49 replies to this topic

[Forever21]

these are just some simple tips on how to stay looking more youthful for a longer period of time. The earlier start the bigger the pay off. So if you start at age 20 years of age, you could literally still look in your 20's - 30's at ages 40 - 50 years. Prevention is the key, not waiting until the damage has already been done. Although the anti-aging skin creams do have some benefit, there is no miracle cream just yet. So far the most promising looks to be Copper peptides, Retinol, and Vitamin C topicals. To those that do a bit of research or generally keep up with the latest in skin aging then most of this will already be known to you. This is for people that have limited knowledge of skin care.

SUN AVOIDANCE - Well what an obvious one! If you like to get a nice healthy tan, you will age your skin faster and look older. 80% of skin aging is caused because of the sun, simple everyday exposure. Use sun protection and avoid the sun between 10am - 3pm. Make sure you take vitamin D3 because we normally get our vitamin D from the sun in the spring and summer. At least 2000-5000 IU of D3 is good enough to keep level optimal (which in itself protects you from such damage).

AVOID SMOKING - Do not smoke and make sure you're not exposed to smoke. This is one of the things that will age you the quickest.

EXERCISE - Generally improves overall health and circulation to the tissues giving a more glowing appearance to the skin

OMEGA 3 - Takin Omega 3 supplements. This helps lower inflammation and increases lipid levels in the skin to have a more soft and smoothier feeling to the skin, also increasing radiance.It will also help keep you looking younger by preventing inflammation from sun burn, which causes damage and aging skin.

LUTEIN - (found at high levels in Kale and cooked spinach (or blended)). Here are some details on how Lutein performed. You can search where to find lutein here [ 2,3]

Improved skin photo-protection

Skin photo-protective activity improves 2.5 times when FloraGLO Lutein is used in oral application and 4.2 times when the oral and topical treatments are combined - demonstrating a clear synergic effect between the two treatments.

Improved skin elasticity

After 12 weeks of the topical treatment or by combined oral supplement and topical application, the study shows an increase of skin elasticity of 68% in comparison with the initial value. With oral supplementation alone, the increase is 56%.

Improved skin hydration

Skin hydration improved by 82% after 12 weeks of combined oral and topical treatment. Meanwhile those who took only oral supplementation saw an increase of 60% while though who used only the topical treatment had an increase of 62% after 12 weeks.

Effect on skin lipid levels

Finally, the study revealed a positive and significant effect on skin lipid levels. An increase of 63% was reported for the patients who followed the combined treatment of FloraGLO Lutein while an increase of 46% was noted among those who only took the oral treatment.

Furthermore, after 12 weeks, a decrease of 65% lipid peroxidation was observed when an oral and topical treatment with FloraGLO Lutein was used and a decrease of 63% when subjects only used the topical treatment.

LYCOPENE - This is found in tomatoes and is essentially what makes a tomatoes red. A study was released last year showing that consuming lycopene with a bit of olive oil increased skin procollagen levels by. Heres a quote from the researcher

""The tomato diet boosted the level of procollagen in the skin significantly. These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin ageing process. This is in addition to the significant reduction in sunburn."

BETA CAROTENE - This gets converted to vitamin A and is stored in the body. Also is good as a skin antioxidant. Eating too many foods high in beta carotene can cause the skin to go slightly orange/yellow however. But this is different from jaundice in liver disease. This is completely safe and beneficial. Beta carotene can be found in carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli among other foods.

GREEN TEA - Green tea is simply less processed than black tea, otherwise they're both from the same plant. Green tea contains compounds called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). It's believed from some recent studies that they prevent oxidation to the skin, they also inhibit collagenases, elastinase and certain MMP enzymes responsible for breakdown down the tissues and causing fine lines and wrinkles. EGCG is also a good anti inflammatory and has some effect on protecting you from from UV rays. [5,6,7,8]. There was also a study done using topical green tea extract and they found although there were no significant changes in the short term, there was a significant increase in elastin in the skin. Longer studies are needed to compare the effects of long term application of green tea. [9].

