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WrinkleCuresA L L - N A T U R A L

WrinkleCuresA L L - N A T U R A L

Proven Ways to Drop Years From Your Appearance

Copyright © 2005 The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Cover: Photodisc/Getty Images

All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited. Reader’s Digest is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.ISBN 0-7621-0535-6

Note to Readers: The information and advice in All-Natural Wrinkle Cures has been reviewed and approved byleading doctors, nutritionists, and makeup professionals, and all health claims are supported by peer-reviewedmedical research. Nonetheless, this book should not be substituted for, or used to alter, medical therapy withoutyour doctor’s advice. For a specific health problem, consult your physician for guidance.

❂The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

Pleasantville, NY / Montreal

ContentsIntroduction 3

CHAPTER1 Block the Sun 4

CHAPTER2 Avoid the “Skin Wreckers” 8

CHAPTER3 Edible Wrinkle Protection 11

CHAPTER4 Drugstore Wrinkle Cures 15

CHAPTER5 The Healthy-Skin Beauty Routine 19

CHAPTER6 Today’s Best Makeup Techniques 25

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Blame gravity. The sun. The passingyears. All those precious momentswhen you laughed, cried, kissed, fur-rowed your brow in concentration, oropened your mouth wide in wonder.Your skin tells the story of your life—replete with wrinkles and dry zones, agespots, and even, well, a little sagging.

Philosophically, that’s good. It’s natu-ral. Your skin’s imperfections speak of alife well lived. But when you look inthe mirror, this well-traveled skin maynot fit your image of yourself. You’refull of life, energy, and plans. Matureskin? It’s too soon.

That’s where we come in. Sure, youcould sign up for a radical change—perhaps even qualify for one of TV’snew “reality” makeover shows, andspend months away from home beingsliced, diced, face-lifted, and liposuc-tioned in a Cinderella-like, head-to-toetransformation.

Closer to home, you could spendthousands on a face-lift. Or have Botoxinjections to fill skin creases. Or visit aplastic surgeon for a shot of collagen orRestylane or Hylaform to restore moreyouthful contours. You’d pay about$1,000 per treatment (cheap, comparedwith $5,000 for the average face-lift),

and you’d need another dose in just afew months.

Or you could start right here, withnoninvasive, healthy strategies that canprevent, reduce, or hide signs of aging.In these pages are natural, powerfulanti-wrinkle remedies that won’t strainyour pocketbook or risk your health.

Here’s a sneak preview. Inside, you’ll:

° Find out why having two kinds ofsunscreen is the first and mostimportant step you can taketoward a wrinkle-free life.

° Discover delicious foods and drinksthat fight skin damage from theinside out—grilled salmon, mixedberries, and a cup of green tea.

° Learn how to choose the rightdrugstore wrinkle cream for yourskin type—and find out whichimportant product you must usealong with it, or risk more wrin-kles in the future.

° Discover beauty techniques thatautomatically draw the eye awayfrom wrinkles.

° See why rapid weight loss is onlygoing to make you look old, but aslow, sensible approach can be thefountain of youth.

I N T R O D U C T I O N

some sun exposure, since yourbody needs a little in order tomanufacture vitamin D, a mineralvital for calcium absorption andtherefore for strong bones. But thatrequires just minutes a day. Thebigger challenge is avoiding UV

rays that do dam-age at the skin’ssurface and deepwithin.The sun gives off

two types of rays.UVA rays pene-trate deep beneath

the skin, weakening collagen fibersand causing wrinkles. Even shortexposures can damage criticallyimportant collagen. UVB raysburn the skin’s surface and, overthe years, make the skin look leath-ery. The sun’s rays also break downelastin fibers in the skin and leadto uneven pigmentation—a

Through the years, the sun’spowerful ultraviolet (UV)light damages protein

fibers, deep in the skin. This break-down means the skin cannot easily“snap back” into shape after it’sstretched or pulled—by a smile, afrown, or pucker-ing up for a kiss.And so life etchesitself on your faceas laugh lines,frown lines, andfurrows…in otherwords, wrinkles.

Gravity and other forces playroles in your skin’s journey, too, butscientists now know that sunlightcauses 90 percent of all visible signsof aging—making sun protectionthe most effective anti-wrinklemeasure you can take at any age.

Luckily, you don’t have to hideindoors. It’s healthy to receive

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1SunBlock the

Ninety percent ofall visible signs ofaging are the resultof sun exposure.

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blotchy look. UV exposure is morethan a beauty problem: Cellularchanges prompted by these rays set

the stage for skin cancers, includ-ing potentially deadly melanoma.The sun also releases rogue oxygenmolecules called free radicals,which wreak havoc on cell mem-branes and help create wrinkles.

A suntan is your skin’s way ofprotecting itself from damagingUV rays, but don’t think sun pro-tection is only for trips to the beachand pool. About 80 percent of sundamage is believed to occur inci-dentally, when you’re just walkingaround outdoors or driving in thecar. In fact, dermatologists say theysee more signs of sun damage onthe left sides of the faces of womenand men who drive frequently, asign that rays that penetrate carwindows on the commute to workor school shouldn’t be taken light-ly. If you sit near a window at theoffice, you get a dose of wrinkle-causing rays there, too.

It’s important to guard your skinwhenever you’re outside, year-round. Here’s how.

Match your sunscreen to your skintype—and your plans for the day. Sunscreens contain twotypes of UV-blocking ingredients.First are the physical blockers, such as zinc oxide or titaniumdioxide, that act like thousands ofmicroscopic umbrellas over yourskin and block UVA and UVBlight from ever touching you. The second are chemical blockers,including avobenzone (Parsol1789), homosalate, octisalate, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. Your best bet: Look for titaniumdioxide, zinc oxide, or Parsol 1789to be sure you get adequate UVAand UVB protection.

