Think chocolate is one of the worst things for your skin? Think again.
RealAge skin expert, Dr. Amy Wechsler, has a recipe for hot chocolate that can make your skin glow.
Sometimes your skin likes it better when you slather on your vitamins rather than swallow them.
To give your skin a youthful glow, RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, recommend trying the topical versions of these vital vitamins.
Vitamin A: Derivatives of vitamin A known as retinoids may be the only reliable wrinkle-fighter on the skin care market. Retinoids also help repair sun damage and prevent the development of actinic keratosis, a type of precancerous skin growth. Tretinoin is the prescription-strength version of this skin helper, but there are some milder over-the-counter creams and lotions that contain a type of retinoid called retinol. Ask your dermatologist what would be most beneficial for your skin.
Vitamin C: This antioxidant vitamin stimulates your skin's production of collagen and elastin fibers, making it firmer and more elastic. To give your skin a solid dose of C, look for products that contain at least a 10 percent concentration of L-ascorbic acid. Vitamin C may also work from the inside out.
Vitamin E: Also a potent antioxidant, E can help slow down the formation of wrinkles and improve the performance of your sunscreen. Look for dl-alpha-tocopherol on labels -- it's the only form that's been shown to produce noticeable improvements when used topically.
To get the most benefit from these nutrients, apply the products at night, right before you hit the sack. Sunlight will zap their strength. Want to hear more of Dr. Roizen's best health, life, and beauty advice straight from the doc himself? Check out his brand-new DVD, YOU: Inner and Outer Beauty with Dr. Michael Roizen.
Omega-3 Protects Against Skin Cancer
Clams, shrimp, salmon . . . which one can do nice things for your skin? Salmon has the edge. New research suggests that dining on fish high in omega-3 fatty acids -- such as salmon -- could decrease your odds of developing potentially precancerous skin growths called actinic keratoses.
The Fish Factor
In a 5-year Australian study, people who ate a serving of tuna, salmon, or sardines at least once every 5 days were almost 30 percent less likely to develop the troubling skin spots, compared with people who ate little or no fish. Why? Maybe because these fish are particularly high in omega-3s, fats that seem to help calm inflammation in skin cells. They are also a good source of vitamins D and A, two other nutrients known for either cancer-fighting or age-fighting qualities.
Care About Keratoses?
Actinic keratoses result from years of sun exposure and may appear to be something as insignificant as a rough or scaly patch of skin that won't go away. Not all of them turn into cancer, but you should have a dermatologist examine any changes in your skin's texture or appearance.
Squash It
Next time you shop for skin care products, make your way to the produce aisle and pick up some squash.
Butternut would be ideal. No, you don't rub it on your face. The veggie works from the inside out, thanks to its rich supply of pH-balancing and skin-cell-turnover-boosting vitamin A.
The Right Balance
Butternut squash is one of the best things you can eat to get more vitamin A from your diet. And you want more, because vitamin A and healthy skin go hand in hand. The nutrient helps keep your skin's pH on the acidic side (just enough to keep bacteria at bay) and promotes cell turnover, so your skin doesn't become dry, rough, and scaly. As if that weren't enough, winter squash also gives you sunburn-protective and wrinkle-fighting beta carotene and vitamin C.
4 Steps to Beautiful Skin
You don't need a 2-hour spa treatment to get a healthy glow. All a healthy skin care routine really needs are these 4 steps:
- Cleanse. Not too harsh, but not too gentle.
- Moisturize. But you need the right one for your skin type.
- Exfoliate. Gentle scrubbing helps unclog pores and remove old, dead skin cells.
- Protect.
Fresh Fruit, Fresh Complexion
You really can fight wrinkles from the inside out. And there's a fruit that can lead the charge.
It's papaya. What makes papaya so perfect? Easy. Vitamin C. Papaya has loads of it, and getting lots of vitamin C may mean more youthful skin -- fewer wrinkles and less thinning and dryness. A recent study in women over 40 confirmed it.
The Mysteries of C
Vitamin C is a natural friend to skin. The nutrient is essential for making collagen, the protein fibers that give skin its strength and resiliency. And being a powerful antioxidant, C also disarms free radicals that would otherwise chip away and weaken collagen. (Did you know? Vitamin C helps protect skin from this sun scourge, too.)
Fruit is not the only food that can fight wrinkles.
More Food for Your Face
A little extra vitamin C isn't all it takes to plump your complexion. Here are a few more food tips that can help keep your face fresh:
- Munch on walnuts. In the vitamin C study, researchers also noted that diets rich in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid in walnuts -- meant moister, plumper skin. (Bonus: Walnuts will make this happy, too.)
- Ease up on fats and refined carbs. Scientists found both were linked to aging skin. Discover the dark side of processed foods with this article.
- Think whole grains. The magnesium and B vitamins you get from them help with the regeneration of skin cells.
- Keep the fruits and veggies coming. To stay smooth and healthy, your skin needs a whole slew of antioxidant-rich produce.
Green Superfoods for Healthier Skin
Ever had a sinister little bump or growth removed from your skin? Eating these might help keep that spot from coming back: leafy greens.
In people with a history of squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, a diet high in leafy greens was associated with a reduced risk of another round of the disease.
Reducing the Rounds
The link between a greens-rich diet and lower squamous cell carcinoma recurrence needs more research, but a recent study suggested a possible 50 percent risk reduction. Promising news, especially since people who've experienced one growth have a higher risk of getting another. Researchers aren't sure why leafy greens may have an impact, but we already know that the veggies are full of skin-friendly vitamins and nutrients, like lutein and zeaxanthin.
More Ways to Keep Skin Covered
Of course, nothing beats the tried-and-true basics of skin protection, such as wearing sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats, keeping covered, and avoiding the sun during peak hours. But eating more leafy greens certainly couldn't hurt, either. When you need a break from fresh garden salads, try these takes on lettuce, kale, and spinach from EatingWell.
- Creamy Spinach Dip -- It has less fat, but it's still perfect for dipping those baked chips.
- Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps -- Crisp lettuce makes a low-calorie wrapper for the tangy Asian filling.
- Kale with Apples & Mustard -- This sweet and sour dish is big on flavor.
Cheap and Tasty Wrinkle Fighter
For younger looking skin, skip the high-priced wrinkle creams and invest in a 50-cent can of this: tomato paste.
Eating a little tomato paste every day not only may help your wallet, but a new study suggests that it may give you deep-down 24/7 protection against wrinkles and skin cancer, too.
A Tomato in the Sun
In a small study, people supplemented their normal diets with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste mixed with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil every day for 10 weeks while a control group got just the olive oil. The volunteers also sat under a sun lamp at the beginning, middle, and end of the study -- just long enough to lightly sunburn their shoulders. But by week 10, the tomato-paste group showed 40 percent less sun damage than the olive-oil eaters did. (Here are a few more foods that offer added sun protection.)
Power in the Paste
Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene around, and scientists speculate that this antioxidant may help to soften some of the sun's damaging effects on skin. Of course, no food can take the place of using good sunscreen and being smart about sun exposure.
So use the following tips and advice to keep that face of yours young, fresh, and wrinkle-free:
Courtesy of Real Age http://www.realage.com