There is also some evidence that Green Tea can treat mild - moderate acne. Placing a used green tea bag when cooled down onto a spot will in my experience decrease the size by 50% and make it less red and this happens within 30 minutes of applying it for about 10 minutes.

EAT GARLIC - Garlic contains sulfur, which helps your body produce collagen.

Eat Less - It's simple, the more calories you take in the faster you will age. The fewer calories you take in the slower you will age, upto a certain point at least before it because detrimental to health. Eating a low calorie nutrient dense diet in animals like worms, flies, dogs, cows, monkeys slows the signs of aging, they grey later, the monkeys don't wrinkle or it's delayed significantly [11]. They just generally look much younger at all ages, and they go on to live very long healthy lives equivalent upto 150-180 human years depending on the time the restriction was imposed.

Avoiding sugar - This causes cross linking of proteins and ultimately wrinkled skin. The high sugar sweets, drinks and foods that are on the high GI index will all cause accelerated skin aging. If you make toast or burning food and consuming it this will lead to AGE's.

"Collagens are important proteins for the skin, as they are essential for structure and function of the extracellular matrix in the dermis. Thinner and
wrinkled skin, the typical signs of normal aging, are the consequence of reduced collagen. Protein glycation contributes to skin aging as it deteriorates
the existing collagen by crosslinking. Accelerated skin aging is especially noticeable in diabetic patients, where glycation is increased because of the high serum glucose level." [12]

IS NUTRITION GOOD ENOUGH?
A lot of the above advice is through simple and non expensive methods on how to maintain younger looking appearance, and they do work. Almost anyone can looks 'years' younger by doing all the things above and the difference can be noticed within 4 weeks and improvements can continue months and even over a year later.

TOPICALS - Although there are always claims that product x is the real deal in anti aging, and the industry is worth billions of dollars, you have to be careful what you're buying. I would recommend a good product like 'Juvess' which http://www.juvess.com/ingredients.html . It has 'proven ingredients' such as Copper Peptide, Carnosine, CoQ10, Vitamin E, Beta Glucan. All of which help repair the skin damage that you have but also prevent further skin aging. The product is also on sale from a fraction of the price of some top brands line Creme de la mer which would cost you over $200 for the same amount you get from Juvess. It's literally an identical copy. I've provided a link here to the cream so if you want to you can try it out. Almost everyone i talked to say they have seen amazing benefits from using it. It can heal scars, hyperpigmentation, skin dryness, uneven skin tone. I personally cannot use it because I think I'm allergic to one of the ingredients, however everyone else I know who tried a sample from me never had any issues. Using a high SPF protection will also improve your skin and is a good idea when you're trying to repair. Especially when using retinoids for example.

Using topicals and changing your diet will have a synergistic effect so that you can get younger instead of older.

REFERENCES

[1] Omega 3 for Skin Health - Get a Radiant and Glowing Complexion Naturally
http://ezinearticles...n...y&id=852876

[2] New Clinical Trial Shows Lutein Can Help Improve Skin Health
http://www.medicalne...icles/70700.php

[3] Lutein Sources
http://www.luteininfo.com/whereraw

[4] Lycopene improves skin and protects against sunburn
http://www.nutraingr...kin-from-within

[5] Green Tea Polyphenols Induce Differentiation and Proliferation in Epidermal Keratinocytes
http://jpet.aspetjou...stract/306/1/29

[6] Inhibition of UVB-Induced Skin Tumor Development by Drinking Green Tea Polyphenols Is Mediated Through DNA Repair and Subsequent Inhibition of Inflammation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19020550

[7] (-)Epigallocatechin gallate hampers collagen destruction and collagenase activation in ultraviolet-B-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts: involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18226437

[8] Green tea extract suppresses the age-related increase in collagen crosslinking and fluorescent products in C57BL/6 mice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/14743550

[9] double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to determine the
role of a combination regimen of systemic and topical green
tea in UV protection and the improvement of skin appearance http://www.spabeauty...ea_clinical.pdf

[10] which foods promote collagen?
http://www.whfoods.c...=fightdz&dbid=6

[11] Modulation of Cutaneous Aging With Calorie
Restriction in Fischer 344 Rats
http://archfaci.ama-.../reprint/7/1/12

[12] Collagen glycation and skin aging
http://www.mibellebi...g_-_CT_2002.pdf










Do you need to cook tomatoes with olive oil and how much tomatoes?

http://matts-cr.blog...anti-aging.html

Edited by Forever21, 15 June 2009 - 12:35 AM.