And all those special formulas atthe drugstore—for everyone frompeople with sensitive skin to swim-mers? They’re not just gimmicks.Sunscreens for exercisers do standup to sweat better, and those for

Most skin damage from the sun happens whenyou’re outdoors briefly or as a result of exposurethrough the windows of a car, home, or office.

Resolve to wear sunscreen daily,rain or shine, in all seasons. Don’tassume that fog, mist, or cloudswill shade you: 80 percent of thesun’s rays penetrate them. Also,don’t think that spring, fall, andwinter rays are safer: UV exposurein April, for example, equals that

in August.Also, whilebeachumbrellasand wide-brimmed

hats protect against direct expo-sure, they’re not enough: 85 percentof rays bounce off sand, water,snow, and even concrete.

Apply generously. Dermatologistsrecommend using an ounce of sun-screen, about the amount that fitsin a shot glass or half of a 1/4-cupkitchen measure, to cover yourface, ears, and neck. Apply it 30 minutes before going outside to give your skin time to absorb it.

Don’t neglect your lips. Slatheron a lip balm that contains a sunblock.

Dress for the sun. If you’re plan-ning a walk, time in the garden, or

sensitive or acne-prone skin canprotect you from a rash or break-out. It’s worth spending a few extraminutes in the sunscreen aisle tofind one that fits your needs.

Find the right SPF. The sun pro-tection factor (SPF) listed onsunscreenlabels indi-cates howlong youcan stay inthe sunwithout burning. For example, ifyou normally start to burn after 10 minutes, you could stay out in the sun 30 times longer—300 minutes—if you were wearingan SPF 30 sunscreen.

SPF choices range from 15 to 45and beyond. Most dermatologistsrecommend SPF 15 for daily usewhen you won’t be out in the sun,such as on a typical day at work,and SPF 30 or 45 for longer out-door time.

Slather daily. Apply a sunscreenwith an SPF of at least 15 beforeleaving the house. Choose a prod-uct with an SPF of 30 or 45 ifyou’re planning to be outdoors fora while.

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Slather on the sunscreen everyday: Rain, fog, and clouds don’tblock damaging UV rays.

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another outside activity, wear looseclothing that covers your arms andlegs, such as a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt and lightweight pants.

Top it with a hat. A broad-brimmed hat shades your head and neck.

Invest in an SPF cover-up. Someclothing manufacturers now makeoutfits—pants, shirts, beach cover-ups, and more—with built-in sunprotection. That’s important:Research shows that regular cloth-ing, especially lightweight stuff,doesn’t stop the rays. Your firstchoice? Get a sun-stopping beachor pool cover-up.

Take the sunscreen with you.Reapply it as directed on the bot-tle, usually every 2 to 3 hours. Doit more often if you’re swimmingor sweating.

Tingling skin? Time to go in. Ifyou feel tingling, or if you press afinger into your skin and it leaves adistinct, paler impression, you’vebeen in the sun too long. Getindoors.

Play by the clock. The sun’s UVrays are strongest between 10 a.m.and 4 p.m. If possible, scheduleoutdoor work and play before orafter those hours.

Skip the tanning salon. Tanningbooths are no safer than the sun.In fact, 15 to 30 minutes on a tan-ning bed may be as dangerous as afull day in the sun.

Wear sunglasses that provide complete UV protection. Shadesprotect your eyes from UV radia-tion and can prevent the squintingthat exacerbates crow’s-feet andforehead wrinkles. Choose a pairlabeled “100% UV protection”and be sure the lenses are bigenough to prevent squinting.Check by trying them on, thenlooking at a bright light. If yousquint, you need larger lenses.

fibers form the structural supportfor your skin. These fibers are con-stantly being renewed, but smokingimpedes this process, leading towrinkles and premature aging.Smoking is second only to the sun as a skin wrecker: It reducesthe blood supply to the skin bydamaging the frail membrane lining the arteries, leading to shiny,fragile skin and delayed healing.

Just 10 minutes of cigarettesmoking decreases the oxygen sup-ply to the body and skin for almostan hour. Nicotine narrows bloodvessels and prevents blood fromcirculating to the capillaries (tinyblood vessels) in the upper layer ofthe skin. This contributes to deep-er wrinkles and slower healing timewhen skin is damaged.

Smoking also forms vertical “lipstick lines” when you purseyour lips to take a drag. And don’texpect that a face-lift will reversethe damage: In one survey, 40 per-cent of plastic surgeons said they

Your skin is a squishy layercake with a padding of fat atthe bottom, a springy struc-

tural lining in the middle, and alayer of ever-changing “barriercells” at the top.

As you age, cells in this top layerbecome thin, dry, and slower toheal. The middle layer loses itsfirmness, leading to wrinkles andsags as supportive elastin fiberswear out and less collagen—whichgives skin its strength and supple-ness—is produced. The fat layershrinks, deepening wrinkles.

All of this happens naturally. You can speed the process withunhealthy habits—or slow it down,as you’ll see later, with healthylifestyle choices. Beyond sun pro-tection, these smart choices canprolong your skin’s natural beauty.

Stop Smoking

Like the beams and joists behindthe walls in your home, collagen

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2“SkinWreckers”Avoid the

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would refuse to operate on ciga-rette smokers because they arenotoriously bad healers.

The toll? By age 40 to 50, thefacial wrinkles and sags of smokersmay rival those of nonsmokers intheir 60s and 70s. Their skin maylook gaunt, fragile, and sallow. In fact, heavy smokers are almostfive times more likely to have wrin-kled facial skin than nonsmokersare. Even more troubling, cigarettesmokers are more susceptible toskin cancers, including squamouscell carcinomas and giant basal cellcarcinomas.

Problems don’t stop at the skin.Smokers are also prone to prema-ture thinning and graying of thehair. Men who smoke are twice aslikely to become bald as are menwho don’t smoke, and prematuregraying is three to six times morecommon in smokers.

The Rx: Find a way to quit byjoining a program, using a nicotinepatch, or whatever else it takes.

