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There's no doubt, getting wrinkles can be a horrifying reality..
But, the truth is, wrinkles are a natural part of aging and a right of passage.
It’s no secret that many of us would prefer to keep wrinkles in check as long as possible. Americans alone spend 43 billion dollars yearly on skin care!
That’s a whole lot of money to spend on wrinkles! Our goal for this blog is to help YOU understand what wrinkles are and how YOU can slow their development by taking care of YOUR body naturally.
We want to make it clear, we are not dermatologists and we are not intending this blog to cure or prevent any disease. We are simply defining what wrinkles are and providing some helpful tips to help you prevent them.
So, let's get back to it, wrinkles are defined as creases and lines that form in the skin, mostly seen on the face but can show up anywhere on the body. Wrinkles can form in many different ways and are usually a combination of various factors.
The major cause of wrinkles are primarily due to the breakdown of two types of connective tissue in our skin; collagen and elastin. These two connective tissues are what gives skin its smooth, elastic appearance, and helps it defy gravity.
When we are young, we are loaded with collagen and elastin and our skin is plump, smooth and elastic, but as we age, we naturally begin to lose those factors and the skin begins to thin and sag.
Outside of aging, there are other factors that can cause wrinkles and can also speed up the process. Things like genetics, environmental factors, repetitive movements, as well as chemical exposure from things we put in, on, and around our body.
While it may be true that genetics can play a role in how our skin ages, there's still a good deal of things we can control that can determine how OUR skin will age.
Yes, Like, Sunlight, UV radiation from the sun is well known to cause premature aging of the skin. The sun is a crucial element to a healthy body but the key here is to not overexpose your skin. This means, don’t spend all day in the sun and don’t get burned!
Another factor in wrinkle formation are chemicals, which are all around us and lots of which we expose ourselves to voluntarily. Chemicals can wreak havoc on our skin. There are about 200,000 chemicals in our environment.
These chemicals can be found in things like drugs, alcohol, tobacco, processed sugary foods, vegetable oils, processed meats, junk food, fast foods, makeup, lotions, paint, and so much more.
You can’t avoid them all but you can protect yourself by avoiding what you know to be toxic and utilizing nutrition to overcome what you can’t control. We will cover these solutions in a moment.
This leads us into repetitive movements and sleeping postures. Squinting, scrunching, smiling, pursing and holding any sort of facial posture over a long period of time can cause wrinkles to form.
Sleeping on your side or on your stomach can cause the bed or a pillow to push up against your face and create creases and wrinkles. Over time, these creases and wrinkles can become permanent fixtures on your face.
Ok, let's get into some solutions. The number one natural solution for preventing wrinkles is to Hydrate with H2O, good old water. A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. So if you are 150 lbs., you’ll want to consume at minimum, 75 oz. of water a day.
An additional way to hydrate is by consuming fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are packed with vitamins and minerals that help you hydrate on a deeper level. Also, make sure to spread out your hydration throughout the day.
Our next tip is to MOISTURIZE. Just like hydrating with water from the inside, your skin needs hydration from the outside as well. When hydrating from the outside in, we recommend utilizing a non-toxic moisturizer like coconut oil, olive oil or shea butter.
Research also shows that moisturizers with hyaluronic acid and vitamin c are especially effective at maintaining skin hydration. You can also use a retinol or vitamin A serum on your skin as well as take a vitamin C supplement internally- these two are known to help boost collagen production.
Next on the list is utilizing foods to nurture the body from the inside out. Like the old saying goes, you are what you eat. Look for foods that are high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Some examples include avocado, green tea, salmon and cod fish, flax seed, vegetables, fruits, olives and olive oil. Honestly the simplest way to do this is to eat whole foods and avoid processed packaged foods.
Another great tip, which can be a tough one if you aren't already doing it, is to sleep on your back. Sleeping on your back can help you avoid smashing your face against your pillow or bed which can contribute to wrinkle formation. When you consider how many hours you spend sleeping, that can be disastrous.
If you can't get yourself to change positions, you could at least switch to silk pillowcases. This reduces the friction on your skin.
Lastly, Keep your face relaxed. Repeated scrunching of the face can speed up the formation of wrinkles. This usually happens as a result of stress or tension, so practice stress relieving techniques such as breath work, face yoga, meditation and mindfulness.
Let’s not forget, wrinkles are an inevitable part of aging. We provided some easy tips that if you implement them, you may slow wrinkle progression and prevent new ones from forming.
We trust you enjoyed our blog and we provided some links below with some helpful information to further your wrinkle free life.
Check out the VIDEO version of this blog on our YouTube Channel, "Beth & Will". <CLICK)
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Thank you for watching and don’t forget,
YOU’RE WORTH IT!
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