[immortali457]

I would not buy the Juvess cream personally. I've not read anything that clearly shows topical Carnosine can penetrate the epidermis.
Also I highly doubt the amount of copper peptides, which dont seem to be given, is going to mimic proven formulas with copper peptides.

[niner]

I would not buy the Juvess cream personally. I've not read anything that clearly shows topical Carnosine can penetrate the epidermis.
Also I highly doubt the amount of copper peptides, which dont seem to be given, is going to mimic proven formulas with copper peptides.

I'm sold on it. I did a split-face experiment, and was really impressed with the results after about 6 weeks. In my case, it was kind of like a mini-facelift. I didn't immediately see effects on pigmentation and the like, but I've been using it for about a year, and I am now seeing improvement in pigmentation and roughness. Look on the Juvess site for a paper on carnosine.

[Ghostrider]

I would not buy the Juvess cream personally. I've not read anything that clearly shows topical Carnosine can penetrate the epidermis.
Also I highly doubt the amount of copper peptides, which dont seem to be given, is going to mimic proven formulas with copper peptides.

I'm sold on it. I did a split-face experiment, and was really impressed with the results after about 6 weeks. In my case, it was kind of like a mini-facelift. I didn't immediately see effects on pigmentation and the like, but I've been using it for about a year, and I am now seeing improvement in pigmentation and roughness. Look on the Juvess site for a paper on carnosine.

I don't know how it works, but I do like the Juvess skin care cream. Been using it for about 1.5 years now and am happy with the formula.

Also want to add a recommendation for Biosil. That's the only supplement that I can tell is actually doing something good!

Edited by Ghostrider, 15 June 2009 - 07:09 AM.

[JLL]

I would not buy the Juvess cream personally. I've not read anything that clearly shows topical Carnosine can penetrate the epidermis.
Also I highly doubt the amount of copper peptides, which dont seem to be given, is going to mimic proven formulas with copper peptides.

I'm sold on it. I did a split-face experiment, and was really impressed with the results after about 6 weeks. In my case, it was kind of like a mini-facelift. I didn't immediately see effects on pigmentation and the like, but I've been using it for about a year, and I am now seeing improvement in pigmentation and roughness. Look on the Juvess site for a paper on carnosine.

I don't know how it works, but I do like the Juvess skin care cream. Been using it for about 1.5 years now and am happy with the formula.

Also want to add a recommendation for Biosil. That's the only supplement that I can tell is actually doing something good!

I've been taking 5 drops of BioSil for close to three months but haven't noticed much. Everybody keeps telling me how great BioSil is, so I guess it can't be all placebo. How long have you been taking it and how much daily?

[Forever21]

Do you need to cook tomatoes with olive oil and how much tomatoes?

[Matt]

you don't need to cook the tomatoes with olive oil. Sometimes I just cook around 100-150g of cherry tomatoes and put on top of some wholemeal bread, and then put olive on the top and add some low salt/sugar red sauce with some crushed garlic. Tastes quite nice.

Edited by Matt, 15 June 2009 - 12:45 PM.

[TheFountain]

Another study suggested that eggs are a better source of lutein than both kale and spinach combined. Which can only mean one thing, eat them all!

By the way does anyone know the daily milligrams of lutein applied to the 8 week trial?

Edited by TheFountain, 15 June 2009 - 02:34 PM.