Set a Lower Drink Limit

The dehydrating effects of heavydrinking can lead to dry, dull skin.The Rx:

° Limit drinks to one a day if

Wrinkle-Reduction Acts

Stop reinforcing your “expression lines.” Keep a hand mirror near the tele-phone and look at yourself whileyou’re talking. If you’re frowning,furrowing your brow, pursing yourlips or squinting without realizing it, train yourself to relax your facial muscles.

Sleep face-up.Lying on your back helps preventfluid buildup in facial tissue, so you won’t have that smushed-up,morning-face look. To stay on yourback, try putting a pillow under your knees.

Skip anti-wrinkle exercises.Face-muscle exercise routines thatpromise to reduce wrinkles actuallymake things worse by deepeningexpression lines.

you’re a woman and two a day if you’re a man.

° Offset potential dehydration by drinking plenty of waterthroughout the day.

° Avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Alcoholincreases the risk of leaks in thecapillaries, which allow more

or brew a cup of herbal tea anddrink it outdoors.

° Treat yourself to a face andbody massage. It improvesblood and lymph circulation,accelerates the elimination oftoxins, and speeds the deliveryof oxygen and nutrients to yourskin. Your skin will regain itshealthy glow.

Maintain—or Achieve—a Healthy Weight

Losing weight? Good for you!Choose a slow but steady pace:Abrupt, rapid weight loss shrinksfat cells in the face before chemi-cals can tell the skin to react bytightening up. You’re left withbaggy-looking skin. The Rx:

° Aim for a loss of 1/2 to 1 poundper week.

° Work out. Physical activity notonly strengthens and rejuvenatesyour body, it also helps your skinby revving up circulation. Thisspeeds the removal of toxins andthe growth of new skin cells.

water in and causepuffiness. Capillaryleakage increaseswhen you’re lyingdown.

Get More Shuteye

They don’t call it beauty sleep fornothing: During sleep, the bodyregenerates collagen and keratin (aprotein in the skin’s top layer). Lackof sleep can dull your complexion,make dark circles under your eyesworse, and make under-eye skinlook puffy and baggy. The Rx:

° Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep eachnight.

° Raise the head of your bed byputting blocks under the legs toreduce under-eye puffiness, ortry sleeping on two pillows.

° Invest in a satin pillowcase. It’s easier on your skin at night.

Relax

Tension isn’t a problem just for acne-prone skin—too much stress canleave you pale and drawn. The Rx:

° Practice relaxation techniques,such as deep breathing, medita-tion, yoga, or even a long walk,which can all help. Try a stress-reduction tape, keep a journal,

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With age, your skin naturallydries out and loses elasticity.Your goal: to keep your skin moistand pliable, inside and out.

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Can the right foods discour-age wrinkles? Can thewrong foods make your

skin wrinkle sooner and deeper?When researchers from Australia’sMonash University looked at thediets of 453 women and men fromAustralia, Greece, and Sweden forclues, the answer to both questionswas a clear yes.

They discovered that a highintake of fruit, vegetables, and fishcould reduce skin wrinkling—evenamong smokers and people whospent more time in the sun. Buteating lots of red meat and sweetsseemed to accelerate skin aging.The researchers note that theirwork doesn’t mean that food itselfmakes skin wrinkle or stay smooth;it’s more likely that the right diethelps protect against the effects ofthe sun and natural aging, whilethe wrong diet aids and abets theseskin wreckers.

Two types of foods seemed especially protective: high-antioxidant fruits and veggies andmonounsaturated fats from fish,nuts, and vegetable oils. A diethigh in antioxidants may preventwrinkling by helping skin cellscope with sunlight-generated freeradicals. Meanwhile, your skin’sstructure includes fatty acids.Replenishing them by providingyour body with monounsaturatedfats keeps skin healthy and glow-ing; monos may also act asantioxidants, the researchers say.

Reach for these skin savers.The study volunteers with thefewest wrinkles ate the most ofthese foods: olive oil and olives,fish (especially fatty fish such assardines), reduced-fat milk andmilk products such as yogurt, eggs,nuts and beans, vegetables (espe-cially leafy greens, such as spinach,

3WrinkleEdible

Protection

multivitamin. A single serving of spinach supplies all you needin a day. The vitamin A in yourfood comes in two forms:retinol, from meat and dairyproducts, and carotenes (mostlybeta-carotene) from fruit andveggies. The deeper the color,the more beta-carotene’s inside.

° Vitamin C. Top sources: citrus,strawberries, tomatoes, pota-toes, green veggies, red peppers,and eggplant.

This important antioxidanthelps maintain healthy tissuesand fights wrinkles by neutral-izing damaging free radicals,the unstable oxygen moleculesthat are thought to accelerateaging by causing cell and tissuedamage. Vitamin C also playsan important role in the forma-tion of collagen, thescaffold-like structure of fibersthat supports your skin.

° Vitamin E. Top sources: vegetable oils, nuts, wholegrains, egg yolks, wheat germ,and leafy green vegetables.

Another antioxidant, vitaminE also protects and maintainsthe structural integrity of cellmembranes. You’ll get all youneed from a healthy diet.

eggplant, asparagus, celery, onions,leeks, and garlic), whole grain cereals, fruit (especially prunes,cherries, apples, and jams), tea,and water.

Steer clear of wrinkle promoters.More wrinkling was associatedwith eating more of these: saturat-ed fat in red meat, processedmeats, butter, and full-fat milk,cheese, and ice cream; sweeteneddrinks; cakes, pastries, anddesserts; and white potatoes.

Skin-Healthy Nutrients

Here’s the lowdown on the topskin-friendly nutrients that belongon your plate at every meal.

° Vitamin A. Top sources: liverand dark green, yellow, ororange vegetables, such asspinach, Swiss chard, carrots,apricots, yellow squash, andsweet potatoes.

