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This strange sounding substance (try saying Phytessence Wakame 5 times fast) is derived from kelp. It’s a seaweed, or sea algae to be specific, that is found around Japan. It is a large part of the traditional Japanese diet, being eaten dried and fresh.

It is no coincidence that the Japanese consume a lot of Phytessence Wakame and they have some of the best skin in the world. It is prized by the Japanese for this reason.

Phytessence Wakame is packed with all sorts of wonderful substances that are good for your skin. It is rich in calcium, having 15 times more calcium than milk. It is also rich in minerals and vitamins and in particular the B group vitamins, especially vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12. These help to sooth inflammation of the skin.

It is also high in iron and potassium, and all these ingredients together combine to help maintain the skin’s moisture balance, keeping your skin hydrated, which in turn keeps it looking young and healthy.

But equally important, if not more so, is the ability of Phytessence Wakame to perform a particular function for us that is of enormous benefit to our overall skin health. It helps inhibit the effects of hyaluronidase.

What in the world is hyaluronidase I hear you say? (I have very good hearing.)

Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid in our skin. And hyaluronic acid is very important to our skin. The effect of hyaluronic acid, when combined with elastin and collagen, is to maintain the smoothness and elasticity of your skin right into old age. It keeps your skin toned and looking youthful. It makes sure that your skin not only looks youthful, but is healthy too.

So you want plenty of hyaluronic acid. So if hyaluronidase breaks it down you don’t want too much hyaluronidase. And if Phytessence Wakame helps inhibit the effects of hyaluronidase then it is doing a world of good work for your skin. It’s helping inhibit one of the main factors contributing to skin decline with age.

The key to how it works is its ability to block the activity of an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid in the skin. This acid along with collagen and elastin, is essential for maintaining the elasticity, smoothness and even tone of your skin. Without it, the elastin and collagen fibres lose their glue, which leads to dark circles under the eyes and the loss of your youthful glow.

With regular use, your levels of hyaluronic acid will gradually increase to the amounts normally found in a much younger person and this is also clinically proven! Phytessence wakame also has the ability to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun along with everyday environmental pollution.

What makes this ingredient from Japanese skin care stand out so much is that its ability to moisturize deep down means that it not only prevents the signs of aging from returning but provides a substantial boost to your overall health as well.

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Dermatologists the world over agree that the skin that is cared for stays youthful for a longer time. Similarly neglected skins develop the symptoms of premature aging early.

The right kind of protective, preventive and corrective care in the form of external care and internal health helps to preserve the youthfulness of the skin for a longer time.

Our skin and body has a tremendous capacity for self rejuvenation and healing. Follow daily moisturisation and nourishment with professional treatments and your skin will respond to the care you are giving it.

Here are the signs of aging are the care you need to take-

1) Development of fine lines, decrease in oil gland activity with age causing a lack in moisture and oil-
Causes- Lack of moisture and oil/sebum(skin’s natural oil) causes the outer layer of the skin to shrivel and dry. Sebum holds and traps moisture. The skin looses its ability to bounce back when stretched or tugged and causes development of fine lines.

Cure- Use only mild cleansers. Daily moisturising during daytime and nourishing the skin at night time helps to remove the effects of dehydration and balance the lost sebum level in the skin. Regular oil massages help smooth fine lines and stimulate oil glands.

Avoid harsh soaps, gels or washes that dry out the skin because they strip sebum from your skin and the lost sebum cannot be replaced with any cream, lotion or oil because firstly none of the creams out there have composition similar to human sebum and secondly only a percentage of the cream is absorbed back into the skin. So it is better to use a cleanser that doesnot strip the natural sebum in the first place. Moisturisers are necessary because they combine both water and oil and act as temporary barriers on the outermost layer of skin therby preventing loss of the skin’s natural moisture and sebum. Nourishing ingredients are also added to them to beautify the skin.

2) Loss of elasticity and resilience-
Regular moisturising and nourishment improve the elasticity and resilience of the skin. Monthly facials stimulate oil gland activity and improve blood circulation.

3) Cellular build-up-
Face packs help removal of excessive build-up of dead skin cells. The fresh fruits and herbs used in them clean and tauten the skin improving the tone and bringing a glow on the skin

4) Sagging skin-

Corrective measures must be taken to make the skin more smoother, moist and resilient.