[Matt]

This table http://www.luteininfo.com/whereraw put kale at the top, eggs at the bottom for lutein sources. I think that blending the kale and spinach will increase the amount of caretonoids you can absorb. Since I have like 100-150g of spinach and 50-100g of kale everyday (COM says kale 100g is is about 1.5 cups), I'm getting WAY above what the study had given to the group. Probably why my skin has really changed colour. I've noticed that my skin is alwasy hydrated now also, it bounces back very quickly after washing.

Another study suggested that eggs are a better source of lutein than both kale and spinach combined.

What study? Heres some information from the table I linked to above

Kale (raw) 26.5mg / 1 cup
Spinach (cooked) 20.4mg / 1 cup (I think blended will be comparable or better)
Egg 0.2mg / 1 large

Edited by Matt, 15 June 2009 - 02:53 PM.

[TheFountain]

This table http://www.luteininfo.com/whereraw put kale at the top, eggs at the bottom for lutein sources. I think that blending the kale and spinach will increase the amount of caretonoids you can absorb. Since I have like 100-150g of spinach and 50-100g of kale everyday (COM says kale 100g is is about 1.5 cups), I'm getting WAY above what the study had given to the group. Probably why my skin has really changed colour. I've noticed that my skin is alwasy hydrated now also, it bounces back very quickly after washing.

Another study suggested that eggs are a better source of lutein than both kale and spinach combined.

What study? Heres some information from the table I linked to above

Kale (raw) 26.5mg / 1 cup
Spinach (cooked) 20.4mg / 1 cup (I think blended will be comparable or better)
Egg 0.2mg / 1 large

I can't find it, but here is another reference.


Absorbing News About Eggs and Lutein
By Rosalie Marion Bliss
August 18, 2004 The human body is better able to absorb eye-healthy lutein from eggs than from other dietary sources of the carotenoid, according to a study funded by the Agricultural Research Service and the Egg Nutrition Center in Washington, D.C.

Lead nutritional biochemist Elizabeth J. Johnson and colleagues with the Carotenoids and Health Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., conducted the study. The findings are reported in the August issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

The researchers suspect that lutein from eggs is more readily absorbed into the bloodstream than lutein from other sources because of components in the egg's yolk, such as lecithin.

Low lutein intake is implicated as a risk factor in age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss among older Americans. In the eye, the macula is in the retina, directly behind the pupil, and is responsible for central vision. Lutein and a related dietary carotenoid, zeaxanthin, accumulate within the macula and imbue a yellow pigment that helps protect the eye.

Ten volunteers, during four separate test phases, consumed either cooked spinach, eggs or one of two types of lutein supplements. Each source provided 6 milligrams (mg) of lutein per daily dose. Johnson measured lutein concentrations in the volunteers' blood serum before and after each test phase. When each volunteer ate eggs as the source of lutein, their lutein blood serum levels were about three times greater than after consuming the same dose of lutein from the other sources.

Federal surveys report the average American consumes only about two mg of lutein daily, but a salad of one egg and one cup of spinach would easily double that by providing the equivalent of about four milligrams of lutein.

The new findings suggest eggs are an inexpensive source of highly bioavailable lutein, though more than one egg per day would provide higher-than-recommended amounts of dietary cholesterol.

ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.




http://www.ars.usda....2004/040818.htm

[Matt]

Thanks for sharing, didn't they add fat to increase absorption of lutein from other sources? I guess I must be getting 40-60mg of lutein per day from diet alone, going by that table. Not usre if you can see but my skin changed colour a bit Here . (Edit: I just realized it doesn't help having a low energy light bulb in the backround lol)

Its hard to get a shot of it, people notice it more when they see me. If you read my post in another topic I got involved in a conversation at work because people thought I was wearing some sort of make up or foundation or some sort of cream to have a tan colour. I can only guess it's the lycopene, lutein, beta carotene I must be consuming in my diet. So if you don't mind the orange kind of tint to your skin, then load up on caratonoids

Edited by Matt, 15 June 2009 - 03:55 PM.

