Natural Beauty: Peel Away Wrinkles

Without Plastic Surgery

While it’s true that most of us would like to believe that we gain sage wisdom and sophistication in mid-life that cannot be equaled in our youth, somewhere along the line most of us gain wrinkles and sagging skin, too. Like any other part of the body, aging of the skin is inevitable. While you can’t stop it, it is possible to slow down the aging process, and even reverse its visible effects.

Rejuvenate Your Face with Fruit

You can teach your older skin new tricks by encouraging it to shed old cells and replace them with the new ones, another naturally occurring process that’s slows down as we age. Over the last 15 years or more, dermatologist have developed a system of using chemicals peels to exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal glowing new skin. But these procedures can be costly and must be performed by a dermatologist or offered as creams in prescription dosages. The chemicals used in the process are typically retin-A or tretenoin, but these agents while effective, can lead to burning, irritation, and elevated sensitivity to the sun. Fortunately, a new generation of anti-aging products became available without prescription that offered a natural and gentler way to renew a lifeless complexion – fruit derived alpha-hydroxy acids or AHAs and beta-hydroxy acids or BHAs.

Glycolic acid is the best known member of alpha-hydroxy acid family and has been found to be useful in treating age spots, superficial scars, can, fine lines, and sometimes, even deeper wrinkles. Over-the-counter AHA products with a concentration of 5-20 percent glycolic acid can be safely used at home. The pH of the product is what counts. A glycolic acid containing product with a pH of less than 2.0 is very acidic and can actually result in peeling deeper layers of skin, even if the product has a low concentration of acid. For best results, the product should have a concentration of 4-8 percent glycolic acid and a pH between 3.0 and 4.0 making it more alkaline. Because some manufacturers put this information on labels and some don’t, the best safeguard is to choose a product formulated for your specific skin type, such as dry, normal and oily skin.

Papaya and pineapple are two of the most popular fruits used in natural peels since they are both rich source of AHAs. Both fruits contain a protein-dissolving enzyme that sloughs off dead cells and stimulates collagen production. In papaya, this enzyme is papain, and in pineapple, it is bromelain. Sometimes, other sources of AHAs are used alone or in conjunction with papaya and pineapple, including lemon, grapefruit and grapes.

More Anti-aging Naturals

Since free radical damage plays a role in the photoaging of skin, the addition of certain antioxidants to AHA products may help fight the signs of aging. When vitamin C (such as Ester-C cream) is applied topically in the form of L-ascorbic acid, the skin is protected from the sun’s UVA rays ( a lower-intensity radiation than UVBs, but still harmful) which target the deeper layers of the skin and destroy the collagen matrix. When combined with vitamin E, L-ascorbic acid also shields against the burning rays, or UVB rays, which actually break down DNA and RNA causing free radical damage and cell mutation. This form of vitamin C has also demonstrated the ability to stimulate the synthesis of collagen by regulating three pro-collagen genes and, when used in a natural face peel, can have a synergistic effect on reversing the evidence of sun damaged skin.