Vitamin A helps maintain thestructural integrity of skin cells. A deficiency disturbs the deli-cate balance of the skin,resulting in the loss of cells thatproduce lubricants intended tokeep skin soft and supple.

You can get all the vitamin Ayou need from food and a daily

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° Zinc. Top sources:red meat, wholewheat, pecans,pumpkin seeds,and oysters.

This key mineral works withvitamin C to make healthy col-lagen, an essential componentof connective tissue.

° Essential fatty acids. Topsources: salmon, trout, tuna, and other fatty, cold-water fish;walnuts; and ground flaxseed.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fattyacids help hydrate the skin byholding on to moisture.

° Water. Top sources: beyond tapwater and bottled water, 100 percent juice and green,black, or herbal teas.

Drink at least eight 8-ounceglasses of water a day to stayhydrated. This helps flush toxins through your kidneysinstead of your skin.

Sun Blockers on Your Plate

New research suggests that somefoods have the power to protectskin from the damage caused by the sun’s UV radiation. While a salad is no substitute for a

sunblock, adding these sunscreenstars to breakfast, lunch, and dinner could add inner protectionat the cellular level.

° Red, yellow, and orange fruitsand vegetables. They’re packedwith carotenoids, and studiesshow they reduce sunburnintensity.

° Tart cherries and peppermintleaves. These flavorful treatscontain perillyl alcohol, whichmay halt cancer formation. In lab studies, this ingredientstopped cancer in cells exposedto UV light.

° Dark green lettuce, spinach, kale,and Swiss chard. Leafy greensare top sources of the antioxi-dants lutein and zeaxanthin,which halted cell growthprompted by UV light in animal studies.

° Green tea. This delicately fla-vored tea is full of antioxidantscalled EGCGs. Among theirhealth-promoting capabilities:EGCGs stopped genetic

Research confirms it: Your choiceof foods has a major influence onthe health and beauty of your skin.

good health, plus smallamounts of the antioxidantvitamins A, C, and E.

° Selenium. This mineral may protect against prostate cancer,and at doses of 50 to 200micrograms per day, it may alsoprotect against cell-damagingfree radicals.

° Vitamin C. You’ll get all youneed if you eat plenty of fruitand veggies each day. Buteverybody messes up, soincrease your intake of thisskin-guarding antioxidant witha supplement that provides 500 to 1,000 milligrams a day.

° Vitamin E. This antioxidantprotects cell membranes byinactivating free radicals.Applied directly to the skin, itmay reduce skin damage. Somedermatologists suggest takingsmall amounts to reduce sundamage and improve skin tex-ture, but recent researchsuggests that taking large dosesof supplemental E could behazardous. We recommendsticking with the amount inyour multivitamin or adding asupplement of no more than200 IU per day.

damage in human skin cellsexposed to UV light in oneUniversity of Wisconsin study.

° Oranges, lemons, and limes.Citrus fruits have the potentingredient limonene, associatedwith a whopping 34 percentlower risk of skin cancer in oneUniversity of Arizona study of470 women and men.

° Salmon. This fish is a greatsource of oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids. In a small Britishstudy, fish oils guarded againstsunburn and DNA changesthat can lead to cancer.

Supplements forYounger-Looking Skin

While a growing stack of researchshows that vitamins, minerals, andantioxidants are more effectivewhen consumed from food thanwhen taken in a pill, consider thesesupplements. They can’t replace adiet packed with fruit, vegetables,whole grains, dairy products, andlean protein, but they’re good“insurance policies” for days whenyou don’t eat all the right stuff.

° A multivitamin. Provides thefull range of vitamins and min-erals your skin needs for basic

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4Wrinkle CuresDrugstore

Cleopatra—the glamour girlof ancient Egypt—report-edly bathed in buttermilk

to improve her complexion.Thousands of years ago, she andother women knew a secret thatmodern skin researchers have onlyrecently redis-covered: Acidsderived fromnatural foodshave thepower toreduce wrinkles and ease dryness,age spots, and even acne.

Today, you don’t have to soak ina vat of buttermilk. Alpha-hydroxyacids (AHAs) are available in astaggering variety of skin lotionsand cleansers—from pricey spaformulas to bargain-priced drug-store brands. Derived from avariety of natural ingredients—including citric acid from oranges

and lemons, glycolic acid fromsugarcane, lactic acid from milk,malic acid from apples, pyruvicacid from papayas, and tartaricacid from grapes—they’re a naturalway to exfoliate dead skin layers.

AHAs work by gently dissolvingthe intercellular“glue” thatmakes old skincells stick to theepidermis. Theresult: The out-

ermost layer of your skin looksbrighter and finer. These skinsmoothers may also stimulate theproduction of skin-supporting collagen and elastin. Some derma-tologists also believe that AHAsenhance the skin’s moisture-retain-ing ability so the tissue maintainsits soft, padded firmness. Thedownside: AHAs make skin extra-sensitive to the sun. If you don’t

Natural acids “unglue”dead skin cells for natural,all-over exfoliation.

Have acne or oily skin and sundamage? Consider salicylic acid.This beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) isoil soluble; AHAs are not. Theadvantage: Salicylic acid can pene-trate oil-clogged pores and loosendead skin cells inside. It’s also lessirritating than AHAs. The down-sides: Salicylic acid may discolordark skin. It also makes all skintypes even more sensitive to sunexposure than AHAs do. Dailysunscreen is an absolute must.

Be patient—and realistic. Drug-store wrinkle smoothers are gentleand slow. It can take 6 months tosee a visible difference in fine lines.

Stick with one product. Use oneproduct containing AHAs at atime—not a lotion and a cleanser,for example. (A lotion is probablya better bet, since the acid stays incontact with your skin longer thanit would if you used a skincleanser.) Also, don’t combine adrugstore product with a prescrip-tion wrinkle cream or onepurchased at the doctor’s office.Too much exfoliation will leaveyour skin red and irritated.

wear a sunscreen, you may actuallyincrease your risk of wrinkles! Also,AHAs sometimes cause rednessand irritation.

