Ageless beauty

image: istockphoto.com/dashek

Want to look 10 years younger?

Well you're not the only one, the anti-ageing market is booming with beauty creams, targeted nutrition products, fitness tools and cosmetic surgery. In 2006 over 28,000 surgical procedures were carried out by British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, up 31 per cent on 2005. Meaning that the quest to look younger has become more popular than ever.

# Feed your skin

# Ageing enemies

image: istockphoto.com Kateryna Govorushchenko

# Skin essentials

# Wonder creams

# Medical Aesthetics

Losing face

image: istockphoto.com Charlotte Moss

As we age, the face goes through many changes, with every decade facial skin thins by a staggering 10 per cent. This means women in their 30s develop fine lines and wrinkles, and when women hit the big 40 the enhanced number and severity of wrinkles has increased due to the rate in which collagen is lost. From the age of 50 ageing has more pronounced impact as the collagen in the skin begins to break down resulting in the skin structure being altered. This causes the skin to lose elasticity and firmness resulting in sagging.

What is collagen?

Collagen is a natural protein that is made up of amino acids - the natural building block of our skin. It makes up about 75 per cent of the total protein of the body, found not only in the skin but muscles, tendons and bones. From the age of 25 onwards the body loses collagen at a rate of approximately 1.5 per cent per year.

This depletion of collagen is one of the main reasons for fine lines, wrinkles and the signs of ageing.

image: istockphoto.com José Pereira

Come the age of 45 the body will have a 30 per cent shortfall of collagen. With collagen believed to help strengthen nail and hair follicles by up to 36 per cent as well as releasing essential amino acids and proteins to work to rebuild skin cells - it might be worth taking collagen capsules. Try proto-col collagen capsules, (£29.95 for 30 capsules, available from www.proto-col.co.uk)

...feed your skin

Hydrating the outside of your body is one step but the best way to fight anything is from the inside - and a big part of that is what you eat. Antioxidants are essential in your daily diet to help your body and skin defend you against ageing free radicals.

We can minimise free radical damage by ensuring a number of 'superfoods' are included in our diet.

image: istockphoto.com Fuat Kose

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and kale should be added your diet every day. These are veggies that are packed full of an antioxidant called lutein, that French scientists have revealed boosts skin hydration and elasticity which helps fight wrinkles. Research suggests that consuming 10mg of lutein (4oz of spinach or 2oz of kale) daily can help the skin look younger in just a few weeks.

Goji berries a firm favourite of celebrities have been declared the 'most nutritionally dense food on the planet' by skin-guru Dr Howard Murad. This is because they contain 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges - and vitamin C helps you make the collagen that keeps skin firm. They also contain 18 amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids, and 21 trace minerals, in particular zinc, iron, copper, calcium and phosphorous.

"A handful a day will promote regeneration of liver cells, lower blood cholesterol, boost immunity and repair cell damage," says Naturopath Glenys Collins, Cambridge Complementary Health Centre. To ensure that you get your daily dose by sprinkling over cereal, you can buy Sun Dried Goji Berries at Holland and Barrett (£2.75 for 75g, www.hollandandbarrett.com).

Acai a small purple berry from the Amazon has become the latest superfood to be heralded as the ultimate anti-ageing supplement as they are packed with vitamins and minerals. Rich in potassium, iron, calcium, carbohydrates, fibre and high levels of antioxidants, anthocyanins that help the body to remove free radicals. The Acai also contains beneficial omega oils, no cholesterol and is low in sugar. Buy Pulpa Acai Berry Freeze Dried Powder (from £12.90, www.pulpastore.co.uk) - add 3g of the powder to smoothies, juice or yoghurt.

Nivea Visage DNAge Zone Action

Xango Juice made from mangosteen fruit which deliver a rich source of xanthones, antioxidants associated with ageing. Research has shown that xanthones help maintain intestinal health, protect against free radicals, improve the body's natural defences, and help keep joints healthy.

You can buy Xango Juice from health food shops.

Tomato, watermelon and red grapes - all contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which is excellent at fending off environmental free radicals.

Olive Oil, research in Australia have found that the more olive oil

Neal’s Yard Frankincense Nourishing Cream

people had the less wrinkled their skin looked. This is because olive oil is rich in polyphenol antioxidants with the most being found in extra-virgin olive oil, an antioxidant that can help combat oxidative stress caused by exposure to UV rays. Try using olive oil for cooking or why not add olives to pasta sauces or salads.



Naturopath Glenys Collins adds: "It is important to be aware of the quality of food you are actually eating. Such as the quality of the soil in which it is grown, distance travelled since harvesting, time on supermarket shelf and packaging." Find your local farm shop or farmers market, for your nearest visit www.farmshop.uk.com or

www.farmersmarkets.net Health 24 loves Bury Lane Farm Shop, Nr. Royston - just off the A10 for opening hours call 01763 260418.

Dove ProAge Neck and Chest Beauty Serum

...ageing enemies

Your skin is the largest organ of the body, on average with a surface area of around 22 square feet, and presents the body's first line of defence against outside influences such as sun exposure, pollution and stress. All of which can have leave your skin looking dull and can prematurely age the skin. Get to know your skins worst enemies:

* The Sun - a little bit of sun is good for you, but over exposure to UVA and UVB rays breaks down the collagen and elastin in our skin. This will lead to damage to the skins texture and pigmentation. Resulting in the appearance of sun or age spots, and can even develop into skin cancer. Some dermatologists suggest that as much as 90 per cent of problems associated with ageing are the result of too much sun exposure. Protect your skin by wear a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF15, every day.

