Simple Solutions for Reducing Wrinkles By Shahnaz Husain

Many anti-ageing ingredients are easily available at home. Read on for more details.

Today, the focus of beauty treatments is on how to delay visible signs of ageing, like lines and wrinkles. Generally speaking, by the age of fifty, the signs of age become visible, like wrinkles, lines, loss of skin elasticity and so on. But, due to pollution and dryness of the outer layer, wrinkles may start forming at an earlier age. How do wrinkles form on the skin? Actually, the skin cells become dry and lose their ability to retain moisture. The skin loses moisture to the atmosphere and through sun exposure. With age and a decrease in oil production, the dryness of the skin is aggravated. The skin becomes vulnerable to wrinkles and tiny lines.

The skin that has been properly cared for stays youthful for a longer time. Although ageing is beyond our control, prevention of such problems is certainly within our reach. A regular skin-care routine, according to skin type and problems, helps to delay ageing signs. Moreover, when physical and seasonal changes occur, the skin-care routine should be adjusted according to one’s skin type and needs.

From the age of thirty, begin to protect the skin from drying up. Your daily routine should lay more emphasis on moisturizing the skin and preventing moisture loss. Begin to protect the skin from the factors that cause dryness, like exposure to the sun, artificial heating and air-conditioning, chemical air pollutants, make-up cosmetics and so on. A suitable sunscreen, along with a moisturizer, should be used during the day, 20 minutes before going out. Include products that have built-in moisturizers. Nourishing the skin every night also helps it to retain moisture and delay the ageing signs. Somewhere within the living cell is locked the fascinating mystery of the ageing process. Till we find the key to it, I believe that appropriate external care is an important way of preserving youthful skin and delaying visible ageing signs.

Many anti-ageing ingredients are easily available at home.

Green tea is a powerful antioxidant. Take half a cup of water and 2 teaspoons of green tea. Bring the water to a boil. Put tea leaves in a ceramic bowl. Pour the hot water over it and keep for 2 minutes. Strain and cool the liquid. Apply on the face with cotton wool to tone the skin. Leave on.
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and helps regeneration of new cells. Crush sesame seeds (til) coarsely and mix them with honey. Add dried mint leaves. Or, mix the almond meal with yoghurt for exfoliation. Apply on the face and rub gently on the skin with small circular movements. Wash off with water.
Fruits like bananas, apples, papaya, and watermelon can be mixed together and applied as a face mask for all skin types. Papaya, rich in enzymes, cleanses the skin of dead cells and helps cell renewal. Banana tightens the skin. Apples and oranges are rich in vitamins and minerals. Watermelon hydrates the skin. Apply and wash off after 30 minutes.
The hands begin to show neglect and ageing sooner than most other parts of the body. Take 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and 3 tablespoons of coarse sugar. Mix together till it becomes a paste. Apply and rub into the skin of the hands. Rinse off after 15 minutes.

Professional salon treatments and specialized products go a long way in rejuvenating the skin and preserving its youthful properties, making it look soft, smooth, resilient and youthful. Many ingredients, like Plant Stem Cells, have potent anti-ageing properties. Helena Rubinstein once said, “The skin has a tremendous capacity for self-rejuvenation if properly cared for and it’s never too late to start.”

(This article is authored by Shahnaz Husain, a Padma Shri Award recipient and pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement and the head of a global network of franchise ventures and 375 formulations.)