Photo courtesy of askanesthetician.wordpress.com
As we age we lose collagen and thus we lose moisture. The beauty industry would like us to think we lose moisture and therefore we lose collagen. Consumer beauty expert Paula Begoun points out if it were the other way around children would have wrinkles in the winter! You can read about it in more detail in a previous Tuesday tip HERE.
There are some things we collagen deficient folk can do to help retain or boost moisture other than purchasing Niki Taylor's fave skincare product Liquid Gold Cell Quench.
HERE ARE MY TOP 5:
AVOID HYALURONIC ACID
Hyaluronic acid is considered "Nature's moisturizer". It's in TONS of beauty products. The molecules are too big to go to the deeper levels where the cells actually need the moisture so it just sits on top of the skin. Since Hyaluronic acid is a humectant it also relies on moisture to be effective. If there is no moisture in the environment it will begin to draw moisture away from your skin! This is very counter productive and thus HA is a big no no in the winter and especially on airplanes!
AVOID HOT SHOWERS OR STEAM ROOMS
If you cook then you know that moist heat is what chefs use to break down collagen to tenderize meat. Heat pulls the moisture away from the collagen so that it can become that juicy, succulent piece of meat.
Our skin is no different. Heat is a very effective way of destroying collagen to release moisture so make sure to keep the showers and baths on the cooler side and try to avoid steam rooms if you can! I sometimes use a steam room for a short period to stretch out my muscles, but I put a towel on my face to avoid the super heat from the steam room. I keep it brief and make sure I follow up with a cold shower.
DO EAT PLENTY OF ESSENTIAL FATS
Avocados, fish, flax seed oil, coconut oil, New Chapter's Wholemega...all great sources of essential fats. We need the full spectrum of fat 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 in order for the body to run efficiently. Each of our cells is surrounded by a protective lipid (fat) membrane. If the body doesn't have enough fat it loses moisture and its ability to function correctly!
DO FREQUENT HONEY MASKS
Honey helps with moisture and elasticity while softening the skin because it is a natural humectant. Using honey by itself for 10-30 mins can be very effective. I have some customers that leave the honey on for hours while they work from home because it also provides antioxidants, vitamins and minerals! They find the longer they leave it on the softer and brighter their skin becomes! It's also perfect for skin prone to breakouts because honey is an antibacterial.
More honey is becoming industrialized (boiled) leaving it with little value so make sure to use the stuff from your local farmer or at least raw and unprocessed! HERE are some fun honey face and body recipes to check out!
DO USE BEAUTY OILS
I feel like a broken record when it comes to beauty oils. Beauty oils do not hydrate. They seal in moisture. They are excellent, if not necessary for the over 40 consumer.
It's not necessary to spend a lot of money on beauty oils. Coconut oil or even raw shea butter is great for actually adding moisture and sealing it in. The raw stuff is about $8 at Whole Foods. If you don't like the scent add an essential oil to it like lavender to create a relaxing beauty elixir. You can check out more in depth tips on beauty oils HERE.
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