Anti-aging skin care products and cosmetic procedures are prolific these days but we have to incorporate commonsense practices and principals into our daily activities by protecting our skin as much as possible and prevent damage from the most common causes of premature aging.
 
The Sun
I am sure you have read this before but it is true, the sun is the major cause of negative changes in aging skin. This is vital to your skin’s health to remember that the sun is your skin’s greatest enemy and it damages the skin significantly. Unless you protect your skin from the sun, no skin care product, no treatment, no moisturizer, no vitamin, no exercise, no surgery will help you.

How wrinkled your skin becomes depends largely on how much sun you have been exposed to in your lifetime. About 80 percent of your lifetime sun exposure happens before age 18. Even a couple of blistering sunburns in childhood increase the risk of later skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

It is estimated that 90% of facial skin aging is due to the damaging effects of ultra violet radiation. Over time the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin called elastin. The breakdown of these fibers during aging causes the skin to lose its ability to snap back after stretching. As a result, wrinkles form. How can you tell if your skin is sun damaged? Generally speaking, normally aged skin shows thinning, a loss of elasticity, and the deepening of normal expression lines whereas sun-damaged skin is characterized by wrinkled, yellowed, rough, leathery, and spotted skin. You can also see this difference by comparing a non-exposed area of your skin to an exposed area.

What can you do to protect yourself and minimize the effects of the sun on your skin? Stay out of the sun if not wearing sunscreen as much as possible. You should avoid direct sun light between 10am and 4pm, when the sun’s UV rays are strongest. I recently read that the sun’s UV rays pass through clouds, so don’t think you shouldn’t be concerned even on cloudy days.

For protective skin care use sunscreen with a SPF rating of at least 15. Sunscreens are rated in strength according to a sun protection factor (SPF), which ranges from 2 to 30 or higher. A higher number means longer protection. Buy sunscreen skin care products whose labels say broad spectrum (protection from both UVA and UVB rays) and also water resistant (will stay on longer if you are in water or perspire a lot). If you go swimming remember to reapply often.

Sunblocks are perhaps the best skin care to retard premature solar aging. Makeup and other skin care products with sunblock within is a woman's best friend!

Artificial Tanning
Many people strive to get the perfect, healthy-looking tan. But there is no such thing as a healthy tan. A tan is the skin's response to injury from ultraviolet (UV) light. While the damage your skin will receive from the use of tanning beds may not appear to be immediate it will contribute to the appearance and condition of your skin as you age.

Sunglasses
Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure. Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best protection. The majority of sunglasses sold in the United States, regardless of cost, meet this standard. Wrap-around sunglasses work best because they block UV rays from sneaking in from the side.

Stop Smoking
I know it’s not easy but there are numerous healthy life saving reasons to quit. As you age the effects of years of smoking will show on your face. Smoking speeds up wrinkles in several ways: The repetitive mouth motion of puffing on a cigarette can cause lines around the lips; free-radicals from smoke can break down the skin's structure, causing weakening and wrinkling; and the oxygen depletion that comes with smoking causes the skin to work less efficiently.

Healthy Diet and Exercise
Follow a diet that is balanced and emphasizes fruits and vegetables, fish and lean meats, and moderate amounts of starches and carbohydrates. Moderate exercise is great for all your body systems. A regular exercise routine will help to maintain a clear complexion, calming the nerves and promoting a deeper, more revitalizing sleep. Improve your appearance, reshape your figure, delay the aging process, lengthen your life and overall make you feel better about you. Avoid extreme fluctuations in your body weight unless you are toning and tightening excess skin as you loose or gain weight.

Vitamins and Supplements
Take a multivitamin every day that contains vitamin C and vitamin E. These vitamins are strong antioxidants and may help prevent damage done by free radical molecules in the body. Other supplements to take for natural healthy body and skin care are zinc, vitamin A, selenium, coenzyme Q10, pycnogenol and alpha lipoic acid.

Antioxidant Enriched Skin Care Products
Use skin care that contain combinations of vitamin C, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, vitamin A, green tea, selenium and other free radical protectors. Free radicals are damaging molecules created by oxidative chemical reactions, which attack cellular DNA resulting in cellular mutation and malformation of collagen synthesis. There are strong indicators from researchers, dermatologists and others that the skin does benefit from the application of antioxidants and nutrients via anti-aging facial skin care products. Researchers are continuing to study this area and new information is constantly being released. We do not believe that creams alone can reverse all damage or all signs of aging. They can definitely help to restore moisture, protect skin against free radicals, sun and environmental damage. While none of these can guarantee the appearance of youthful skin, they can improve the overall appearance of your skin.

Aesthetic and Cosmetic Treatments
Physician administered treatments such as peels and laser treatments are cosmetic skin care procedures that can create a radical new complexion, but should not take the place of daily exfoliation. Alpha and Beta-Hydroxy Acids (AHA products) that loosen dead skin cells from the surface are another example of skin exfoliation that leave a smoother, softer layer of skin.

There are many promising cosmetic treatments for aging skin that may be an option for those that are looking for more than a cream can offer. We have done profiles of several such treatments, from Botox to Chemical Peels and Laser resurfacing, and a lot more in-between.

Retinoic Acid
Retinoic acid is the acid form of vitamin A (Retin-A) and has gained great popularity and also notoriety. This is the most irritant form of vitamin A and is available by prescription only. It has been shown to stimulate collagen and elastin production, and control abnormal pigmentation in the skin when used in high concentration over a long period of time. This can actually reverse some signs of aging in the skin.

The Eyes Tell The Story
The eye area is usually the first place where signs of aging appear on the face. The faces of twenty five and thirty five year old people usually differ mainly in the eye area. Thirty five year olds are a lot more likely to have fine lines and bags under the eyes; some will even have crow's feet. Not surprisingly, when we try to estimate someone's age, the appearance of the eye area is always one of the key indicators. Therefore, if you want to keep looking young as long as possible, it is usually not enough to take care of your skin in general. You need to neutralize a natural tendency of the skin in the eye area to age faster than the rest of your face. Following a daily skin care regimen that nourishes the eye area is critical and must be a part of your daily routine.