© Photographer: Valuavitaly | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Look Younger with Yogurt and Kefir
There comes a time in your life that when you look into the mirror and you’re not pleased to see yourself. You see some lines on your face along with some wrinkles and wonder whether you would have to opt for cosmetic surgery or use an expensive creams meant for wrinkles. There are other ways to look younger which may be far more palatable to you.
A simple addition to the food you eat is the palatable solution that we are talking about. Yogurt and kefir have to go on with your diet as a regular part of it. These foods could also help to increase your lifespan, it could improve your health and with the additional years, the quality of your life could change. These two foods can do all that.
 It has been scientifically proved that three servings of yogurt every day, about 6 ounces at a time will increase weight loss. It increases the weight loss from fats and not from the muscles, especially in the abdominal area. The calcium that is present in yogurt is said to be responsible for increase in weight loss.
 Probiotics, which are organisms that is also present in yogurt can reduce the ill effects of cardiovascular disease, and also improve the immune system and the functioning of the intestines. It helps to digest food so that it is more effective that ensure that the food you eat contributes its full nutritional value. You will lose weight and be able to keep it off. The aging process will be retarded and you will remain healthy.
Experts suggest that there are more benefits if you eat organic yogurt to which no fruit that has been processed is added. Also, avoid yogurts which list refined sugar as one of the ingredients. The labels on the yogurt you buy should tell you whether it is organic and natural.
The Russian word for pleasure is ‘Kafir’ and kefir like yogurt is a probiotic. It is a fermented and carbonated drink which may add a delicious taste to your diet and this kefir also has a lot of health benefits.
Kefir is normally available with berries added as sweeteners. If you do not find this you can add 100% Acai or goji berry juice, and these will add a lot of nutrition to the drink.
Include Yogurt or Kefir into your diet. Add a half cup of fresh fruit to the 6 ounces of yogurt when you eat it first thing in the morning. If you like bits of crunchiness in your food add some natural granola.
Some people do not like solid food very early in the day. Substitute your coffee with kefir and some fresh fruit juice and sip that instead of coffee when you are commuting.
You can create cold soups with kefir or yogurt and berries during the summer or sprinkle some kefir over a slice of watermelon and see how good it tastes. You can increase your consumption of the yogurt by using it partly to replace oil when you are baking anything. The end product will have a distinct tang and be moist to eat.
Go with the yogurt and kefir way and grow old gracefully. People will marvel at the way on how your skin looks young and healthy in spite of your advanced years.

Our skin has three different layers of skin. The first layer, called the epidermis is the our outer layer and acts as a barrier to external elements. The second layer is called the dermis and produces two proteins – Collagen and Elastin which form the connective tissue. These fibers hold our skin tightly together and make it firm and elastic and make your skin stay healthy and younger. The last layer is called Subcutaneous Tissue which are fatty cells that insulate our body and help us look plump.

As we get older the number of epidermal cells in our epidermis starts decreasing by 10% every decade causing dry skin. The dermis also starts thinning, ability to produce these proteins keeps decreasing slowly. the new proteins formed are not enough to keep pace with their natural wear and tear in the body. This is when wrinkles and lines start developing in the skin and it becomes loose and saggy. bounce back far less than before. This right here is the reason that wrinkles form and stay.

Can you guess what is needed to make your skin more tight, firm, and smooth? That’s right, you must stimulate the natural production of collagen and elastin protein in your skin!

Stimulating collagen production is possible with the right nourishing creams and health diet and lifestyle.

A natural skin tightening cream or lotion should be rich in active natural ingredients that specifically target the loss of collagen and elastin and the damage caused by free radicals.

Cynergy TK™ contains a form of keratin derived from New Zealand sheep’s wool. It has been shown to enhance the production of Collagen and Elastin in the body. Cynergy TK contains Functional Keratin which contains zinc protein complexes in low concentrations that allows your body to repair and maintain your skin. Cynergy TK contains copper protein complexes in low concentrations which help restore your skin’s ability to heal and rejuvenate.

© Photographer: Matka_wariatka | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Avocado Oil not only moisturizes your skin deeply but also increases the Collagen and Elastin levels in the skin. The sterolins in this oil have been known to reduce the appearance of age spot. Avocado oil contains also the antioxidants Vitamin A and Vitamin E that also help to destroy the free radicals that kill your skin cells and make you look older.

Phytessence Wakame is a Japanese ingredient that works to provide you with a complexion that is softer and more elastic. It is helps inhibit the effects of hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid in our skin. hyaluronic acid, when combined with elastin and collagen, is to maintain the smoothness and elasticity of your skin right into old age. It keeps your skin toned and looking youthful.

Manuka Honey stimulates the creation of new blood capillaries and fibroblasts benefiting the deeper skin tissues. it can facilitate better skin cell repair and skin renewal.

Macadamia Oil This is an oil that is all natural and gentle, and does very well with other natural ingredients in anti wrinkle products. It is a luxurious oil that is easily absorbed into the skin replenishing oils lost throughout the day. It consists of water soluble PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides that make it an extremely good moisturizer.