With so many types of AHAproducts on the market, theseinsider tips can help you choosethe best one for you—and then useit to best advantage.

Don’t let “low” concentrationsfool you. AHA products sold over the counter usually have AHAconcentrations that are below 10 percent. They’re gentle (provided you follow the labeldirections) and designed for regular use. Look for one with an AHA as the second or thirdingredient to be certain you’re get-ting an effective concentration.

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AHAs strip off the upper layer ofskin, leaving your face a whopping50 percent more sensitive to thesun. We can’t give this advice oftenenough: Wear a daily sunscreenthat offers protection against UVAand UVB rays.

Never skip your sunscreen.

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Use sparingly. A dime-size amountis enough for your whole face.Using too much can lead to red-ness, burning, itching, pain, andeven, in rare cases, scarring.

Keep it away from your eyes.Don’t use AHAs on the delicate tissues surrounding the eyes unlessthe cream is specially formulatedfor that use. Facial products are toostrong and lack the moisturizersneeded for these areas.

If your complexion is dark, consult your doc before using anAHA (or BHA). People with dark-er skin are at a higher risk forscarring and pigment changes fromAHAs than those who have paler complexions.

Need faster results? See a trainedcosmetologist or dermatologist.Cosmetologists use AHAs withconcentrations of up to 30 percentin chemical peels that can smoothfine lines in one to three applica-tions. The downside: You have torepeat the process every 3 to 6months. Meanwhile, dermatolo-gists use concentrations of 50 to 70 percent. Smoother skin may lastfor 2 to 5 years, but you’ll havesevere redness, flaking, and even

oozing for the first 1 to 4 weeksafter the treatments.

Also in Store: More Wrinkle Helpers

° Retinol: A smoother for agingskin. Often listed on labels asvitamin A, retinal, or retinylpalmitate, this ingredient isfound in many over-the-counter skin-care products.Dermatologists say it can effec-tively soften fine lines andwrinkles and lighten skin tone.Prescription formulas contain-ing synthetic vitamin Aderivatives called retinoids—such as Retin-A—may be moreeffective. If you try an over-the-counter product, look for onethat lists the concentration.The FDA warns that drugstoreretinol skin products are unreg-ulated, so the amount of activeingredients is often unknown,and some products may con-tain none at all.

° Copper peptide: Worth a try. The copper complex GHK-Cu—now becoming available in more and more face and eyecreams, foundations, and con-cealers—may make skin look

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visibly smoother. Here’s why:Copper peptides play a role inthe development of collagenand elastin, the support struc-ture within the dermis (theskin’s second layer). In theory,this may help fix sun-damagedskin. Several studies supportthis idea; a copper peptidecream reduced fine wrinkles,facial discoloration, and othersun damage by 17 percent inone study from TulaneUniversity School of Medicine.

° Antioxidant creams: Skin protec-tion in a bottle. Applied beforeyou’re exposed to the sun (forexample, under your sun-screen), antioxidant creamsmay help protect skin from sundamage, research suggests.

In studies, vitamin E creams,especially those containing a typecalled alpha-tocopherol, easedroughness, decreased the length of lines, and slightly smoothedwrinkles. Vitamin C–fortifiedlotions seem to cut skin swellingprompted by too much sun andover time could prompt more collagen production. Skin productswith coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 )may boost the skin’s ability to resist UV radiation damage andperhaps reduce crow’s-feet, onestudy suggests.

A little dab is all youneed: AHAs are powerful.Use a dime-size dollop.

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Think past your face. The skin ofyour neck and upper chest is verysensitive, making it a prime targetfor telltale signs of aging such asdryness, sunspots, and wrinkles. Tokeep this area looking youthful, usefacial cleansing creams that hydrateand cleanse gently instead of usingdeodorant soaps, which can bedrying. Top it all off with a goodfacial moisturizing cream.

Check for dryness. The outer layerof your skin may be drier—andmore in need of moisturizingTLC—than you realize, even if it’snot scaly, itchy, or peeling. Try thistwo-second test: Scratch a smallarea on your arm or leg with yourfingernail. If a white scratch markis left behind, your skin is dry andneeds more moisture.

Go simple. Keep your beautyproducts clean and simple, particu-larly if you have sensitive skin. Stay

Wrinkles are only part of the story; skin goesthrough many changes

as we reach our 40s, 50s, andbeyond. Dryness—with flaking,itchiness, and even cracking—maydevelop even if it was never a problem in the past. Age spotscan make a surprise appearance,and so can bright-red dots calledcherry angiomas—harmless dilatedblood vessels.

Pay attention to what’s happeningto the surface of your skin whenyou’re showering, bathing, or wash-ing your face. Here’s why: Not allskin changes are benign. If a newmole suddenly appears, or an exist-ing mole changes size, shape, orcolor, see your doctor pronto. Itcould be a sign of skin cancer.

Meanwhile, our soothing skin-care plan can help your skin looksupple and more youthful. First,some ground rules.

5BeautyRoutineThe Healthy-Skin

out a little more cash, but expertsagree you’ll get better results.

Two Steps to Younger-Looking Skin

STEP 1: CLEANLong, hot showers strip skin of itsmoisture and wash away its protec-tive oils. Limit showers to no morethan 10 minutes and keep thewater as cool as you can stand it.Consider these tips when buyingand using soaps and cleansers.

Switch from deodorant soap to onewith added fat. Try brands such asDove, Oilatum, or Neutrogena.Deodorant soaps can be drying,whereas added-fat soaps leave anoily yet beneficial film on your skin.

