6 Natural Ways to Prevent Wrinkles
Say goodbye to fine lines.
Getting older doesn’t have to be such a drag. The best way to get an ageless glow is to take care of your skin and provide it with what it needs. Aging skin requires a little extra TLC, but trust us, putting in a little effort goes a long way. Check out six simple tips you can do from home today.
Sip pomegranate juice.
It contains five times more anti-aging polyphenols — antioxidants that mop up the skin-damaging free radicals responsible for up to 80 percent of premature skin aging — than any other juice. Aim for four ounces of pomegranate juice daily.
Try silicon.
This mineral helps your body make the collagen that supports your skin and maintains the plumpness that prevents wrinkles. In a recent Belgian study, women who took a five-milligram supplement daily for 20 weeks had up to 30 percent fewer wrinkles and 55 percent better skin elasticity.
Get more vitamins D and C.
Daily 1,000-mg. doses of C and 400-IU doses of E prevent skin wrinkling caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays and stop sagging by boosting collagen production, reports The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Good food sources include citrus and broccoli for C, nuts, and whole grains for E.
Take polypodium leucotomos.
The fern extract polypodium leucotomos (sold as Heliocare in drugstores) acts as a powerful, internal sunblock, preventing the sun damage that leads to wrinkles. The extract also inactivates the enzymes that cause collagen to break down over time. The study-proven dose: take one 240-mg. capsule daily.
Eat dark chocolate.
Enjoying three and a half ounces of dark chocolate daily increases skin-plumping hydration 28 percent, reports the Journal of Nutrition. Flavanols in cocoa boost the flow of healing, nutrient-rich blood to skin cells.
Avoid smokers.
Daily exposure to cigarette smoke dramatically increases the risk of wrinkling and sagging. In fact, at least 90 percent of women who regularly breathe in the damaging fumes will wrinkle prematurely.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Reverse Aging.
