When your Mom was going through menopause pretty much all she
had to counter the effects of aging skin was a jar of cold cream
and a frosted mirror! Not so today. Over the past decade, and
particularly in the last five years, anti-aging skin care has
exploded, as the lines between medicine and cosmetology have
been significantly blurred.
At the same time, even one trip down the beauty aisle of your
favorite pharmarcy or department store can leave in you some
kind of Vogue-induced catatonic state - you simply don't know
what to buy!
The good news is, while products abound, you can boil your
choices down to a few key ingredients which studies show can
make a major difference in the way your skin looks and feels -
sometimes as quickly as two weeks!
To help get you started here's a look at five of the top
age-defying ingredients. So, check your product labels - and get
ready to look too fabulous for words!
The Top 5 Age-Defying Ingredients
1. Retinol/ Retinyl Palmitate/Vitamin A Not 'fresh picked
brand new', but never the less hot as a pistol is retinol,
inarguably the most clinically researched anti-aging ingredient
available today. It's most outstanding feature: It penetrates
deep into all three layers of skin to stimulate collagen - the
substance which keeps skin youthful. Use it daily and see
outstanding results in a month or less. Products to try: Serious
Skin Care A-Force Vitamin A Serum with Retinol; DDF Energizing
Retinol Serum
2 Peptides These tiny little molicules - the building
blocks of protein - are hot, hot, hot when it comes to turning
back the hands of time. While a number of different companies
feature peptide formulations, among the most popular is
"Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 - one of the most exciting anti-aging
technology. The reason: Experts say it can do what no other
compound could before - Instruct the body to make more collagen
wherever the cream is applied! Try it and see plumper, firmer
skin in two weeks. Products to try: Olay Regenerist Serum,
Regenerist Night Cream, Regenerist Eye cream; DDF Cellular
Revitalization Age Renewal Cream;
3. Green Tea The secret lies in a compound known as
epigallocathechin or EGCG - which has been shown to be 100 times
more powerful than Vitamin C and 25 times more powerful than
Vitamin E in finding and destroying free radicals. These are the
nasty compounds that occur during sun exposure and gobble up
collagen and elastin. On the skin's surface, green tea may stop
the aging process by holding a reserve of protective
antioxidants in cells, and protect against UV damage of the sun.
Products to try: Replenix CF Serum, Replenix CF Cream, Paula
Dorf Primrose and Green Tea Night Cream.
4. Argireline You may not know the chemical name, but
there's no doubt you've heard the buzz about argireline
(pronounced ar-ju-LEAN), another peptide complex touted as the
Anti-Botox. It's also a way to get some wrinkle-reducing results
without injections. While it won't be as dramatic as Botox, it
works in a similar way - gradually relaxing the muscles
underneath the wrinkle, so lines seem to disappear. Clinical
trials show a 30% reduction in wrinkles in 30 days! And the
longer you use it, the better the results! Products to try:
Principal Secret's Reclaim Line by Victoria Principal; Adrien
Arpel's Signature Club A Non Toxic Silicone Plus Night Formula;
DDF Wrinkle Relax (highest concentration).
5.Vitamin C It may sound old fashioned but the results
are decidedly new age - and very anti-aging. The reason: Vitamin
C helps rebuild collagen in the skin - and that means a plumper,
less wrinkly complexion. The key lies in two factors. First,
only the L-Asorbic Acid form of vitamin C was shown in clinical
trials to penetrate deep enough into the skin to enact change.
Second- because vitamin C degrades quickly once it hits the air,
so look for products in sealed bottles (with an air-tight pump)
or better still, individual single use topical capsules. See
results in about 30 days - optimum in about 90 days. Products to
try: Adrien Arpel's Signature Club A Vitamin C Capsules from
Home Shopping Network; Avon's Anew Vitamin C Serum.
To learn more about the anti aging ingredients that really work
visit
http://www.YourMenopause.com or
http://www.HotFlashMall.com
About the author:
Colette Bouchez is the author of
Your Perfectly Pampered
Menopause: Health, Beauty and Lifestyle Advice for the Best
Years of Your Life (Broadway Books, NY) and the creator
of
Http://www.YourMenopause.com and
http://www.HotFlashMall.com