Make an oat scrub and use it onyour face every other day. Oatsmoisturize and exfoliate your skinat the same time. For a homemadescrub, grind enough rolled oats ina food processor or coffee grinderto make 1/2 cup. Combine with

1/3 cup of groundsunflower seeds,1/2 teaspoon ofpeppermint leaves,and 4 tablespoons

away from products with color orfragrance and those that producebubbles or have “antibacterial” onthe label. These can all irritateskin. Even if your skin isn’t super-sensitive, steer clear of scentedlotions and perfumes before spend-ing a day outdoors. Scentedproducts can lead to blotchy skinwhen exposed to the sun (andattract biting insects!).

Use a single family of skin-careproducts. If you buy and use lotsof different products, there’s agood chance that some containthe same ingredients, thus mak-ing them redundant. You may beoverusing an active ingredientthat’s irritating in higher doses.Also, some brands just aren’t verycompatible with others, althoughyou have no way of knowing thatuntil after you pay for them andopen them. You’ll get much betterresults if you use brands of prod-ucts that are designed andformulated to work together, such as Clinique, Mary Kay, orNeutrogena. You may have to shell

20

Cool it. Long, hot showers and bathsrob your skin of youthful moisture.

21

of almond meal. Mix 2 teaspoonswith a small amount of heavycream, then scrub your face andneck with the mixture and rinsethoroughly.

Rub with a loofah or bath brushdaily. This helps keep ingrownhairs and scaly skin under control.While in the shower, gently scrubbumpy or scaly skin with a circularmotion to remove dead cells. Forextra-smooth skin, sprinkle a fewdrops of an AHA product on theloofah before scrubbing. (Storeyour loofah in a dry place withgood air circulation.)

STEP 2: MOISTURIZELock in moisture by applying acream or lotion within three min-utes of leaving the tub or shower to trap moisture in the upper layersof the skin and prevent drynessand itching. Here’s advice on doingthis to best effect.

Select a moisturizer that containsskin-repairing ingredients.Moisturizers can stop dryness,bruising, and tearing, but theywon’t directly fix wrinkles. Lookfor one of these active ingredientswhen choosing yours.

Moisturizing MasksFrom Your Kitchen

Grab a towel, a bowl, and yourfavorite book. Then whip up one ofthese six mild, fun, yummy-smellingmasks, apply, and relax for a while.Rinse off the mask after 15 minutes,unless otherwise noted. All aremarvelous for your skin.

° 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt plus

a few dashes of sesame oil.

°A banana mashed with a little

honey.

° 1/4 cup of whipping cream

mixed with 1/2 teaspoon olive

oil, 2 tablespoons of mashed

ripe avocado, and 1 teaspoon of

calendula petals.

°A lightly scrambled raw egg.

If your skin is oily, apply an egg

white only.

°A cooked apple (simmered until

soft) mixed with 1 teaspoon

each lemon juice and crushed

peppermint leaves.

°Mashed mango. Leave this one

on for just a few minutes.

° Humectants, such as glycerin, sorbitol, urea, or propylene glycol. These attract water bypulling it up from deeper skin

moisturizers, it found that bothpricey and cheaper productsworked about the same.

Add an under-eye cream. Thethin, delicate skin beneath the eyesproduces little of the protectiveoil that keeps skin soft. Speciallyformulated gels reduce puffinessand dark circles while they mois-turize. Don’t smear on eye cream;this can pull skin and encouragewrinkle formation. Instead, tap iton very gently.

Switch moisturizers when the seasons change. Your skin needsmore moisture in winter than insummer, so the same day you bringthose sweaters down from the atticfor the winter, buy a heavier mois-turizer. When you trade in thesweaters for shorts, switch to alighter one.

Here’s why: When humiditydrops in the winter, your skin losesmoisture and feels dry, itchy, andirritated. Indoor heat, hot showers,and harsh winds further dry outskin. In contrast, summertimehumidity levels are higher, so yourskin retains more moisture and caneasily replenish itself by absorbingmoisture from the air.

layers. They’re good choices forpeople with oily skin.

° Occlusives, such as petroleumjelly. These prevent water fromevaporating.

° Lipids, such as monolaurin.These may rebuild the skin’sbarrier that guards against moisture loss and damage.

Don’t assume that expensivemeans better. When one large consumer organization tested

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When to Call theDermatologist

If you have a sudden, unexplainedskin condition—a rash that’s lastedfor more than a week, a sore thatwon’t heal, a mole that’s changedin shape, size, or color—or a long-term problem, such as acne,eczema, or psoriasis, that’s notresponding to drugstore remedies,it’s time to visit the skin doctor.Your family doctor may be able torecommend and refer you to a localdermatologist, or, if your health planallows it, make your own appoint-ment with a skin doc who’s nearbyand is recommended by friends or coworkers.

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For soft, young-looking handsand feet, moisturize while yousleep. Before you go to bed, slatheron moisturizing cream, then slipon thin-fabric socks and gloves. It’s like a spa treatment, and youwon’t get your sheets oily or ruboff the cream.

Go natural with olive oil. Smootha couple of drops over your face,elbows, knees, and the backs ofyour arms every evening. The oilcontains monounsaturated fat,which refreshes and hydrates skinwithout leaving a greasy residue.

Mask an extra-dry face and neck.Use a facial moisturizing masktwice a month.

More Dry-Skin Cures

Rub on real aloe vera. The acids inaloe eat away dead skin cells andspeed the healing process. Cut offan end of an aloe leaf, split the leafopen, and spread the gel on thedry area.

Plunk rough, dry elbows intograpefruit. First, exfoliate yourelbows with a brush or loofah inthe bath or shower, then cut agrapefruit in half and rest one

elbow on each half. Soak for15 minutes. Wash and gently

exfoliate again, then rub on amoisturizer. The acid in the grape-fruit helps loosen dead skin.

Apply ice wrapped in a towel todry, itchy skin. Do this for a fewminutes on, a few minutes off. Letthe moist cold soothe your skinand draw warming blood to it, butdon’t let your skin get so cold thatit stings or hurts.

