What does young skin look like? If your mirror is no longing giving you the right answer, I will help you out. Young skin is soft, supple and has a fresh glow to it. While you cannot turn back the hands of time, the good news is that 90% of skin aging has nothing to do with passing time. Lifestyle changes have much more to do with how your skin looks than how many birthdays you have celebrated. Adopt a few of the following strategies to repair and reverse the damage.
Peanut Butter Prevents Wrinkles
I’ll admit my first thought when reading about peanut butter preventing wrinkles was, “Sure it prevents wrinkles, peanut butter plumps you up so they are less visible!” but, after seeing some of the science behind it, I am a believer. Healthy fats found in natural peanut butter provide the skin with the essential fatty acids it needs to keep skin smooth. Michael F. Roizen, M.D. Dr. Oz’s coauthor of, You: Staying Young, explains that peanuts are the key to elastic, resilient skin.
Natural Suntan from Cantaloupe
The journal, Evolution and Human Behavior, reports that produce, like cantaloupe, that is high in carotenoids gives your skin a healthy glow that rivals a suntan. Sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach are other choices. The study also reveals that this glow actually makes a person appear more attractive. Filling up on these healthy foods in order to look healthier is not without side effects. This “treatment” will give you more energy, help you regulate your weight and create a healthier overall body.
Leafy Greens Erase Fine Lines
The phytonutrients found in leafy greens repair and strengthen skin cells. Add a cup of spinach, kale or other dark greens to your daily diet and watch your fine lines disappear. Granted this remedy does not come with a catchy tune, or fancy package to display in your medicine cabinet, but the results are without a doubt impressive. Powdered greens can be added to smoothies for a double dose of goodness.
Sleep Makes You Glow
Aptly named, beauty sleep truly works. After many sleep-deprived years I am trying to reverse the damage caused by the unhealthy habit of burning the candle at both ends. The good news is that one good nights sleep is enough to noticeably change the appearance of your skin. Let your body do its job. Like moms across the world, I often put my children to bed with the mantra that sleep helps a body grow, without knowing how very true that was. It is the body’s chance to repair skin cells and grow new ones. Without sleep, the process stalls and you will must likely hear, “You look so tired.” A tired face is not a youthful face, get your beauty sleep!
Meditate Stress Away
Stress ages a body. I fully realize that this fact alone may not help someone in the midst of a stressful situation. The overload of hormones that increase inflammation and accelerate sagging can visually add years to a persons appearance. Thankfully, there is something you can do about it. Taking a time-out has a physical effect on your skin. Whether you call it meditation, relaxation or prayer time, the process is much the same. Twenty minutes of deep breathing with your eyes closed can calm your skin. While in the midst of this focused relaxation, the blood vessels open which increases the flow of nutrients to delicate skin cells.
If the eyes are the window to the soul, the skin is the window to your stomach. No lotion, salve, cream or treatment can do what a healthy lifestyle can do for your appearance. Sure you can fake some of the markings of young skin, but in order to truly look vibrant, you need to work from the inside out.
Resources:
You: Staying Young
Women’s World
More by Sylvie Branch:
Aging and Aglets
Green tea superfood smoothie recipe
Build a better brain