We all wonder if there really
is a "face lift in a jar"
and, if so, what is it and
where can I get some- right
now! Of course, we all would
love such a simple remedy
that can miraculously provide
us with the fountain of youth
right in our own little pot
of face cream. But, unfortunately,
the truth of the matter is
a bit more complicated than
a face lift miracle in a jar.
There are a variety of signs
of aging that we see occur
as the years march along that
can include-(just to name
just a few)- sun damage, dry,
scaly skin, dark age spots,
fine lines, wrinkles, mottled
skin tone, enlarged pores,
sagging facial skin, ruddy
skin texture, loss of skin
elasticity and a decrease
in the skin's healing abilities.
Obviously, even if you have
just a few of these aging
skin symptoms, don't you think
it is rather unlikely that
just one simple, little face
cream- the miracle in a jar-
is going to effectively address
such a range of issues? A
magic wand, maybe, but who
has one of those?
But don't despair, effective
skin rejuvenation is possible
with accurate information
and a well thought out strategy.
The first and foremost in
creating an effective skin
rejuvenation regime is to
use clinically proven anti-aging
skin care treatments. Although
the market is saturated with
products that claim to banish
wrinkles forever, firm sagging
skin and make those age spots
just up and disappear right
before your very eyes; there
are in actuality, only a handful
of anti-aging treatments that
have been independently clinically
proven to be effective.
Start your skin rejuvenation
regime with clinically proven
skin care treatments. For
example, some of the more
popular favorites are Vitamin
A-(better known as retinol),
glycolic acid- (an alpha hydroxy
acid, AHA), Vitamin C Ester,
and Vitamin K. The trick is
to make sure that the active
ingredient(s) in products
you select have incorporated
an appropriate percentage
of the anti-aging treatment.
If you review the ingredient
list and the product only
has a 1% concentration of
glycolic acid, then why bother?
An effective concentration
of glycolic acid should be
at least 8%. (Although, any
product with a concentration
of glycolic acid over 15%
should only be administered
by a professional, you don't
want to harm your skin!) The
Vitamin A, retinol products
should have at least a .15%
concentration. The strongest
over the counter retinol product
that you can buy without a
prescription is 1%. The higher
concentrations of both glycolic
acid and retinol can be rather
strong so start very, very
slowly so your skin has a
chance to get use to them.
Just these two skin care treatments
can accomplish a great deal
in rejuvenating aging skin
including exfoliating dead
skin cells, stimulating skin
cell repair, encouraging new
skin cell growth, improving
fine lines and wrinkles, stimulating
collagen production, improving
skin tone and texture, decreasing
enlarged pores and can actually
significantly improve acne
or outbreaks of blemishes.
Not bad for beginning a new
skin rejuvenation regime.
Layering different anti-aging
treatments is also an important
strategy to use if you want
to achieve significant results.
Adding a powerful antioxidant
such as a stable form of Vitamin
C Ester will help protect
the skin from further damage
and improve the skin's healing
ability. A "Super" Vitamin
K product is well known for
improving those dark circles
under the eyes and is helpful
is reducing the redness from
broken capillaries that can
give the skin a red, ruddy
appearance. Although DMAE
hasn't been clinically proven
to firm sagging skim, preliminary
studies have been quite promising.
Hydroquinone in concentrations
of 1% to 2% can be used to
bleach those stubborn age
spots that can blossom with
wild abandon as we age.
There are simply hundreds
of combinations for skin care
treatments that can be tailored
to address your own aging
skin care needs so don't be
afraid to experiment a little
bit to find the best combination
that works for you!
About the author:
Sue Dolan is a researcher
and instructor for the http://www.skincareresourcecenter.com . The Skin Care e-Learning
and Resource Center which
provides education on anti-aging
skin care while focusing on
skin rejuvenation strategies,
techniques, treatment options
and resources for aging skin
care issues.
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