Soak in a soothing tub. To easedry, rough, itchy skin, add one ofthese to a warm bath.

° 1/2 pound of sea salt and 1 pound of baking soda.Soak until the water is cool to detoxify your skin and soothe the itch.

° 2 cups of Epsom salts. In addition to soaking, whileyour skin is still wet, rub hand-fuls of Epsom salt on roughareas to exfoliate.

° A few bags of your favorite tea.The tea provides antioxidantsas well as a delicious scent.

° 1 cup of uncooked oatmeal tiedinto an old stocking or muslinbag. Oats are not only wonderful

Use an herbal spritzer with essential oils. Rose, sandalwood,and bergamot oils are great forhydrating the skin. To create anherbal spritzer, mix a few drops ofessential oil with water in a smallspray bottle and spritz your facewhenever your skin needs a littleboost. Your skin is more pliablewhen it’s hydrated, so a spray helpsstave off frown lines and generalmovement wrinkles. The hydratoralso keeps pollutants out and yourskin’s natural lubricants in. As abonus, your makeup will stay onlonger and look more natural.

Pat unscented baby powder onareas where skin meets skin.Powder keeps your inner thighs,underarms, and the sensitive skinbeneath your breasts clean and dry.It also prevents a common skincondition called intertrigo, inwhich trapped moisture fosters thegrowth of bacteria or fungi.

Skip astringent toners. Astringentsclean oils and soaps from the skin,but they’re too harsh for women(and men) with dry, sensitive, orirritated skin. If you use one, yourskin may itch, burn, or tingle.

for your inner health, they alsoprovide a healthy glow on theoutside, leaving a film on yourskin that seals in water.

° Equal parts of apple cider vine-gar, wheat germ, and sesame oil. The vinegar is both antibacteri-al and alkalinizing (meaning ithelps maintain the proper acidbalance), while sesame oil andwheat germ add moisture.

° 1 cup of powdered milk mixedwith 1 tablespoon of grapeseedoil. The lactic acid in the milkwill exfoliate your skin, and theoil will give it a powerful doseof antioxidants.

24

A Message for Men

Skin-preserving products such ascleansers and moisturizers aren’tjust for women. Men need skincare just as much as their wivesand sisters do. To prevent wrinklesand skin cancer, use a moisturizercontaining a sunscreen with an SPFof at least 15 daily. Also use a gen-tle exfoliant weekly and a nighttimemoisturizer that contains alpha-hydroxy acids to encourage skinregeneration.

6Best MakeupToday’s

Techniques

25

Check any woman’s bath-room, and chances areyou’ll find a plethora of

makeup, much of it old and barelyused. But choosing a makeupshould be as simple as choosing anice cream flavor—once you knowwhat’s best for you.

As your skin begins to age, yourmakeup is expected to do moreand more. Not only does it empha-size your good points—lovelygreen eyes, a full mouth, and highcheekbones—but it may also becalled upon to deflect attentionfrom features you’d rather weren’tin the limelight, like wrinkles, dry-ness, sagging, and age spots.

The good news is, all this is pos-sible. You may need new products,new techniques, or a new apprecia-tion of the value of distraction (a brilliant smile, the perfect

lipstick, and a great haircut may“hide” crow’s-feet better than athick coat of foundation). Andsometimes, less really is more:Concealers, powders, and foun–dations that promise to covereverything may instead accentuateexpression lines. With that inmind, follow this advice.

FoundationGo light. If you’re blessed withgreat skin, use as little foundationas possible. If you do use it, choosea sheer liquid foundation and topit off with loose powder.

Go for a matte or semi-matte finish. Mature skin usually requires a heavier cream founda-tion. Avoid products that leave apowder-like finish.

Apply lightly. Using too muchfoundation is like pointing a neonsign at your wrinkles. Instead, dipa fine brush or makeup sponge in alightweight foundation and dab iton blotches and brown spots toeven them out. Then take a dampsponge and apply foundation toyour entire face, being sure tomatch the color of your neck andblend well so there’s no obviousline at your chin.

Avoid touching. Dipping your fin-ger into your foundation spreadsbacteria, which can cause break-outs. Instead, use a fresh, disposablemakeup sponge every day.

Get instant radiance. Mix liquidbronzer with your foundation ormoisturizer before applying it toyour face.

Powder lightly, or not at all.Powder may actually accentuatelines in your face.

Use season-specific make-up. You may need different beautyproducts for cool and hot weather.Winter dries you skin; summerposes added sun risks.

26

Makeup Management

These steps will keep your skinfresh, healthy, and looking its best.

°Use a moisturizing makeup

remover that leaves your face

feeling clean and soft.

°Discard foundation after 3

months. After that long, the oils

in foundation can go bad and

smell rancid. Powder makeup

such as blush and eye shadow

lasts a little longer, but be sure

to throw them out after a year.

° Keep your makeup style fresh

and current. A subtle change

now and then will keep your

look fashionable. If you’d rather

not change your colors com-

pletely, change the texture. For

example, if you love a particular

shade of eye shadow, choose

the same shade in a sparkly

version. The small change will

be noticed, but it won’t be

too dramatic.

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ConcealerBuy quality. It’s worth splurgingon a higher-priced concealer thatyou like. (Be sure to try it first. Thisis a good product to buy at a depart-ment store makeup counter.) Con-cealer can hide a multitude of flaws,such as pimples, dark circles, orpatchy lip tone. Look for a creamy,yellow-based concealer that’s oneshade lighter than your skin tone.

Don’t use it all over your face.Dab a bit on where it’s needed, butdon’t try to substitute concealer fora good foundation.

Cover your lids, brow bones, andeye corners. This evens out skintone and provides a base for eyemakeup so the color stays in placelonger.

Skip under-eye concealer if youhave under-eye lines. The skinunder your eyes is too thin to holdthe heavy concealer. Instead, dabon foundation.

