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A balanced-healthy diet is the perfect companion for any skin care regimen.

Look your best this summer by adding the following essential foods to your diet. They’ll be great for your health and will do wonders for your skin!

Green and Red Peppers                                                                                                                                   The natural nutrients and anti-oxidants provided by red and green peppers help to prevent the development of free radicals that contribute to skin cell damage, and premature aging. Not to mention, the high water content is great for skin!

Fish                                                                                                                                                                       The Omega 3 fatty acids within fish help to prevent heart disease, and help to stimulate the immune system. The oils also moisturize skin and act as a natural anti-inflammatory.

• Don’t like fish? Try extra virgin olive oil for a similar effect!

Strawberries                                                                                                                                                       Not only are strawberries tasty and easy to prepare, but are also high in Vitamin C, which helps to fend off wrinkles and age related skin dryness.

Double the deliciousness by dipping your strawberries in dark chocolate. The high concentration of antioxidants found in cocoa beans makes it a popular anti-aging food essential.

Tomatoes                                                                                                                                                     Lycopene, a carotenoid helps to keep skin smooth, and may help to protect skin from painful sunburns.

• Tomatoes as well as pink grapefruit, carrots, watermelon, guava, and red peppers are all great sources for lycopene.

Tofu                                                                                                                                                                       Tofu and other soy products such as soymilk help to preserve your skins appearance by promoting collagen production, the firming agent of skin.

Red Wine                                                                                                                                                               At the end of a long hard day, it’s great to relax with a glass of red wine. But did you know it also helps to improve skin texture by increasing blood flow, which helps to increase the supply of nutrients and oxygen, promoting cell turnover?

• Tea and Cocoa work too!

To get the best results, buy local organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible. As a rule, nutrients begin to break down the moment food is harvested. Buying local organic food compensates for this biological reaction, as organic food tends to have more nutrients overall and less time transpires between farm and table.

References and Research Material

Dr. Phil: Anti-Aging Tips                                                                                                                                 Eating Well: Anti-Aging Foods for your Skin                                                                                                   Dr. Cynthia Bailey: Best Diet for Healthy Skin

The anti-aging vacuum ?

Vacuum suction therapy actually succeeds at addressing several causes of facial aging

For those willing to experiment with the unconventional, many different anti-aging techniques exist. A quick Google search will tell you that individuals have and still do participate in seemingly odd anti-aging procedures encompassing anything from…

• Deep Penetrating Sound Waves
• Administering an electrical current
• Vacuum suction
• Facials (Bee Venom Facials, Placenta Face Masks, Bird-Poop Facials)
• Leeching
• Injections/Plastic Surgery

Now, the conventional skeptic may consider some if not all of these techniques wishy-washy if not down right hilarious.  But, for the heck of it, let’s consider the merit of one of these practices.

Vacuum Suction Therapy

Vacuum suction therapy had its start in basic manual facial massage. It was found that using the hands to manipulate the facial tissues could be both stimulating and relaxing depending on the movements used. Based on the knowledge that facial muscle tension is a leading cause of fine lines and wrinkles, facial massage became a popular anti-aging method for removing the tension within the muscle fibres promoting the total relaxation of body and mind.

Building off of this technique and the expanding knowledge of wrinkle formation, vacuum suction therapy came into existence. This technique enhances the productivity of the lymphatic and circulatory systems, which renders several anti-aging benefits.

• The vacuum suction helps to remove harmful toxins from facial pores.
• Improved glandular activity, allows for more oil production, which moisturizes skin.
• Enhances the production of collagen and elastin the connective tissues of skin, improving skin texture.
• Increased circulatory system activity allows for more oxygen to be delivered to the facial skin cells increasing the cell turnover rate.
• The soothing massage motion of the vacuum decreases facial muscle tension.

Based on the modern-day understanding of wrinkle formation, vacuum suction therapy actually succeeds at addressing several causes of facial aging. As such, it becomes a useful anti-aging technique for both prevention and repair.

What do you think? Are you ready to start vacuuming?

References and Research Material

Vacuum Suction Therapy                                                                                                                          Bizarre Beauty Treatments

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus!

