Does Olive Oil Provide Anti-Aging Benefits to the Skin?

A variety of studies have shown that olive oil added to the diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and may even help to prevent certain forms of cancer. What about it’s effect on the skin? Does olive oil have anti-aging benefits when applied topically?

The Anti-aging Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fats which plays a role in its ability to reduce the risk of heart disease, but it also has natural anti-inflammatory properties which may reduce the risk of age-related diseases as well as benefit the skin when applied topically. The anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil have been attributed to a component found in premium oils known as oleocanthal. The isolation of this anti-inflammatory component of olive oil and its anti-inflammatory properties was described and published in the journal Nature in 2005. Olive oil is also rich in polyphenols which act as free radical scavengers to help repair cellular damage. In addition, the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil have good moisturizing and humectant properties.

What evidence is there that olive oil does, indeed, benefit the skin and help with aging? Although few studies have objectively addressed the topical anti-aging benefits of olive oil, Japanese scientists have discovered that cold pressed olive oil may help to protect sun worshipers from skin cancer. A Japanese study showed that bald mice that were covered with high grade, virgin olive oil after being exposed to ultraviolet light were less likely to develop skin cancer than those who weren’t. It’s interesting to note that regular olive oil didn’t seem to have a protective effect which illustrates the importance of using quality virgin olive oil. It’s thought the reduction in skin cancers could be attributed to the ability of the virgin olive oil to clean up free radical damage induced by ultraviolet light. It should be noted that olive oil doesn’t appear to have sunscreen properties.

Although there are skin products available that contain olive oil such as Dr. Perricone’s hydrating line with added olive oil, the best way to benefit from the antioxidant potential of olive oil is to apply it directly to the skin, concentrating on the drier areas of the face. As suggested by the previous study, a high quality, virgin olive oil should be used, preferably extra-virgin olive oil. If you’re prone to skin breakouts or eruptions, olive oil may be too moisturizing for use except in the driest areas of the face such as around the eyes. It can also be added to your regular skin moisturizing cream to get its additional benefits. Olive oil has been used down through the ages as a skin moisturizer and anti-aging remedy with excellent anecdotal results.

It’s gratifying to know that in this world of expensive and overly hyped moisturizers and skin care products, a simple product like virgin olive oil may have skin nourishing, anti-aging properties.

10 Easy Steps You Can Take to Fight Aging Now

It seems like a thousand different factors affect how we age. Diet, habits, products, lifestyle. It can be overwhelming. So even if you spend hundreds on fancy supplements and stock up on tons of skin care products, you’re probably missing out on some of the most important products and most effective practices for anti-aging.

Are you doing everything you can to look and feel younger? Read on to find out.

Healthy Eating

Of everything you can do to stay young and live longer, eating well has the most dramatic anti-aging effect. If you don’t eat well, it’s impossible to stay healthy. Make some of the following changes to your diet to look better, feel sexier, and live longer.

1. Eat Antioxidants: Eating five servings of antioxidants a day can prevent cancer, lower blood pressure, protect the heart, and keep skin young-looking for longer. Add some berries, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and garlic to your diet to up your antioxidant intake.

2. Drink Antioxidants: In Japan, they up their life expectancy with tons of green and white tea. In long-lived France in Spain, they guzzle antioxidant rich red wine. Drink 4 cups of green or white tea and one glass of red wine a day.

3. Add Fiber: Eat 25 grams of fiber a day from fruit, vegetables, beans, and whole grains to help prevent colon cancer and keep impurities from building up.

4. Add Healthy Fats: Good fat is good for you. Add plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids (found in walnuts, flax seeds, salmon, hemp, and spirolina algae) into you diet, along with 1 to 2 daily tablespoons of heart-healthy olive oil. Just be careful not to overheat olive oil, as you’ll erase some of its health benefits.

5. Take Vitamins: Most of us do not get enough vitamins in our diet. Keep your body healthier longer by eating or taking the recommended dosages of the following vitamins, minerals, and supplements:

• Calcium (600 mg twice daily)
• Magnesium (200 mg twice daily)
• Vitamin D (1,000 units daily)
• Multivitamin (half a tablet morning and night)
• DHA Omega 3 (600mg daily)
• Baby aspirin (162 mg daily)

Women who are pre-menopausal also need iron and 5,000 daily units of Vitamin A. Post-menopausal women (and men) need half that amount.

Healthy Body

In order to be healthy and stay young longer, exercise is key. To keep old age at bay (and look great, too), use this anti-aging exercise checklist.

6. Strengthen your Heart: Getting your heart rate up keeps your heart healthy. Find your target heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying that number by 0.80. Get to that rate at least three times a week.

7. Strengthen your Muscles: Do at least 30 minutes of strength training each week to prevent muscle loss and keep bones strong.

Healthy Mind

Your mind and emotions truly do have an effect on you how you feel– and how you age. To keep your mind and body young, try:

8. Meditation: Set aside just five minutes a day for yoga, prayer, or general meditation. It sets the mind at ease and relaxes blood vessels by releasing nitric oxide.

9. Sleep: Get those seven to eight hours a day, even if you don’t think you have time.

10. Monogamous Sex: Get intimate with your partner 2 to 3 times a week to stay close, stay happy, and stay young.

4 Tips for Preventing Aging, Starting With a Healthy Lifestyle

Perhaps the creams and pills add more to the frown lines rather than get rid of them. You’re wondering how a product which can be so costly can be so ineffective. If you’re current dilemma is along these lines, chances are that you’ve been duped by one of those quick-fix anti-aging products.

