Wrinkles are cracks in the skin that mainly occur in places where we contract the muscles. What can you do about it?
Why do some people hardly have wrinkles at 60 and others get them at a young age? Part of the secret lies in your genes. If your mother has beautiful skin later in life, chances are that you have the same luck. But there are more factors that play a role in the rate at which the skin ages. And that is largely in your own hands.
Get a good night’s sleep
Your skin is working hard at night. You can only do that when you sleep. That’s why you look like a dishcloth if you haven’t slept well. Your skin has hardly had a chance to properly perform the much-needed repair work. When you sleep, your skin makes new skin cells eight times faster. This mainly happens in the middle of the night, between one and three o’clock. The DNA that has been damaged during the day is repaired during the night hours. The skin can also recover best at night from red spots, rashes and itching. Collagen and elastin, both important for the elasticity and firmness of the skin, are just like skin fats (lipids) mainly produced at night and replenished where necessary.
Eat beauty food like tomato
Healthy food and a healthy lifestyle also ensure beautiful skin. A must: tomato. The fruit is full of lycopene, a natural red dye. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that protects skin cells from damage from UV rays from the sun. The fabric also boosts the formation of new skin cells, collagen (which gives firmness to the skin) and hyaluron (a moisture retainer). Tomatoes are also full of vitamin A, which fights wrinkles, and vitamin C, which plays a role in the formation of collagen and improves the resistance of the skin.
If you suffer from sensitive or dry skin, it may help to eat oily fish; this fish is full of healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Also eat plenty of avocados. Thanks to the high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, they have a restorative effect on your skin and they contain a lot of vitamin E.
Do facial gymnastics
Just as you keep your body in shape with gymnastics, you can also keep your face in shape with targeted muscle exercises.
Pulling funny faces in front of the mirror for a few minutes every day will eventually lead to tighter contours and firmer skin. For example, make alternating small ‘O’ and large ‘A’ with your mouth at least ten times. This strengthens the skin around your mouth. Against drooping eyelids, open your eyes wide about twenty times, raising your eyebrows at the same time. Always relax in between.
By sticking your tongue to the tip of your nose twenty times, you strengthen the neck muscles and prevent and delay a double chin. Against drooping cheeks, pull your lips tight over your teeth and move your mouth twenty times alternately to the right and left.
Move in the open air
No make-up can compete with the effect that a bike ride or brisk walk has on the skin. You will look radiant, blushing and healthy afterwards. Thanks to the intensive movement, the blood circulation in the skin is stimulated. It not only gives you a fresh complexion. The skin also gets more nutrients from within. You notice that in your nails and your hair. Taking a walk or bike ride every day is therefore a healthy beautifier and good for your condition.
Protect the skin
What they already knew in ancient times has now also been scientifically proven: cosmetics really work. Good products are indispensable to keep the skin in good condition, as older skin becomes thinner, drier and more fragile.
A daily necessity is a cream with UV protection (SPF), for example:
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Cream SPF50 (€17.95)
- Lancôme Rénergie Multi-Lift Ultra SPF25 (€105)
- Yves Rocher Elixir Jeunesse UV Beauty Shield SPF30 (€35.90)
When a product contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), you know that it has a calming, anti-inflammatory and protective effect. Niacinamide also produces ceramides and free fatty acids, both of which strengthen the skin. For example, it’s in Paula’s Choice Resist Anti-Aging 10% Niacinamide Booster (€47).
Another ingredient with a proven effect is hyaluronic acid, indispensable for older, usually dehydrated skin. Hyaluronic acid is a substance in the body that is able to attract and retain moisture a thousand times its own weight. Rich in hyaluronic acid, for example, is Vichy Aqualia Thermal Riche (€12.95).
Vitamin C in cosmetics is important for the formation of collagen and can reduce pigmentation spots. Also, together with vitamin E, it forms a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from UV damage. Examples include Nivea Q10 Plus C Anti-Wrinkle + Energy Eye Contour Cream (€14.99) and Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate (€58).
And then finally there is retinol, or vitamin A, perhaps the best-known effective substance against wrinkles. This substance is included in Lancaster Total Age Correction Complete Anti-Age Retinol-in-Oil Night Cream (€90).
Not good for the skin
To smoke
Nicotine causes the blood vessels to narrow. This hinders the blood circulation of the skin and thus also the supply of nutrients. Heavy smokers often have a pale skin color. Smokers also often get wrinkles at the upper lip because they constantly constrict their mouth around the cigarette.
Sugar
When sugar attaches to proteins in our body, harmful molecules are formed. This process is called glycation. Also collagen (which for firmness and flexibility
of the skin) is nothing but a protein. Over time, sugar can damage the proteins to such an extent that the skin slackens and wrinkles appear.
Alcohol
Have you ever woken up after an evening with a dry mouth and a splitting headache? Alcohol dries out, hence the hangover the day after. Moisture is also extracted from your skin. In addition, alcohol reduces collagen production.
stress
Stress is not good for the skin. It creates more harmful free radicals. Due to too much stress, (skin) cells stop dividing earlier. Also, fewer new skin cells are produced.
Sunlight
The sun is the biggest culprit when it comes to wrinkles. Sunlight is responsible for 90 percent of visible skin aging.
Want to know more about beauty and skin care? Look at www.plusonline.nl/beauty
This article originally appeared in Plus Magazine October 2018. Not yet a Plus Magazine subscriber? Becoming a subscriber is done in no time!
