Saving Face
Unless they're battling acne or another skin condition, most people don't pay much attention to their skin until it starts to show its age. In your thirties, your skin starts losing firmness and volume — and developing lines, wrinkles, and spots instead. And in most people, those telltale signs show up first — and most prominently — in their faces.
Doctors know that as much as 90 percent of what we once thought of as “normal” signs of aging is actually sun damage, or photoaging. Thus, prevention is key (see Chapter 13).
The fountain of youth might be a coffee pot: Applying extracts of coffeeberries, the unroasted version of the same beans (Coffea arabica) that deliver your morning jolt, can significantly reduce wrinkles. Topical or oral doses of plain caffeine also can deliver skin benefits — and research shows that people who regularly drink coffee have lower rates of skin cancer.
Dermatologists talk about ultraviolet (UV) radiation in terms of UVA and UVB rays. UVBs, which are shorter and don't penetrate as far into the skin, are responsible for sunburns and tanning. UVAs, on the other hand, are longer and go deeper into the skin. UVA rays are the biggest culprits in photoaging and skin cancer.
Both types of UV radiation damage superficial skin cells and destroy the tiny blood vessels that supply nutrients to the skin. Sun exposure generates free radicals, which cause oxidation and play a role in both disease (cancer) and plain old aging.
Conventional medicine offers several pharmaceuticals and treatments to fight the effects of aging in skin. They include antioxidants like prescription tretinoin (Renova) and OTC retinol as well as vitamins C and E, moisturizers like propylene glycol, and exfoliating agents like glycolic acid. These products can improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of lines, but they can also cause skin reactions and increased sun sensitivity.
Many face-saving herbs have been used traditionally in combination remedies and are now being studied scientifically — with great results. For example, a product containing soy (Glycine max), grape (Vitis vinifera), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), and chamomile (Matricaria recutita) significantly reduced sagging, brown spots, and wrinkles around the eyes, mouths, and foreheads in study participants.
Conventional practitioners also use injectable wrinkle-fillers like hyalauronic acid (Restylane) and collagen and shots of botulinium toxin (Botox), which temporarily paralyze facial muscles. Potential side effects include pain and swelling (Botox can cause drooping eyelids or other unwanted paralysis). Herbal medicine offers a few alternatives:
• Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) |
This Ayurvedic herb can strengthen connective tissue and build collagen. Research shows that topical application can improve skin's elasticity and firmness. |
• Grape (Vitis vinifera) |
Grape seeds contain high levels of proanthocyanidins, antioxidants up to fifty times more powerful than vitamins E or C. Studies show that grape seed extracts applied to the skin can bond with collagen, boosting skin's elasticity and texture and reducing the signs of aging. |
• Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) |
Taking oral doses of antioxidant-rich pine bark extracts can increase your skin's resistance to sunburn-and counteract the oxidative damage that UV exposure can cause. |
• Pineapple (Ananas comosus) |
Pineapples contain alpha-hydroxy acids and other natural fruit acids, which are used topically and have been shown in numerous studies to be an effective weapon against aging. You'll also find them in mango (Mangifera indica), papaya (Carica papaya), and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis). |
• Pomegranate (Punica granatum) |
Pomegranate, which is high in antioxidants, can help repair aging skin. Extracts of both the peel and seed (oil) have shown the ability to inhibit age-related collagen loss and speed the production of new supplies. |
• Rose (Rosa canina, R. Spp.) |
Rose is rich in antioxidants and has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the plant world. Rose oil (from the Rosa damascena plant) and rose hips (the fruits left behind after the flower dies) can prevent UV-induced skin damage and act as a natural sunscreen. |
• Tea (Camellia sinensis) |
Tea contains piles of dermis-friendly chemicals, including more than sixty antioxidants, at least forty anti-inflammatories, and malic acid (which combines both alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids). Drinking tea and applying it to your skin can protect against sun damage, preventing photoaging and skin cancer. |
• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) |
Essential oil of chamomile has been shown to decrease puffy eyes and dark undereye circles. |