* Smoking - causes several adverse effects on skin. The nicotine from cigarettes narrows the blood vessels and prevents blood from circulating to the tiny blood vessels in the upper layer of the skin. This in course destroys collagen, with smokers' skin characteristically having more wrinkles (and deeper) than non-smokers.

RoC Retin-OX+ Day SPF 15

* Alcohol - binge drinking and consuming high quantities of alcohol dehydrates the skin, leaving it dry and irritated. For people drinking more than 14 drinks a week, it can cause swollen blood vessels, resulting in tiny red veins to appear on the skins surface and make the face look flushed.

* Stress - we all suffer from occasional bouts of stress, and skin can be one of the first organs to show external signs of internal stress. By disrupting your hormone levels, stress can slow down your bodies ability to rejuvenate and can lead to dryness, sensitivity, spots and excess oil.

* Lack of sleep - getting enough sleep is important, as it is while we are sleeping that our body and skin has time to repair and rejuvenate.

* Pollution and environment - car and air pollution as well as environmental factors such as, air conditioning and central heating. This can mean that the skin becomes coated in dirt from pollution, which blocks pores or alternatively hot and cold from the air-con and heating can dry and re-hydrate the skin.

Tesco Skin Wisdom Vitamin C Protecting Eye Treatment

...pills and potions

The array of anti-ageing creams, gels, night and day variations and supplements all claiming to reduce wrinkles and all making declarations to delay the signs of ageing, is immense and can be a little confusing on which ones are best. To help improve your lines and guide you through the beauty minefield, we have selected six top products and a quick-guide to anti-ageing ingredients.

Nivea Visage DNAge Zone Action (£14.99 for 30ml), is a targeted

treatment with a fine tapered nozzle for facial zones, such as forehead, the area around the mouth and nose and the specific eye area where crow's feet can appear. The formula contains folic acid and creatine which helps to increase surface skin cell renewal.

Perfectil Platinum

Neal's Yard Frankincense Nourishing Cream (£12 for 40g) www.nealsyardremedies.com, is a rich, nourishing moisturiser that revitalises mature skin. Containing oils of sunflower, almond, wheatgerm and jojoba, which are combined with water and pure essential oils of frankincense, neroli and myrrh, renowned for their regenerating and moisturising properties.

Dove ProAge Neck and Chest Beauty Serum (£6.99 for 100ml, stockists call 0800 085 1548), this silicone rich serum is designed to smooth appearance of fine lines

in this delicate area of skin. It helps skin improve its texture by hydrating the upper layers of the skin and visibly smoothing the skin signs.

RoC Retin-OX+ Day SPF 15 (£24.95 for 30ml) and Retin-OX+ Night (£24.95 for 30ml, stockists call 0845 600 4477), specifically developed for women in their 30s and 40s this range helps to combat deep wrinkles, using the power of retinol, giving a natural collagen filler effect to the skin.

Tesco Skin Wisdom Vitamin C Protecting Eye Treatment (£5.97 for 15ml, stockists call 0800 505 555), this product offers great value-for-money and trials conducted showed that with regular usage over four weeks, 74 per cent of the users noticed an improvement in the appearance of fine lines. Using time-defying complex Vitaprotect, it helps defend against the first signs of ageing in this delicate eye area.

Perfectil Platinum (£39.49 for 60 tablets, available exclusively from Boots), this time-defying supplement feeds your skin from the inside and reaches the dermal layer with

ingredients such as high grade bio-marine collagen. The formula also provides a cross-section of vitamins and minerals eliminating the need for separate supplements.

...skin essentials

* Keep your skin hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. This will help your skin retain its suppleness and keep it looking fresh and hydrated.

* Use a facial moisturiser with an SPF of at least 15

* Reduce alcohol intake and quit smoking

* Cleanse skin thoroughly preferably with a ph-balanced cleanser

* Eat healthy and keep stress down to a minimum

* Exercise regularly, this will help get your blood flowing and deliver oxygen to your complexion



...ingredients checklist

AHA (alpha-hydroxy acid) - also known as fruit acids are antioxidants that encourage faster cell turnover as they help exfoliate old skin cells and encourage cell renewal

ALA (alpha lipoic acid) - a natural ingredient that exists inside every cell in our body, and that can help fight free radicals

Hexapeptides - these are natural amino acids that reduce quantities of the enzyme needed for muscle contraction

Pentapeptides - are amino-acids that mimic the skins natural protein growth by stimulating the production of new collagen

Vitamin A - can help reduce the appearance of fine lines by stimulating cellular renewal. Also helps keeping skin smooth, and has a gentle inflammatory action that helps to plump up the skin

Vitamin C (or the natural form lascorbic acid) - is a well known antioxidant as it helps to reduce free radicals and protects the skin from the wind, pollution and UV rays. It also has a brightening effect on the skin as it boosts circulation and helps to increase collagen production

Vitamin E - is essential for protecting cell membranes and acts as an antioxidant encouraging skin healing