Luxury Home Magazine

W hat can we do to get rid of the wrinkles? For centuries women of Rome and France rubbed the residue settlements from wine barrels to retexture and hydrate their skin. Cleopatra was famous for her milk baths. Even our grandmothers used the juice from lemons on their face to bleach skin discolorations. Chemical peels have become a popular solution to some of the contributing factors that cause wrinkles. Repeated applications of chemical peels to the facial skin with intervening home care can effectively reduce wrinkles. The latest advanced cosmetic break through in anti-aging technology comes from a group of organic compounds found in fruits, vegetables, plants, sour milk and sugar cane. Goji berries (wolfberries) have anti-aging properties and are loaded with vitamin C to help your body make the collagen that keeps your skin firm plus antioxidants that help repair and prevent cell damage caused by free radicals preventing premature aging. The glycolic acid found in sugar canes and lactic acid from milk are alpha hydroxyl acids used to exfoliate the dead skin cells making room for regrowth of new skin. Studies show these aforementioned ingredients stimulate the increase of collagen and continued use will help reduce fine lines, sun damaged skin and improve the appearance of age spots. However, not everyone is a candidate for chemical peeling. If you are a sun worshipper or expose your skin to sun beds, this in not the treatment for you. If you are using topical medications, including retinoic drugs or products, you should be under the supervision of a professional skin care doctor. Facial exercise is a natural method for reducing wrinkles. The face is one of the most neglected parts of your body when it comes to exercise. Facial exercise has been known to strengthen, tone, improve facial circulation and promote a glowing, healthier looking face. Once you stop exercising the face, the wrinkles can reoccur. My favorite book is Facercise by Carole Maggio www.facercise.com . Aestheticians recommend the daily application of an effective anti-aging skin care product to the face in combination with daily facial exercises to help reduce wrinkles. Many women however, seek the use of cosmetic surgery for the long term effects of wrinkles. Many of these procedures are performed safely and relatively quickly outside the hospital, in a plastic surgeon’s office. Clients can also receive collagen or Botox injections to reduce facial wrinkling. As of 2006, Botox injections became the most common cosmetic procedure in the U.S. Although none of these injections can cause permanent changes, the effects can last from 6 to 12 months. Cosmetic surgery procedures are not without risk. You should discuss the potential benefits and the risks of each procedure with your skin doctor before you commit to them. Additionally these procedures can be costly and most insurance plans do not cover cosmetic procedures. Get your beauty sleep. If you notice a line or wrinkle that is only on one side of the face and runs counter to any others, it may be sleep- induced. It’s difficult to control the position in which you’re sleeping. A lot of tossing and turning goes on while you’re in dreamland. Using a soft pillow or satin pillowcase may help, as well as trying to sleep on your back or at least occasionally switching sides. A bad night’s sleep could cause fatigued muscles in the face and neck. Get at least eight hours of sleep a night. There is a reason they call it “beauty sleep”. All wrinkles are not ugly. Our expression lines tell a lot about ourselves and others. Taking care, however of our most precious possession, our health, will allow your body to age more gracefully. The wrinkles you “inherit” should be the lines that make you happy. An excerpt from Hawai‘i Traveler magazine. Available in-room at Hawai‘i’s finest hotels and online at www.myhawaiitraveler.com