Many have tried and many have failed to come up with the great antidote to the aging process of the skin. After one fad and another, one expensive magical cream and a visibly fake plastic surgery, the best ways to prevent wrinkles remain the most natural and obvious ones. Although it's impossible to find the fountain of youth, there are ways to minimise the damage of the skin and the infamous wrinkles.
Before jumping into the ways to prevent wrinkles, it's best to delve into what causes. As you might know, our skin has two layers: the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (below the epidermis). Wrinkles are formed in the dermis, which is made up of collagen - what makes our skin elastic and smooth - and other proteins. As our bodies produce less collagen as we age, the passing of the years results in saggy skin with wrinkles. There are external factors that accelerate this process, namely sun damage, smoking, dehydration, poor nutrition, facial expressions - laughing and squinting -, pollution and toxins, natural aging and sleeping on your side, with your cheek pushed against your pillow.
Here are some of the best ways to prevent and erase wrinkles naturally:
Hydration
Dry skin equals wrinkled skin. That is why it's important to moisturise from within. Also, you need to stay hydrated to flush out your body toxins. If you are not big on plain water, try coconut water or green tea, which is packed with antioxidants that help to detox your body.
Don't smoke
Smoking can speed up the aging process of your skin. It might take years to see its effect, but smoking is the major cause of facial wrinkling in men and women. This is because the nicotine in cigarettes leads to narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin. As there is less blood flow, your skin gets less oxygen and important nutrients, including vitamin A. Moreover, many of the chemicals found in tobacco smoke also damage collagen and elasticity. Besides, repeated exposure to the heat from burning cigarettes and the facial expressions we make - such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke - contribute to wrinkles. In the interest of full disclosure, avoiding aging prematurely is only one of the many reasons you shouldn't smoke.
Get your fill of antioxidants
Antioxidants keep free radicals - unstable molecules that damage our skin, such as pollution and toxins - at bay. That is why a good nutrition packed with antioxidants leads to beautiful skin. Some sources of antioxidants include blueberries, spinach, kale, walnuts, artichokes, cranberries, beans, prunes, kiwis, and most fruits and vegetables.
Nontoxic moisturiser
Although there are endless anti aging creams and moisturisers in the market, the real miracle workers are natural oils like coconut and argan oil.
Coconut oil is a treasure trove of wellness benefits and one of them is its moisturising effect when used topically and may reduce age spots, wrinkles and even cellulite. You can also use coconut oil with vitamin E - a topical antioxidant - as a body moisturiser and as a makeup remover.
Argan oil can also be used to moisturise your skin. As it is less oily than coconut oil, it might be more suitable for oily skin complexions. Apart from being a natural moisturiser, argan oil is also full of antioxidants and it's a natural anti-inflammatory.
Other oils that can be used as moisturisers are jojoba, grapeseed and olive oil.
Gelatin
As gelatin is made from cooked collagen, it's a great wrinkle fighting trick when our body starts producing less collagen. As you take gelatin as a dietary supplement, it fills in the lines and erases wrinkles. Add this dietary supplement to your morning juice or smoothie, sprinkle it on your yogurt or cereal, or add it to anything else you fancy.
Get plenty of sleep
While we sleep, our bodies produce HGH (human growth hormone) which leads to growth and cell reproduction. When we don't enough sleep, conversely, our bodies produce cortisol, a stress hormone, which slows growth, tissue maintenance and, thus causes dry skin.
Fermented cod liver oil
Since it is packed with vitamins and Omega 3, fermented cod liver oil doesn't only boosts the immune system preventing cold and flu, but it also protects the skin from sun damage. As an anti-inflammatory, this oil prevents the inflammation of the skin caused by UV rays.