Purely Personal Skin Care

You can study and read articles about  skin rejuvenation products and not get the real truth.  Neuropeptides (argineline) plus antioxidants are a powerful anti-wrinkle serum.  Read the label.  How often do we say that? If you can find a product that contains 10%  neuropeptides and multiple anti-oxidants – they are highly effective in reducing crow’s feet, forehead lines, frown  and lip lines.  Neuropeptides enhance Botox.  Or they are an injection alternative (Botox parralizes the nerves) with green tea and Vitamin E – antioxidants that fight free radicals.

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A or Retinol Drops) increases and stimulates collagen production and restores elasticity (elastins) to the skin.

Add all of the above to Hyaluronic Acid, which holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water which then improves skin texture by boosting moisture level and you have a powerful anti-wrinkle product – you might even call it Wri-Lax - relax.  Relax the wrinkles, increase moisture in the skin and the finished product – peachy cream, soft, supple skin.

You’ll start thinking about skin-tightening when you notice your skin losing its firmness and elasticity because your body’s production of collagen and elastin is slowing down, a natural occurence with aging.

These are the structural proteins essential to keeping your skin young looking.  So how do you replenish these elements so valuable to a healthy youthful looking skin?  You can’t introduce these elements into your skin.  Their large molecules cannot be accommodated by the pores.  The best skin rejuvenating cream is one that will stimulate production of collagen and elastin.

Always read the ingredients in a skin care product.  Look for alcohol free as alcohol dries your skin.  Products containing anti-oxidants, algae, active peptides and beta hydroxyacids in ideal levels assure real skin improvement.  These ingredients stimulate the productivity of collagen and elastin.  You will most likely find ideal levels in dermatology-formulated products.

Browsing through a Growing Bolder website, I gathered that the way to become a lively centenarian is just to have a growing bolder attitude.  I was really just surfing the internet looking for a new perspective on quality skin care for those growing older.  Maybe I found it. . .with Growing Bolder’s dictum: “It’s all a matter of attitude”.

Suppose we’ve just been mindlessly cruising along , feeling good about life, and taking the matter of aging as a normal, out-of-our-control process, when we wake up one day  and say: “It’s not completely out of our control”.  And before you know it, we’ve taken a new look at skin care and have decided. . . . ..here’s where we can take control.

And soon we’re indulging ourselves with daily and weekly skin care routines, and now able to tell others the language of anti-aging . . . .facial cleanser, exfoliation, anti-aging moisturizing, facial masks, lipid drops, body wash, skin rejuvenation, glycolic renewal gel, body scrubs and more. Growing old? Time to grow bold!  Adopt a revitalized skin care attitude!

The difference between a baby’s skin and an adults is the loss of smoothness due to aging.  Young healthy skin is rich in a substance that acts like a plastic wrap that traps natural moisture in the body.  Its large complex molecules, called lipids, trap the skin’s natural high water content.  As we age the lipid content decreases resulting in a dull, lackluster skin appearance.  Loss of lipids causes wrinkles as we age.

Rejuvenate your skin with lipid drops – they will help replace the skin’s natural lipids and should be used twice a day as a premoisturizer.

Your skin is not the same across the seasons of the year.  In the winter it becomes dry and flaky.  Summer offers challenges from the sun and heat and in the rainy season (if you have one) the humidity adds moisture to your skin.

As the summer season draws to a close it’s a good time to update your skin care regimen and prepare the for the colder months.  Here’s a good tip.

Exfoliate: Exfoliation removes dead skin cells with a combination of glycolic acid and salicylic acid.  The combination improves skin texture and tones while minimizing the appearance of pores.  The salicylic acid penetrates into the pores and effectively dissolves oil and debris.

A good exfoliator will combine some botanicals, such as camomile and eucalyptus, to soothe and calm skin inflammation and irritation caused by the acids.  After exfoliating, your skin will have a certain glow and smoothness.

Make sure your exfoliate is alcohol-free as the alcohol will dry out your skin.  As always, read the ingredients when purchasing any skin care product.  You have a better chance for success with your skin care products if you use dermatologist-formulated products.

Exfoliate once a week in the winter after you cleanse and then, of course, moisturize with a rich moisturizer designed to fight the elements.

How about the long term damage sun exposure can cause with its concomitant skin cancer and wrinkle-producing concerns?  Most sun screens do an excellent job of absorbing UVB rays, but may not do as well with UVA rays.  Many of the newer sunscreens will screen both.  The best will usually contain zinc oxide.  Zinc oxide is the white “stuff” you often get with sun protection.  The better, dermatology formulated sun screens provide the zinc oxide in very small particles and you will never have the “white” look as you apply and later perspire.  Titanium dioxide is another fabulous ingredient to look for in your sun protector.

An ideal sun screen for daily use also includes a moisturizer.  All you need to do in the morning is apply your sun screen to your face and you’re protected against UVA and UVB rays and able to fight the wrinkle-producing component of sun exposure.  You can also find a sun screen with a slight tint and avoid using make up while you’re out in the sun.

If a sunscreen has a label offering 15 SPF you can expect your skin will have absorbed only an hours worth of ultraviolet sunlight, having been used over a 15 hour period.

Sun protection is particularly important for children, as 85% of sun exposure damage occurs before the age of 18.

Make a bath a spa experience.  Gather your supplies - body scrub, foot scrub, pumice stone and razor.  Coconut oil based sugar scrubs, scented with delicate essential oils – all natural ingredients – make a bath a bathing experience.  Take some time to soak a bit – maybe read a book or magazine and allow your skin to soften and get ready for the tingly feel of a sugar scrub.  Your skin will glow and you’ll feel as though you’ve been to the spa.

Shaving is a delight as the coconut oil in the sugar scrub lubricates the skin and allows the razor to glide over the surface of your skin.  This is a multi-use product that is a pleasure to use.  You’ll feel soft and lightly scented – a truly lovely experience.

You lather with sunscreen, don a hat and shirt that’s SPF protected.  What is the area most of us forget to protect?  The lips.  However, faithfully applying and reapplying sun block to the lips keeps them kissably cancer-free.  Amazingly, the lips are a common spot for squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer.  And, guess what?  The lower lip is the more likely target as that’s where we get more sun exposure.

Please be picky about what you lather with.  Dermatologist formulated sunscreen or SPF-fortified lip balm is your best bet.  Apply and reapply several times a day, especially after eating, swimming or kissing.  Some dermatologists believe that shiny lip gloss focuses more UV rays on your lips – skip the shiny gloss for outdoor activities.