Preventing Wrinkles Before It's Too Late

Antioxidants

Antioxidants protect skin tissue that gets damaged from oxidation. It is the process of oxidation that causes free radicals. Antioxidants are important because they counteract oxidation so the skin's aging process slows down. There are many helpful antioxidants; some applied to the face and some taken orally.

• Vitamins C and E are antioxidants very beneficial to the skin. Vitamin C helps to build collagen. The best form of Vitamin C is called L-ascorbic acid. If it is used at a percentage higher than 2%, it can actually break collagen down rather than build collagen. Vitamin E helps to shield damage caused by ultraviolet light.
  
• Pycnogenol is an extremely powerful antioxidant.  It is 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C and compared to Vitamin E, it is 50 times more powerful. It has the ability to bind collagen fibers and in doing so, creates a much more youthful appearance.
• Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is 400 times more potent than Vitamins C and E. This is one of the products that should be taken orally to be the most effective. It proved to be the least effective antioxidant when used on the skin according to Allure Magazine.
• CoQ10 is necessary to build energy from glucose in our cells. Since it is used in every cell in our bodies, it is vital in it's ability to recharge Vitamin E which generates energy. One of the factors that depletes CoQ10 is stress. This enzyme is naturally present in our body but decreases with age.
• Another powerful antioxidant is Nayad. This ingredient is derived from the cellular wall of baker's yeast.  It has the ability to improve moisture in the skin by 27% and reduce wrinkles by 56%. It also can make the skin more firm and improve the elasticity by a whopping 74%. This should be used daily and you want to look for a product that has Yeast Extract, Beta-1-3-6 Glucan or NBG (which is Norwegian Beta-Glucan) in it as these are other names for Nayad.  If you use this daily, you will have younger looking skin.
  
• Copper peptides play a role in our body's antioxidant defense and aids in strength and flexibility. Copper peptides activate collagen and elastin.
  

• The last antioxidant I will mention here is called kinetin. Scientists discovered that it prevents the aging of plant leaves. Kinetin is a plant extract and lab studies shows that it delays the destruction of skin fibroblasts. A fibroblast is the unit in skin cells that produces elastin and collagen.

Air pollution, smoking, sun exposure, aging and stress help to deplete antioxidants and thus encourage free radicals to form. Wrinkles are a result of collagen breaking down in the skin and then the free radicals either damage or kill the skin cells.

Sure, we can call wrinkles "laugh lines" or "character lines" and even "expression lines" but do we really want those "crows feet"? I know I don't. Luckily, I have never smoked. I have seen many smokers with the vertical lines on their upper lips. Not a pretty sight. People who smoke, definitely have more wrinkles.

Not taking care of our skin is another reason why we age prematurely. With all the products out there on the market today, there is no reason why we can't have a more supple appearance. Of course, heredity is probably one of the main factors in how we age. Exposure to sun in our life is another factor. Empower yourself with the knowledge of what these and other ingredients can do for you. You will be glad in the long run.

More information on preventing wrinkles

Check this out if you have pimples