[Forever21]

you don't need to cook the tomatoes with olive oil. Sometimes I just cook around 100-150g of cherry tomatoes and put on top of some wholemeal bread, and then put olive on the top and add some low salt/sugar red sauce with some crushed garlic. Tastes quite nice.

red sauce? a tomato based right? would tomato sauce/paste do?

does cooking this increase bioavailability of tomatoes? if not, then maybe raw is better?

[Stefanovic]

anyone used this one:

http://www.amazon.co...m/dp/B001DNJOL4

[Forever21]

Unbelievable bumping WIN.

Anyway, I am now convinced that everything on my original post have marginal effectiveness in looking younger. None of these tips, diets, facial potions, etc come close to the power of Calorie Restriction.

1200 calories / day FTW.

[Logan]

For me, exercise had the most powerful effect on looking youthful. Maybe my face is more sensitive to it than others, or it has something to do with the kind of workouts I was getting and the physiological reaction my mind and body had to them, but I would often leave the gym looking 3 or 4 years younger than I did entering the gym.

[pycnogenol]

For me, exercise had the most powerful effect on looking youthful. Maybe my face is more sensitive to it than others, or it has something to do with the kind of workouts
I was getting and the physiological reaction my mind and body had to them, but I would often leave the gym looking 3 or 4 years younger than I did entering the gym.

Exercise really is key to staying youthful. Morgan: I've seen your head shot on Facebook and I have to say you look great!

Edited by pycnogenol, 05 September 2010 - 10:44 PM.

[Logan]

For me, exercise had the most powerful effect on looking youthful. Maybe my face is more sensitive to it than others, or it has something to do with the kind of workouts
I was getting and the physiological reaction my mind and body had to them, but I would often leave the gym looking 3 or 4 years younger than I did entering the gym.

Exercise really is key to staying youthful. Morgan: I've seen your head shot on Facebook and I have to say you look great!

Hey thanks I really appreciate that. That pic was from about 2 years ago, I fear the stress and misery of the last few years has taken a bit of a toll. The summer before that pic everyone that did not know me thought I was in my mid to late 20s. Despite drinking very heavily at times and smoking quite a bit during some of those nights of drinking(plus take into account all the awful second hand smoke in the bars), I think exercise, sleep, and avoiding chronic stress really kept me looking much younger than the average person my age. I soon hope to get back to having workouts like I did just a few years ago, and maybe my appearance will respond again

The 30s are a tricky time, you may enter them feeling and looking like you are 23(I sure did), and then suddenly in your late thirties start feeling and looking more and more like your age. I do believe I could have avoided this if I had taken the right precautions. Now, after being spoiled with looking so young for my age and having people always commenting on how young I looked, I am seriously consider getting some fillers in my cheeks bones, under my eyes, and in my nasal labial folds. I think if I were settled down and married with kids I would probably stay away from any cosmetic intervention. I never realized how much looking young got to my head and how much the way I felt was based on looking young and good. Everyone is vain in some way, some are just more prone to the grip of vanity taking hold more than others.

Edited by morganator, 05 September 2010 - 11:57 PM.

[Stefanovic]

great tips and what about topical treatments?

[Ben]

Yeah really great advice for the new-comer. If retin-a and other topicals were added, and the supplements made a little bit more complete, it could be a great sticky for this part of the forum.

[robbie7]

As always Matt an excellent read. Personally I try to get 20 minutes of sun outside it's peak most days as I believe the effects go beyond the synthesis of vitamin D.

Would it be relevant to talk about types of soaps used on skin in this topic? I've found goats soap or pure olive oil soap the kindest on skin.

I'd consider adding STRESS under SMOKING as I believe it can cause more damage than anything else (the silent killer!). Meditation is a good counter for this.

Robbie

[Ben]

As always Matt an excellent read. Personally I try to get 20 minutes of sun outside it's peak most days as I believe the effects go beyond the synthesis of vitamin D.

Would you care to explain why you need to be outside at the peak specifically when the cancer councils of nearly every developed country and the majority of scientific opinions on the subject say that this should avoided?

Why the skin health section now? There used to be less posters but the posts were at least good.

Edited by Ben - Aus, 14 September 2010 - 11:52 AM.

