Five (and a half) Secrets to More Youthful Skin

Posted: Wednesday 14 July 2010 05:03pm

Some people are lucky enough to be born with beautiful skin, but it doesn’t mean they’ll keep it that way, or wrinkles at bay if they take their good fortune for granted.
Similarly, those who haven’t been so blessed by nature can achieve radiant, youthful complexions and maintain them into their golden years by respecting the basic rules of good skin care.
We are in a fortunate society where luxurious skin care with breakthrough technology and powerful anti-ageing, wrinkle-reducing properties can be had for very affordable prices.
One such technology is “genomics” (aka gene science), which has has been used to study and counteract the most superficial and obvious sign of the body’s deterioration – skin ageing.
The result of scientists’ endeavours is a new generation of scientific skincare that doesn’t merely hydrate and smooth but re-texturises the skin, plumping out lines and wrinkles from within and restoring a radiant, more youthful complexion.

The most recent addition is Youth Code, by L’Oréal Paris (read our review here), the result of 10 years’ research, launched here last month.
“Don’t expect to apply it in the morning and look 10 years younger by lunchtime,” said Elsa McAlonan, an influential beauty journalist of Youth Code when it was launched in the UK to great fanfare earlier this year.
“But I have been trying this cream and can confirm it really does make skin look smoother from the first moment you use it.
“There is an instant plumping effect and a slight blurring of fine lines. And – I promise this is true – after using it for 24 hours, two friends (and one of them has her own skincare range) asked me what I’d ‘had done’. After three days, my skin looked more luminous and smooth.”
Of course, if your body isn’t functioning at optimum levels, all that great skincare won’t do its best work. Some top tips:

You are what you eat …

… and a diet high in anti-oxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamins will make your skin glow from within. Plenty of fruit and vegetables is a great start, especially fruit high in vitamin C, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, Goji berries and kiwi fruit. Green tea is also an excellent source. Regulars on the menu should include multi-grain bread, oats, muesli, mangoes, avocado, fish like sardines and salmon, and dairy products (milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese, for instance). It’s also just as relevant what you don’t eat – fad or crash dieting, or chronic “disordered eating” deplete our bodies, which of course reflects on the skin and make it more vulnerable to wrinkles.

Drink up …

… but ideally not alcoholic, caffeinated, artificially sweetened and fizzy beverages! Water is the fountain of youth and drinking 6-8 glasses is ideal, spread throughout the day, not in huge amounts at once. Treat fruit juice as a treat, not a substitute for H2O. Dehydrated skin looks drier, tighter – older –and gives rise to wrinkles. Well hydrated skin looks younger. Simple!

Keep the blood pumping …

… with regular, moderate exercise. Daily 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise – such as a brisk walk, which needs no fancy equipment and can be done anywhere, any time – is enough to boost circulation. This in turn makes the skin glow and releases endorphins, the “feelgood” hormones. Exercise is also a very cheap and effective way to keep weight down and shape up!

Clean up your act …

… You might cleanse your face diligently but if you’re not using the right products for your skin type or effective techniques for ensuring those products do their best work, you could be doing more harm than good. The best way to “diagnose” your own skin type and find the products and techniques that will work best for you, is to talk to a skin care expert. Why not start by researching your options online. A good first step is to check out www.lorealparis.com.au/skincare.aspx which offers advanced skin care solutions for women of all ages.

Sunny side up …

… but just not on your skin! We all know by now, but let’s say it again. Of course we need our daily dose of sunlight to feel good and for our Vitamin D fix, but that does not mean we should be walking on the sunny side of the street all day, every day. Especially in Australia’s harsh climate. Harmful UV rays accelerate skin ageing and, much, much worse, can cause cancer. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. All day, every day, no matter what.

PS …
… don’t smoke.

by Jenni Gilbert

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