxy acids are natural and synthetic chemical compounds derived from food products such as sugar cane (glycolic acid), sour milk (lactic acid), apples (malic acid), citrus fruits (citric acid) and grape wine (tartaric acid).

They are well-known for their use in the cosmetics industry and are often found in products claiming to reduce wrinkles or the signs of ageing All these natural acids, to one degree or another, penetrate the epidermis or uppermost layer of the skin to act as an exfoliator, that is, they encourage the shedding of old, dead skin cells that can make the skin look dull.

This allows new, fresh skin cells to come to the surface, which in turn make the skin look fresher and smoother. In varying concentrations, these acids are also used to repair sun damage, skin discolouration and acne.

Sun Screen

One of the best and most basic ways to delay the signs of ageing is to use a sunscreen. Sunscreen, sun block, sun lotion or sun cream is a lotion, spray, gel or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the skin exposed to sunlight and thus helps protect against sunburn. 

Excessive exposure to direct sunlight is potentially harmful and, if you do not wear sun protective clothing or use suitable sunscreen, can result in sunburn and increased risk of skin ageing and skin cancer.

Products with a higher SPF (Sun Protection Factor) level provide greater protection against ultraviolet radiation. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and apply thickly enough to get the full SPF protection.

You should apply a sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before exposure and 15 to 30 minutes after the sun exposure begins. You should re-apply the cream after activities such as swimming or sweating.

The sun’s rays are strongest between 11 am and 3 pm so if you are outside during these times either apply a high protection level sunscreen and/or wear a hat with a brim, clothes that cover your arms and legs, and anti-UV sunglasses to protect against ultraviolet radiation entering the eyes.

A limited amount of unprotected exposure to the sun’s rays is recommended because an over-use of sunscreen also interferes with vitamin D production, leading to possible deficiency. 

Doctors recommend spending small amounts of time in the sun, for example, ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands or back, without sun protection to ensure adequate production of vitamin D. If you feel you are not getting enough exposure to therapeutic amounts of sun, a vitamin D supplement may be of benefit.

Three Anti-Ageing Secrets and Tips

Staying Young, looking younger or just feeling younger is a multi-million dollar industry. There’s a perfect reason for it. We have an ever-ageing generation. This generation is one of the largest generation on the planet. Naturally, there’s a huge number of this population that do not want to grow old. Therefore, anti-ageing products are rampant in the marketplace.

But don’t get ‘taken’ by the unnecessary products that play on the emotions of those who wish to look young.

The following are three secrets and tips that will allow you to avoid the risks of buying certain products that are not needed.

Secret Tip #1: Feed Your Face

If you feed your face with anti-ageing food on a consistent basis, you’ll find it easier to stay young. Another way to say this is to just make sure you’re not feeding your body full of junk that is sure to perpetuate the ageing process. Also, know that if you try to escape the eating step, you’ll grow older faster. The body knows what it needs. Just give it to your body.

Secret Tip #2: Pick Something or Go Somewhere

In other words, get up off the couch, turn the TV off and do some anti-ageing activities. This doesn’t have to be work either. Find an activity or two that you enjoy. Walk, run, weight train, ride a bike, get on a pogo stick. Do anything that causes your body to move and exert some activity. This will allow your body to stay young by stretching muscles and keeping you limber at the same time.

Secret Tip #3: Don’t Be A Party Pooper

Mentioned above for the #2 Anti-ageing Secret Tip was finding something you enjoy. Find something you have fun doing. Just know this, if drinking alcohol into a drunken stupor is the one thing you enjoy, you are not going stay young for very long. In fact, if you’re older in age, and you’re doing this you may not even enjoy staying old. The key to the entire process of anti-ageing is to treat your body right and have fun doing it.

Enjoy life, stay young mentally, emotionally, physically, and you’ll see an anti-ageing process that you’ll be happy about. That will give you the motivation and momentum to continue the lifestyle of anti-ageing.

Ten Steps You Can Take To Slow Down Ageing

Ageing is a complex process that involves many areas of your body. It’s unlikely that anyone product or pill could cure all the ailments of ageing. However, there are things you can do that not only will help you age more slowly but will improve your quality of life. Your best bet for a long and healthy life is to:

1. Eat a varied and healthy diet. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins all play a part in keeping your body functioning at its best. Drink lots of fluids to maintain healthy skin and flush out waste. Eating right will help you maintain a healthy weight.
2. Exercise every day. Exercise improves appetite, makes healthy bones, gives you a better emotional outlook and improves digestion and circulation. Exercise makes you stronger and helps you lose weight.
3. Seeking prompt medical care when you’re ill or injured. Listen to your body and take care of any little problems before they become big problems. Get screened for diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
4. Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Professionals agree that one of the most significant factors contributing to ageing is chronic inflammation of the skin.
5. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking has very damaging effects and dramatically increases your risk of getting cancer and heart disease.
6. Manage stress. Stress is a part of everyday life. Develop ways to help you cope and adjust to situations in your life that may cause you stress. The situation isn’t the problem. It’s how you react to it.
7. Look for ways to improve overall well-being and enthusiasm for life. Be curious and creative, which will encourage you to learn new things. You can also use humour and laughter to help you age well and live long.
8. Keep strong relationships. Maintaining close ties to your family and friends are crucial to healthy ageing.
9. Don’t let fears and worries dominate your life. A worried mind is not at peace and robs you of zest and energy which you need to maintain youthfulness.
10. Keep cells youthful with antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in a full-range of fruits and vegetables, as well as in some meat, like fish. Although, our bodies produce its own antioxidants, the level of product declines over time because of environmental factors and through the ageing process. You can also take anti oxidant supplements or even anti oxidant teas.
11. Do all you can to be healthy and in doing so you will age slower. If you have any questions about products that claim to slow or reverse ageing ask your doctor. He or she can help you sort through the information and get the facts.
12. Diet plays an important role in keeping mind and body young, healthy and sexy. There is a lot you can do to slow down the natural ageing of cells and ward off common ailments.
13. A diet rich in antioxidants is a natural, simple way to keep your skin and body in the best possible condition, but what exactly is an antioxidant?

Despite the hype about anti-ageing solutions, we know there’s no fountain of youth. However, we also know that there are things we can do to live young as we age, such as exercising, eating well and taking supplements.

Unstable molecules in your body called free radicals cause a condition called oxidative stress, which is associated with more than 100 diseases, according to published studies. Each of the millions of cells in your body is assaulted by free radicals more than 10,000 times each day, causing cell damage and cellular ageing. 

Changing your diet alone isn’t enough. Free radicals are a natural by-product of your body’s normal metabolism of food to create energy. Additionally, while conventional antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are important for many nutritional reasons, studies show they do not eliminate age-related stress when consumed in the quantities generally recommended.

Oxidative stress is made worse by exposure to such things as tobacco smoke, alcohol, insecticides, chlorine and even excessive sunlight. Elevated oxidative stress is associated with heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and cancer, among others, according to published research. The human body produces its own antioxidant enzymes to fight free radicals and support cellular health.

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