[Logan]

As always Matt an excellent read. Personally I try to get 20 minutes of sun outside it's peak most days as I believe the effects go beyond the synthesis of vitamin D.

Would you care to explain why you need to be outside at the peak specifically when the cancer councils of nearly every developed country and the majority of scientific opinions on the subject say that this should avoided?

Why the skin health section now? There used to be less posters but the posts were at least good.

Maybe he is referring to the potential benefits of UV exposure on mood.

http://www.google.co...2JSL7ng&cad=rja

I think it is important to be able to get out and soak in the sun as long as you are not burning/damaging your skin. If you have very fair skin that burns easily, you of course would have to wear a strong sunscreen. I don't think I could have felt as good as I did during the summer months without having my very therapeutic naps in the sun and my time outside hanging with friends in the sun. I just wish I had not spent soooo much time in the sun without protecting it over the years.

[Matt]

wow thats old, i should write a new one on that... i've leared so much more since

[platypus]

Personally I try to get 20 minutes of sun outside it's peak most days as I believe the effects go beyond the synthesis of vitamin D.

The problem there is that for vit. D synthesis you need to get UV-B and on many latitudes that's only available at or close to the peak hours. Getting UV-A only is detrimental so you might be better off with 10 min at peak than with 20 min off-peak.

[Mia K.]

As always Matt an excellent read.  Personally I try to get 20 minutes of sun outside it's peak most days as I believe the effects go beyond the synthesis of vitamin D.

Would you care to explain why you need to be outside at the peak specifically when the cancer councils of nearly every developed country and the majority of scientific opinions on the subject say that this should avoided?

Why the skin health section now? There used to be less posters but the posts were at least good.

Now, I can't speak for robbie7, but I read  "outside it's (sic) peak" as meaning away from the peak, either earlier or later:


                 ...outside a.m.....{peak}.....outside p.m....



Best, Mia

[niner]

Personally I try to get 20 minutes of sun outside it's peak most days as I believe the effects go beyond the synthesis of vitamin D.

The problem there is that for vit. D synthesis you need to get UV-B and on many latitudes that's only available at or close to the peak hours. Getting UV-A only is detrimental so you might be better off with 10 min at peak than with 20 min off-peak.

Good point, platypus. Considering how cheap and effective vitamin D supplementation is, I could never use D as an excuse to wreck my skin. Other arguments, like mood or even a photosynthetic compound that we haven't discovered yet are more reasonable. But aren't at least some of the mood and circadian effects driven by visible light? That would mean that we could wear sunscreen and still get the advantage, or even do it with artificial lights. It's been shown that sunbathing has an addictive component for some people which is presumably driven by endogenous opioids, as it can be blocked with naloxone. This might be a response to UV damage, or maybe something else. Then there's that good feeling that comes from being bathed in warm IR, like standing by a fire. Sunscreen or even clothing wouldn't impact that. At any rate, aside from maybe the opioid thing, it seems at least reasonable that we could get the mood benefit while using sunscreen to protect yourself from UV damage. The "yet to be discovered photosynthetic compound" is only hypothetical.

[Forever21]

wow thats old, i should write a new one on that... i've leared so much more since

Yes, please update the one on supplements too.

Is Omega 3 still good? Note that Michael Rae don't seem to have this as part of his supplement stack.

D3 still good?

What else to take?

Pycnogenol?
Blueberries?
Astaxanthin?
Carnosine?
AOR R+Alpha Lipoic Acid (or something)?

[Ben]

...But aren't at least some of the mood and circadian effects driven by visible light? That would mean that we could wear sunscreen and still get the advantage, or even do it with artificial lights.

Interestingly, I've read a few studies where SAD and jet lag were cured with a high intensity light box (10k lm.) Dopamine and testosterone increased hugely in men in one study.

[Forever21]

Looking forward to your update Matt.

[e Volution]

Looking forward to your update Matt.

+1 ... Fredrik's is a little too hard for me to digest right now (+low on the supplement angle), and like THREE years old now (ancient history)!!!