Wrinkles
Wrinkles
When the tomb of King Tutankhamen, Egypt's boy pharaoh, was opened, archaeologists saw a treasure trove of artifacts. Researchers interested in the aging process found something else--a papyrus containing the king's anti-wrinkle formula: coconut oil and the herbs balsam and valerian mixed with animal fat.
The pharaoh's anti-wrinkle formula was not all that different from many others that have been touted through the centuries, including everything from bear grease and goose grease to tar and turpentine. The big question, of course, is, Do any of them really work?
Losing Elasticity
To answer that question we need to take a look at why skin develops wrinkles in the first place. Wrinkles result from changes in collagen, the protein that makes up the fibrous portion of your skin. Collagen is what holds you together. It makes up about one-third of your body's total protein and 70 percent of your connective tissue.
Young skin and connective tissue contain mostly elastic or soluble collagen, and as a result, it can absorb moisture and plump up. This ongoing process of moisturization and swelling keeps young, elastic skin looking sleek and smooth. But with sun exposure, cigarette smoking and normal aging comes oxidative damage to the skin. This damage is the same sort of thing that happens to iron when it rusts. In the body, this chemical process causes the formation of insoluble collagen, which is inelastic, is unable to absorb water well and does not plump up.
With loss of elasticity and moisture, lines and wrinkles form, especially in areas exposed to sunlight--the face, the neck and the backs of the hands.
Many commercial moisturizers are sold with the claim that they restore soluble collagen and rejuvenate the skin, allowing skin cells to absorb more fluid and banishing wrinkles. I honestly don't know whether or not these work. But before you spend a fortune on any of these products, I'd suggest trying some natural approaches.
Green Pharmacy for Wrinkles
Most natural anti-wrinkle treatments rely on antioxidants and emollients. antioxidants are substances that mop up free radicals, the highly reactive oxygen molecules that are responsible for oxidative damage. Emollients help prevent dryness while moisturizing and softening the skin. Here are some natural treatments that might prove helpful.
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). Japanese scientists tested 65 plant extracts and found seven that showed sufficient antioxidant activity to have potential against wrinkles. The four that you probably can get your hands on are horse chestnut, witch hazel, rosemary and sage, but the researchers singled out horse chestnut and witch hazel as the best. Both of these are strong antioxidants. Soothing and astringent salves containing these herbs are available at health food stores, but I prefer to mix them myself.
Carrot (Daucus carota). Carrots are high in vitamin A, and deficiencies of this vitamin cause dry skin and wrinkling. Carrots also contain the antioxidant beta-carotene. I'd suggest munching a carrot or two a day, not only to prevent wrinkles but for all the cancer-preventive chemicals that this vegetable contains.
You might also consider topical application of carrot oil. Its high levels of vitamin A make it a good sunscreen, according to Aubrey Hampton, author of Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care. I confess I've never tried carrot oil, but on occasion, I've mashed carrots in a blender and experimentally applied the mash as a face mask. Someone once even called me a handsome old redneck. (Wash the mashed carrot off after 15 to 30 minutes.)
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao). A major emollient used in skin lotions and cosmetics, cocoa butter is the leading anti-wrinkle suggestion of pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D. It melts at body temperature and remoisturizes dry skin, especially around the eyes (crow's-feet), the corners of the mouth and on the neck (turkey neck). I like it because it comes from the Amazon. Another similar tropical emollient is coconut oil.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Cool, moist cucumber has a long history of use for soothing burns, including sunburn, and preventing wrinkles. Cucumbers are cheaper and probably as useful as many commercial moisturizers. You can cut thin, disk-shaped sections and wipe them on your skin. You can also whip them in your blender and apply the mash as a face mask. Rinse it off after 15 to 30 minutes.
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). This plant is one of my favorite antioxidants. If you have access to fresh purslane, use it as a salad ingredient. Or try it in a soothing facial mask. Put the herb through a blender or juicer and dab it on your face, washing it off after 15 to 30 minutes.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Another potent antioxidant, rosemary was identified by Japanese researchers as a promising wrinkle preventive and treatment. Use it as a culinary spice or make a tea with a teaspoon or two of crushed, dried leaves per cup of boiling water. You could also blend it with your purslane.
Sage (Salvia officinalis). Along with horse chestnut, witch hazel and rosemary, sage was the other common herb identified by the Japanese researchers, although it's somewhat less effective than the others. Use it as a culinary spice or try a using a teaspoon or two of dried, crushed leaves per boiling water to make a tea. It's a good idea to be judicious, though, as sage contains a fair amount of thujone, a compound that in very high doses may cause convulsions.
Lac-Hydrin. This drugstore item isn't exactly an herb, but it is a natural product. Lac-Hydrin is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) found in fruits, sour milk and sugar cane. AHAs, often called fruit acids, help peel off dead skin cells by dissolving ceramides, which are substances that hold the cells together. Clearing dead cells off the surface of the skin reveals the plump, living cells underneath and contributes to a younger appearance. Dermatologists use strong concentrations of AHAs for face peels.
Lac-Hydrin also increases the thickness of the outermost layer of living skin cells (the epidermis), increasing the skin's ability to hold moisture and thus smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles.
Unlike some anti-aging treatments such as Retin-A, Lac-Hydrin does not cause sun sensitivity. In one study, Lac-Hydrin was applied twice a day for six months, and it diminished fine wrinkles noticeably in 90 percent of the people using it.
Almond (Prunus dulcis). Almond oil, mentioned in the Bible and once used for anointing kings and priests, has increasingly worked its way into the cosmetic and perfume world. You can use it as an emollient and massage it into your skin to slow wrinkling.
Aloe (Aloe vera). It's hard to separate aloe hype from fact. Cleopatra is said to have massaged aloe gel onto her face daily. Napoleon's wife, Josephine, added the gel to milk to make a face lotion. And aloe is an ingredient in many modern skin-care products. Does it help prevent wrinkles? It probably can't hurt to give it a try.
Avocado (Persea americana). Pleasantly scented avocado oil is an emollient that's especially beneficial for people with dry skin. Just apply it directly to your face.
Castor (Ricinus communis). The oil of the castor bean has been used since biblical times as a facial oil and makeup ingredient. It's clearly an emollient, and I'd guess that if it didn't do some good, it would have been discarded generations ago.
Grape (Vitis vinifera). Grapes contain AHAs, the substances that help peel dead skin cells from the face. AHAs appear in dozens of over-the-counter (OTC) skin lotions, including those that claim to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles. But instead of opting for an OTC, why not go to a natural source? You can process grapes, even seeded varieties, in a juicer and apply the mash as a facial mask. Rinse it off after 15 to 30 minutes.
Olive (Olea europea). The prophet Hosea said, "Beauty shall be as the olive tree." He didn't say, "Wrinkles shall be removed with the olive oil." But since biblical times, olive oil has been used to soften and beautify the skin. Olive oil, as an emollient, just might help slow wrinkling. Many women steam their faces gently before applying it.
Pineapple (Ananas comosus). If the AHAs in pineapple husks can really remove bunions and corns, as I've read, I wouldn't hesitate to liquefy the peel and core from a whole pineapple in my blender and apply the mash to help remove the surface layer of dead skin cells. Rinse it off after 15 to 30 minutes. (As a corn remover, you would keep the pineapple on much longer.)