Women Skin Care & Beauty Blog

Maintaining a healthy, young-looking skin takes more than just a miracle. You will need to consult with dermatologists, take the appropriate formulations and the most efficient and effective way to provide vitamins to your skin. You will also need to utilize the best supplements for the skin available.

Antioxidants keep free radicals from destroying the walls and structures of the skin as well as the DNA. Free radicals are the products of the oxidation of oxygen molecules; however, they can also be formed through exposure to different environmental factors, ultraviolet radiation and smoking. Free radicals also have the capability to accelerate the aging process.

Vitamin E – This vitamin is the most significant body antioxidant that gives protection to cell membranes and prevents destruction to membrane-related enzymes. This can be obtained from vegetables like sunflower oil, whole grains like wheat germ, oats and brown rice as well as dairy products, meats and nuts. According to new studies, vitamin E is helpful in deactivating free radicals. There are also studies that reveal the potential of the topical vitamin E named d-alpha-tocopherol to minimize sunburn cell production, lessen the production of cells that cause cancer and chornic UV-induced damage. Studies in the past showed that typical vitamin E supplements, consumed together with Vitamin A supplements, were related to 70 percent decreased risk of basal cell carcinomas.

Selenium – This mineral is important to glutathione peroxidase, an antioxidant, that helps protect the body from cancers like skin cancer. Selenium also helps in preserving the elasticity of tissues and slows down the hardening and aging of tissues through oxidation. This mineral can be obtained from seafood, whole grain cereals, eggs and garlic.

When selenium is taken orally every day in 50 to 200 micrograms, this mineral protects the skin from the damaging sun rays.  Latest studies made on animals have revealed that when applied topically through L-selenomethionine or orally, selenium showed protection against excessive and daily UV damage with less exposure to burning. The study also demonstrated a delay in the onset and a reduction in the incidence of animal skin cancers.

Vitamin C – This vitamin is the most abundant antioxidant in the skin. This can be obtained from citrus fruits and vegetables. This also repairs free radicals and prevents them from becoming cancers and speeding up aging.  Topical vitamin C prevents consequences of extreme sun exposure which may lead to cancer of the skin. A study made recently showed that the application of topical Vitamin C to the skin, 15 to 30 minutes after exposing the skin to UV rays, will cause a decrease of sunburn cells and start of repair work on the damaged skin. This vitamin is commonly found in L-ascorbic acid, a highly active form of antioxidant that breaks down instantly when exposed to oxygen. This means that this will easily lose its stability and become less effective.

In recent studies conducted on animals, oral vitamin C was shown to minimize UV-reduced tumors while when it is applied topically, it reduces low-level UV-exposure to mouse skin.

No matter how hard you try to avoid them, the signs of aging will show up sooner or later. And the problem is not just restricted to wrinkles and fine lines on your skin, but extends to physiological and psychological changes as well. Despite modern medicine advancing by leaps and bounds, there is still no ‘magic pill’ to prevent the aftermath of aging. Diet can obviously play a very important part in deciding how gracefully you age and whether your health remains intact throughout the aging process. But then is there anything such as an anti-aging diet?

Perhaps there is! Some foods and drinks contain powerful components called phyto-nutrients, which are believed to hold the key to long-life. These are actually anti-oxidants which destroy disease-causing free radicals in your body. You may not be aware but these ‘free radicals’ are oxygen molecules which can hasten the onset of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Other than antioxidants such as these, some other foods also enhance the rate at which you age by causing cellular inflammation. So, an ideal anti-aging diet should consist of foods which are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.

Therefore such a diet can never include trans-fatty acids, sugars, starches and saturated fats. Ideally you should look at diets comprising of:

• Cold water fishes such as salmon which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This acid offers a multitude of health benefits.
• Avocado, which is a great source of monounsaturated fat, which is healthy and helps reduce bad cholesterol from your body. It is also a good source of vitamin E which prevents signs of aging from showing up on your skin in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Being rich in potassium it also helps you keep blood pressure under check.
• Berries are a great source of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. All black and blue berries help reduce the number of free radicals in the body.
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and sprouts which can significantly reduce the amount of toxins in your body. These are best eaten raw or very mildly-cooked so as to keep the important enzymes intact.
• Nuts, which are not only great sources of minerals but also help you control the levels of cholesterol in your body.
• Wholegrain foods, which provide soluble dietary fibers and also large amounts of phyto-nutrients.
• Yogurt which has probiotic elements. These help in introducing good bacteria to your intestines particularly when you have yogurt with active cultures.
• Whole meal pasta and rice which gives you complex carbs. This helps you stay energetic and beat lethargy, which is a vital sign of aging.
• Soya which helps stabilize estrogen levels after menopause. Unstable estrogen may hasten aging post menopause and fermented Soya products can help you prevent that.
• Lots and lots of water everyday. Provided you are drinking clean water, there is better way to flush out toxins from your body and keep your skin fresh and radiant.

It’s not necessary to have all of these as a part of your diet, but you should definitely try to include as many as possible. Remember that anti-aging diets are simple and effective and there is nothing miraculous about them!