Jojoba Oil is very moisturizing and its ability to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and aging signs is remarkable. Jojoba contains a mixture of unsaturated fatty acid esters whose structure is almost similar to the natural sebum secreted by the skin.

Grapeseed Oil Extracted from the grapeseeds,Grapeseed oil extract is rich in linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid for the skin and the cell membranes. that is required for rejuvenating damaged skin tissues

Grapeseed oil forms a coating on the skin surface and prevents the loss of moisture. Grapeseed oil has regenerative and restructuring properties andthis oil promotes smooth skin texture formation and stops the appearance of aging signs.

A wide range of ingredients help skin retain moisture due to their water-binding properties that can mimic the skin’s actual structure and are hence used in skin care formulations, these include collagen, sodium hyaluronate, lecithin, cholesterol, polysaccharides, phospholipids, fructose, ceramide, elastin, glycogen, hyaluronic acid, glycosphingolipids, amino acids, glucose, mucopolysaccharides, proteins, sucrose, sodium PCA, glycerine, and glycosaminoglycans.

© Photographer: Dolgachov | Agency: Dreamstime.com

I always sleep on one side with my face pressed against my pillow. I am starting to wrinkle on the pillow side. Does sleeping in this manner cause wrinkles?
The answer is “Yes”.

We all want to look fresh and rejuvenated in the morning, but the pillow marks on our face just don’t would not go away. But then what is it the cause sleep lines on a fresh new morning?
We all may have different patterns of sleeping but one thing is common to all – the pillows. We all like to cuddle to our pillows and bury our head in them after a daylong grueling work. You may find this comfortable but sleep wrinkles are caused due to sleeping with your face against a pillow. Pressing your face against a hard pillow cause creases on your skin and when this action is repeated night after night the creases take the form of permanent lines.

Why are sleep lines so prominent?
Consider the fact that most of one’s life is spent sleeping. So if you sleep for 8 hours a day you have spent 1/3 of your life sleeping.

Sleep lines are formed over years depending on your sleeping position. So to avoid formation of sleep lines change your sleeping position frequently. Those who sleep with face upward means on the back develop no sleep lines.

Avoid hard cotton pillows-
We generally use cotton pillows, which has tendency to crease and take a shape whenever it is pressed in a certain way. When we sleep on a hard pillows with either our face facing down or sideways then our skin is stretched and pulled in the direction in which it faces pressure. This pressure cause folds and creases which with a long duration spent on pillow pressurizes our skin and leaves a depression, which we call as sleep lines. Use a soft and fluffy pillow that is able to fluff and squish. this pillow being soft eliminates unwanted pressure on the skin thereby preventing creases and folds.

Use satin pillow cases-
Cotton pillow cases do not allow your skin to glide through the surface smoothly.They also takes away the natural oil and moisture from your skin and hair, due to this moisture loss the skin becomes dry and ages much quickly.
Use satin or synthetic cloth as your pillow covers. After all, comfort matters and so does your looks, right!

© Photographer: Brebca | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Super markets have walls full of anti aging and anti wrinkle products right from creams to serums to capsules to soaps. So which one should you choose? It is to be confused and tough to decide what should you really buy.

Here are some criteria that you should set before you go wrinkle cream hunting.

Expensive doesnot mean best-
Only because a cream is expensive doesnot mean it is good. Don’t be fooled by costly brand names, splashy advertisements, celebrity endorsements, designer creations. The product is expensive because it is you who is made to pay up for this hype and they want to keep the brand exclusive. Sometimes economically priced creams are more effective and far better.

Ask opinion in online forums-
Join online forums and read what other people have to say about a product. Ask for reviews and opinions and show your gratitude by appreciating the answers you get. This ensure you more answers to your queries and you will be able to take a better decision on the product of your interest.

Should stimulate natural production of collagen and elastin-
Any cream that claims to be effective should address the degradation of proteins collagen and elastin. Wrinkles are formed due to the degradation of these protein fibres. Topical creams containing collagen and elastin are ineffective because the collagen molecule is too large to penetrate the skin. So the best cream is the one that stimulates the natural production of collagen and elastin and prevents new wrinkles from forming.

© Photographer: S-dmit | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Does it moisturise-
As we age the oil glands produce less oil, the skin tends to hold less moisture and develops fine wrinkles and spots. Good antiaging creams should contain effective moisturising ingredients like natural oils, humecants, emolients which increase the water holding capacity of the skin. The anti-aging products should mainly provide the skin with moisturisers and provide nourishment and moisture to the skin so the skin looks plummer and youthful.