Although both sexes originate from the same planet, it has become clear that there are biological differences between males and females with respect to the aging-process, with men being able to preserve their youthful appearance till much later in their lives. But, what is it about the male skin-type that gives them this unfair advantage? Based on contemporary knowledge, here are few possibilities…

Moisture                                                                                                                                                             Male skin produces more oil and sweat, which helps keep the skin moist and wrinkle free. This is further amplified by the fact that the outer protective  layer of skin, the epidermis, is 20% thicker for males in comparison to females, allowing more of the moisture to be retained.

Higher Collagen Levels                                                                                                                                 Men naturally have higher collagen levels, a connective tissue that provides our skin with its strength and flexibility. As we age, and with prolonged exposure to harmful UV light, collagen begins to break down. In consequence, our skin begins to sag and wrinkle. Due to this biological advantage, men can withstand more contact with UV light, and experience more years before they begin to notice the effect on their skin.

Faster Cell Renewal                                                                                                                                          As time goes by, our cell renewal rate gradually slows. This occurs because there is less blood circulating and therefore less oxygen being delivered to the skin cells. Throughout the life span, male skin in comparison to female skin tends to have a faster cell renewal rate. As a result, their skin maintains its youthful appearance for longer.

Hair Follicles                                                                                                                                                     Facial hair may act as a physical screen that helps to protect men from the harmful aging properties of ultraviolet light.

However, it’s not all sunshine and daisies for men. Although their unique characteristics provide them with an advantage with respect to aging, their skin type and daily-required routines do present their own set of problems. Pimples, break-outs, black spots, greasy skin, and skin damage caused by shaving are all examples of male skin issues. As such, men do need to take care of their skin like their female counterparts even though they look “peachy” longer.

References & Research Material:

Male Skin Care Needs                                                                                                                                    Skin Differences                                                                                                                                              Male Skin Type                                                                                                       

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

As consumers, we’re constantly presented with cosmetic serums and techniques both invasive and minimally invasive that will reduce the signs of aging to give our skin a healthy, and youthful appearance.

However, the majority of these treatments are re-active rather than pre-active. By promoting a healthy lifestyle for our skin at a young age, we can minimize the amount of wrinkles that we inevitably develop.

An understanding about the biological causes of wrinkles and fine lines is the best technique available to combat their development. Wrinkles have many causes, some of which we can control.

What causes facial wrinkling?

Age. The development of wrinkles can be traced to three (3) natural processes.

1. As time goes by, facial tissues become less elastic and more fragile.
2. The drier, wrinkled appearance of aged skin is caused by the gradual slowing in production of collagen, elastin, and natural oils.
3. The diminishing amount of fat cells in the deeper facial tissue layers causes the skin to become looser, resulting in pronounced lines and crevices.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Exposure to harmful UV light can speed up the natural aging process, and is currently considered the primary cause for premature wrinkling. UV light is damaging because it causes collagen and elastin, the connective tissues, to break down. With the increased absence of these connective tissues, aging skin gradually begins to lose its strength and flexibility. As a result, the face begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely.

Smoking. Smoking can disrupt the skins blood supply, which consequently accelerates the aging process.

Facial Expressions. Repetitive muscle movements and natural expressions lead to the development of fine lines and wrinkles. Because of the normal and progressive loss of the skins flexibility, the tissue is no longer able to reform into a neutral expression following the use of a facial muscle. The resulting grooves then become a permanent feature on the face.

Gender. Women have fewer sweat glands and have a smaller density of blood vessels in the area around the mouth. Consequently, they have a higher tendency to develop imperfections in this area.

Poor Nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies are believed to contribute to skin aging.

From our current understanding of the development of wrinkles, a healthy and protective life-style for your skin would include:

1. A nutritious balanced diet, with little-to-no smoking.
2. A good beauty routine that includes a facial cream that is appropriate for your unique skin-type (preferably one with SPF protection).
3. The use of a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 with UVA/UVB protection.

References and Research Material:

 ClariMed: Wrinkles                                                                                                                                           The natural development of visual aging                                                                                               Oprah: 4 decades of beautiful skin