Hide pimples with neutralizingconcealer. You can find this type ofconcealer at a beauty supply store.Just dab it on the pimple beforeputting on foundation.

Fool the Eye: ThreeBeautiful Distractions

Hide wrinkles in plain sight by play-ing up other facial features, such as:

°A bright smile. Discolored,

stained, or simply dull-looking

teeth can add years to your

smile—and your face. Invest

in an over-the-counter tooth-

whitening kit for a brighter

smile, or see your dentist.

°A great haircut. Now’s the

time for a flattering new style.

Ask the stylist about color

choices, too. If you’ve never

had highlights, consider adding

them; they give dimension to

colored hair.

°New eyebrows. The right

eyebrow shape can change

your face almost as radically

as a face-lift. Make an appoint-

ment to have your brows waxed

or plucked at a good local salon

(ask your friends for a recom-

mendation). Then return for

touchups or buy a good pair

of tweezers and follow the

contours to maintain your

new shape.

EyesUse a light touch for an elegant,refined effect. Reconsider youreyeliner, choose mascara that goeson with precision, and keep shad-ow shades subtle.

Zigzag your mascara wand.Applying mascara this way willgive you clump-free lashes.

Use powder eye shadows over amoisturizer. They’re less likely toaccentuate wrinkles than cream-based shadows.

Apply eyeliner with a brush.It provides a smoky look whilegently blurring the color. It alsogives your eyeliner more stayingpower. For best results, look for a thick, angled sable or syntheticfiber brush.

Remove waterproof, smudge-proof mascara with makeupremover before bed. Nothingmakes you look more worn outthan residual mascara under youreyes in the morning.

Draw attention to your eyes.Apply a dab of gold or silver eyeshadow to the center of each eyelidjust above the lashes. Your eyes will

LipsMatch your lip liner to the shadeof your lipstick. Lip liner shouldn’tlook as if it’s outlining your mouth.Instead, apply a sheer, frosty lipgloss over your regular lipstick fora more subtle, elegant look.

Choose the right color lipstick.That means pink shades for lightcomplexions and dark, earthytones for dark skin.

Put a little concealer on yourupper and lower lip. This keepslipstick from bleeding past yourlips. Or try a lip-setting cream orfacial foundation. Follow up with alittle translucent powder.

Exfoliate your lips once or twice aweek. It will keep them soft andkissable. Once they’re exfoliated,douse them with a lip balmenriched with vitamins E and C.

If your hair color has changed,update your lip color, too. If yourhair is graying, you may needlighter shades than you’ve used inthe past. If you color and/or high-light your hair, you may find that awarmer shade complements yournew hue nicely.

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29

Makeup Don’ts

These makeup mistakes add years to your look. Skip them!

°Bright blue eye shadow.

Turquoise or any brilliant blue

shade is older than granny glasses.

Instead: Use hues that flatter your

eye and hair color.

°Waxy foundation. Old-fashioned

pancake makeup may seem to

give you unbeatable coverage,

but it looks like a mask. Instead:

Lightly apply a sheer or creamy

foundation.

°Dark hollows in your cheeks.

Deep-hued contouring powder,

once thought to create hollows

under the cheekbones, is dated.

Instead: Stick with natural skin

color below your cheeks.

°Bright rouge spots. Little pink or

red dabs aren’t flattering—they

look very 1950s. Instead: Blend in

a shade that matches your lipstick

or your own coloring.

°Blusher on your jawline. This

older technique actually makes

your jowls look heavy. Instead:

Keep blusher high on your cheeks.

°Darkly penciled eyebrows.

Heavy eyebrows look harsh.

Instead: Skip the pencil or change

to a lighter shade.

look bigger, and when you blink,people will be attracted to the lightand therefore to your eyes.

Brush on Japanese rice powderbefore applying mascara. Thisenhances thin or short lashes.

Accentuate the outer corners ofyour eyes. Apply a gray-brownpowder and extend it toward theedges of your eyes to make close-set eyes look farther apart.

CheeksMatch your blush to the shade ofyour unadorned lips for the mostnatural color. Or match yourcheek color after you’ve exercisedor gotten overheated. Now’s thetime to reconsider your best color:It should complement your hairand changing complexion.

Smile broadly, then brush blushon the puffy tops of your cheek-

30

Home Remedies for Age Spots

Sometimes old-fashioned remedies are the most appealing. Here are some toconsider to cover up sun-related age spots on your skin. Keep in mind that itmay take weeks or months to see improvement. In the meantime, rememberto always put on protection from the sun to prevent further skin damage.

bones. Brush upward and outwardto your hairline.

Camouflage with a blush or colorwash. Either can help conceal aspidery network of dilated capillar-ies on the nose and cheeks.

° Porcelana. This fade cream

contains a 2% solution of the

bleaching agent hydroquinone.

(Darker spots may need a 3% solu-

tion, but for that you will need a

prescription). Read the package

directions carefully before using.

° Lemon. Dab the juice of a fresh

lemon on the spots at least twice a

day. Lemon juice may be suffi-

ciently acidic to slough off the

skin’s outer layer and remove or

lighten age spots.

°Honey and yogurt. Blend the two

to create a natural bleach that can

lighten age spots. Mix 1 teaspoon

of plain yogurt and 1 teaspoon of

honey. Apply, let dry for 30 minutes,

then rinse. Do this once a day.

°Aloe vera gel. As mentioned earli-

er, this plant contains chemicals

that slough away dead cells and

encourage the growth of healthy

replacements. Spread gel straight

from the snapped end of an aloe

vera plant leaf.

°Buttermilk. Yes, we noted that

Cleopatra used buttermilk so many

years ago for her skin. Indeed,

it is an age-old folk remedy for

age spots, thanks to its lactic

acid content. This acid gently

exfoliates sun-damaged skin and

pigmented areas.

Look for powder blushes. They’repreferred because they blend easilyon top of foundation.

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