When you looked in the mirror this morning, were you surprised to see that your crow's feet are becoming more visible? How about the ones in your forehead or those lines around your mouth?
Aging is inevitable. The good news is you can minimize the effects of aging make the signs appear less noticeable.
There are a lot of options at your disposal today. You can also experiment with anti-wrinkle creams, salves, and injectables. In some cases, the best and fastest results come from plastic surgery, but in this article, we’re going to talk about some things you can try before resorting to plastic surgery.
How to Reduce Facial Wrinkles Naturally
In this article, we’ll delve into scientifically-backed methods to naturally prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles in the facial area. We’ll look at how to eliminate those lines on your forehead to bothersome nasolabial folds.
It’s important to understand that non-surgical solutions can have an effect, but it will be a limited effect. In some cases, plastic surgery is the only way to address facial aging, especially when it involves loose skin or lax muscles, which cause the face to droop.
If you’re looking for a dramatic difference, take the promises of non-surgical promises with a grain of salt - you will probably be unsatisfied with the results. However, if you’re looking for slight improvements without surgery, there are some great products out there.
What Causes Wrinkles Anyway?
To help you understand more about reducing the appearance of wrinkles naturally, it is important to know more about why wrinkles form in the first place.
Your skin naturally contains collagen — a type of protein that makes your skin firm and supple. The skin also contains elastin (responsible for skin firmness) and GAGs or glycosaminoglycans (helps to keep the skin hydrated).
Around the age of twenty, your body will begin to produce less of these skin-firming components. By midlife, facial aging becomes more apparent.
Besides the natural process of aging, additional offenders that accelerate facial aging include:
- Unprotected sun exposure
- Constant dehydration
- Poor nutrition
- Smoking
- Lack of sleep
- Pollution
What You Can Do to Reduce Face Wrinkles Naturally
From non-toxic sunscreens to fermented cod liver oil, here are 7 ways to keep those facial wrinkles at bay.
1. Start with chemical-free sunscreens.
In an Australian study with findings published in 2013, the researchers found out that those who diligently slather on sunscreen had noticeably fewer wrinkles, aging spots, and sagging skin than individuals who didn’t over the entire duration of the study (around 4.5 years).
Not all sunscreens are created equal though. Some brands have been associated with too many toxins or having a lower SPF than what’s advertised. One of our favorite sunscreens is the Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush-On Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. It comes as a portable brush that makes it easy to apply throughout the day, on bare skin or over makeup. It's also chemical free, non-greasy, and provides a natural finish that helps your skin look radiant.
2. Prevent skin damage with topical and oral antioxidants
It's widely accepted that antioxidants help reduce skin aging including Vitamins A, C, and E as well as beta-carotene. Topical antioxidants are the best way to deliver these powerful protectors directly to your skin. One of our favorite products is the SkinBetter Alto Defense Serum, which contains 19 antioxidants to provide the broadest, most potent, and stable antioxidant skin protection available today.
Another way to improve your skin health is to feast on oral antioxidants from whole foods and supplements.
While almost all fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, the following are chock full of them:
- Blueberries
- Carrots
- Squash
- Artichokes
- Kale
- Spinach
- Cranberries
- Kiwis
- Prunes
- All kinds of beans
3. Use natural moisturizers.
Apart from the cumulative effects of sun exposure, the appearance of wrinkles and skin aging is also a result of the skin’s inability to produce moisture as you age. As a result, the skin takes on a dry, pale texture which eventually leads to wrinkle formation.
Natural moisturizers like coconut oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil work well to hydrate the skin.
For those looking to get an extra boost, one of our favorite moisturizing products is the SkinBetter AlphaRet overnight cream, which not only hydrates the skin but exfoliates the skin and boosts collagen production to visibly reduce wrinkles. It was given the Best of Beauty 2016 Award by Allure magazine.
4. Consider fermented cod liver oil.
Fermented cod liver oil is filled with Omega-3s and Vitamin D which helps tone down the inflammation from sun damage.
Look out for the fermented stuff (this means it’s not stripped down of Omega-3s and other essential vitamins) when purchasing your first cod liver oil. Also, it’s best to consult your doctor before taking cod liver oil if you have an existing liver or kidney disorder, pregnant or nursing, or has health conditions that might get worse with Vitamin D excess.
5. Add more gelatin in your diet.
Remember how the appearance of wrinkles is a result of your skin’s dwindling supply of collagen? You can address this issue by adding more gelatin in your diet.
Gelatin is made from cooked collagen in bone broths (cows and pigs). As much as possible, opt for pasture-raised animals when making your own bone broth. You can also take gelatin supplements to help boost your skin’s collagen content.
6. Get plenty of sleep.
Getting enough shut-eye ensures that you have enough HGH (human growth hormone) which helps induce tissue development, including skin renewal. HGH is usually produced during the Deep Sleep phase (Stage 3). The older you get, the less HGH your body produces. This means you have less HGH which can help facilitate skin rejuvenation and make your wrinkles appear less noticeable.
7. Go cold turkey.
Smoking speeds up the normal aging process by stripping off the essential antioxidants that are vital for skin health. Besides reducing the appearance of wrinkles, there are many reasons to go cold turkey such as steering clear of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.
Consistency is Key
Keep in mind that there is no single best way to reduce facial wrinkles naturally. However, you can combine all of the tips above to soften the appearance of facial wrinkles while improving skin tone and texture at the same time. With consistency, you can reduce the visible signs of facial aging in no time.