The fact is that the anti-aging efforts don’t stop with the topical applications and the visits to the clinic; it should be the basis for a whole lifestyle. Even though the most basic anti-aging measures are self-evident, they are usually the most difficult disciplines to stick with – a run-through might refresh your mind on what you should be doing in the first place.

1. Everybody loves a good tan, but if it comes to the expense of your health, then let the freckles persist. It is now common knowledge that UV rays is a major cause of premature wrinkles, and you practically get older with prolonged exposure to the sun. If you’re a lifeguard or a park ranger and you can’t do without it, at least put on sunscreen with a high SPF, about 30 or stronger. You may also want to stay clear of the tanning beds, as you get enough as much UV exposure in an hour in a tanning bed for half a day’s worth of sunbathing.

2. Give your lungs and liver a break. Smoking upsets your body’s ability to regenerate new skin cells, and alcohol depletes your skin’s moisture content. Not to mention that smoking causes lung cancer and alcohol pickles your liver, these are a few of life’s ‘perks’ which you should do without.

3. You may have heard this tip before, but it still merits a worthwhile mention – drink plenty of water. A pretty common tip, but it’s exactly what you need. Now, advocates are at a debate with how much water you should actually take to keep your body’s water content at healthy levels, but since this substances is one of the few things which you can practically drink till you drop, any amount which exceeds the daily total of 64 ounces will do, especially if you lead an active lifestyle. Water ensures that the toxins are flushed out, and that your skin stays hydrated.

4. You need to encourage your body’s need to keep mobile through exercise. Exercise is probably the most beneficial gift which you can give to your body; a workout reduces stress and improves circulation, and it shows in your skin’s ruddy complexion. Not to mention that it keeps your body weight manageable, all the while building lean muscle and increasing bone density. And when your body needs some time off, do your best to relax – get enough sleep; your body recuperates from the day’s toil while you are sleeping, and age-related health conditions are consequently kept at bay.

Tips for Natural Anti-Aging

While everyone wants to look their best more and more people are becoming wary of many of the harsh chemical treatments that have come on the market in recent years. This has led to a greater interest in natural anti aging techniques and products that are coming available also recently.

To begin with, one has to understand that while many of the newer naturally formulated anti aging products may have some complex chemical sounding names on the ingredient list on the side, these same chemicals and substances are also found in your skin.

PEPTIDES and HYALURONIC ACID are just two common substances that you will come across that are substances that your skin may be deficient in. Your skin actually produces these and other vital substances in lesser and lesser amounts as you age and the result is tired, wrinkled and distressed looking skin.

Still one more natural occurring substance that you will find in Kinearase skin care products is KINATIN and it is a natural substance that is derived from living plant matter. The fact is, that kinatin is a substance that plans use to protect their outer surface from the effects of the sun and the environment around them.

So there are now many new products available that use naturally occurring substances and ingredients in them that have been shown in multiple clinical test to have a positive effect on your skin. Beyond that, if you are determined to go “completely natural” in its purest form you can do your best to avoid the sun, because the sun on the skin of older people is devastating. Also, there are the natural facial massages and things of that order that while not having the degree of effect that many new scientifically formulated skin care products will they can’t hurt.

Also, facial massages feel good and help you to relax, which will help with the “stress frown” wrinkles on your face if you happen to have any. If you don’t have any sun block then get some and use it, because it will make a difference.

If you are into tanning then you should do so in moderation and you might consider trying one of those “paint on tan” parlors that are all the rage now. The last bit of natural anti aging advise for you is to eat healthy and use a multiple vitamin supplement.

Ways To Slow The Aging Process of Your Skin

As one goes through life, they eventually begin to notice signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines, among other skin problems. Millions of people spend countless dollars on skin care products and procedures every year. The thing that they may not know or may have realized too late is that there are ways in order to help slow down the signs of aging naturally.

There are numerous ways to help prevent skin from damage and help stop the signs of aging prematurely. The rest of this article will go over five natural treatments one can think about in order to slow or even stop the signs of aging.

1. The first treatment option I will go over is diet. What you eat and intake into your body has a lot to do with how your body will perform and how your skin will react. It is important to have a low fat diet and a diet filled with antioxidants. If you eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, you will get a good dose of these antioxidants that will definitely help your skin look good. In addition, if you smoke and drink, it is vital that you quit or minimize these things because the have adverse effects on your skin´s appearance.

2. The second natural treatment option one can do is to exercise on a regular and routine basis. Exercising is one of the best ways to help fight the signs of aging for several different reasons. When you sweat a lot, you naturally activate your body´s cleansing systems which can get rid of impurities through your skin´s pores. When you exercise regularly as well, you enhance hormones that keep your skin healthy and glamorous.

3. The third treatment option that anyone can do in order to slow the aging process is to take herbal remedies and supplements. Vitamins and minerals are great in keeping your skin healthy and glowing. Vitamins A, C, and E as well as garlic, gingseng, ashwagandha, grape seed extract, reishi mushrooms, and berries are super in stopping u from aging.

4. The fourth option treatment option one can think about doing is to apply creams and lotions that contain antioxidants. As explained earlier antioxidants are good for your skin, and keeping your skin moisturized is a good idea as well.

5. Lastly, the fifth treatment option is to directly inject the skin with antioxidants. The most popular thing to inject is called Botulnum A exotoxin, which is a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. This is basically like botox and works great if you want to do it.

Skin is very important for several reasons and maintaining your great appearance is just as important.