Before and after photos-
Don’t fall for the beautiful faces shown in the advertisements. Once you have found the best cream to buy, buy a small amount at firsat as you are not sure it will give you the results that you are looking for. The best way to judge an anti wrinkle or anti-aging product is to see the results for yourself. To do so take a photograph of yourself without makeup before you start using the product and then follow it up with another photograph taken after you finish that jar or tube of your anti aging cream. If the product delivers the results it promised you will see a visible difference.if it is effective and you love it buy a bigger bottle next time.

© Photographer: Chesterf | Agency:

Satisfy your curiosity with trial samples-
If you become interested in a product that you have no idea about and can’t stop yourself from buying it go for a trial size first. Most branded products offer you free trial packs or at least trial packs at reduced rates. Ask for them, Take them, try them, most creams these days talk about achieving visible results within 15 days so you should be able to see some differences from the second or third application onwards. Do you notice fine lines appear more softer or don’t see any difference at all. Take all these results in account before you buy a full sized bottle.

Trial samples also let you know the smell and feel of the product and how it feels on your skin, whether it pleases your senses or not.

Try it on your friends-
If it works on you and if it’s a good product it will work on everybody else as well. A good way to determine if the effects that you see are real or just placebo effects is to ask your friends to try out the same anti aging cream. If it also works for them you can be sure that you have a solid product on your hands.

Keep track of improvement-
If it’s a night cream that you are using try to spot differences in your skin in the morning such as more softer, more resilient and firmer skin. You also need to see if these results gradually increase with each application of the anti wrinkle cream. Nothing is going to give you results in a day so use the product for at least 15 days to see if it’s working.

With immense progress in the field of cosmetology, most companies are now offering products with anti oxidant properties of natural ingredients, babassu, grape seed oil, Cynergy TK, vitamin E, anti oxidants, Vitamins ans co enzymes. So you can be sure that there is the perfect anti aging cream on those shelves for you. You will just need to try a few out before you find the anti-aging cream that suits you the best.

Wrinkles are caused due to loss of moisture, firmness and elasticity of the skin. The main causes of wrinkles is frequent exposure to harsh weather, over exposure to sun, smoking, aging, stress, repeatative and too much facial expressions and pollution.

Changing to a healthy lifestyle, opting for natural and quality skin care products and protecting the skin from the hazards of modern day lifestyle can help you a lot in preventing fine lines and wrinkles.

Avoid over exposure to sun-
About 80% of the skin aging is a result of sun exposure. Harmful UV rays damage the delicate collagen fibres and elastin coils in the skin. Repeated sun exposure breaks down the collagen fibres and impairs the synthesis of new collagen, due to this the skin loses its ability to repair itself.

Avoid going out in the sun between 10am to 3pm. Wear clothes that cover most of your skin like full sleeved shirts, long skirts and team them up with wide brimmed hats, scarfs and sunglasses. Use a sunscreen daily with SPF higher than 15.

Moisturise daily-
Moisturisation is a must because it keeps your skin hydrated. The skin’s hydration level should be maintained at a healthy level. Hydration means the water holding capacity of the skin. Applying moisturiser twice daily replenishes the loss of moisture that occurs on a daily basis.

Many moisturisers are enriched with plant extracts, natural oils and antioxidants which prevent the skin from dryness and stop the progression of aging. Moisturisers also act as a barrier between your skin and the surrounding atmosphere by forming a protective film and thereby preventing moisture loss.

Avoid repeatative and too much facial expressions-
Everytime you make a facial movement or expression you use your facial muscles which stretch and pull your skin. Remember your skin is elastic and constantly stretching it makes it lose it’s elastic ability.

Blinking, smiling, crying, frowning cause horizontal lines on your forehead and eyebrows. These are fine lines at first which become much deeper as you age. Prolonged facial expressions cause folds and creases in the skin which take the form of expression lines and the best way to prevent them is to not make those expressions frequently.

Enrich your diet with proteins-
Protein foods when digested breaks down into amino acids, the building blocks of cells. These amino acids helps to speed the repair and regeneration of skin cells and collagen.

Collagen are long, strong fibrous principal protein of the skin. Elastin is an elastic, colied protein fibre. Collagen gives ridigity while elastin gives elasticity to our tissues and organs.

Quit Smoking-
Smoke contains significant amounts of nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide which cause the collagen to break down. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and decreases blood flow to the skin by constricting the blood vessels. This deprives the skin of oxygen and other vital essential nutrients which makes it look lifeless and dull. The lack of oxygen adversely affects elastin and collagen production.

Exfoliate regularly-
Oily skins respond well to retinols. Products with eight percent of glycolic acids are good for combination skins. Lacto-bionoc acids are good for sensitive skins.

Avoid these chemicals-
Avoid skin care products which contain chemicals like parabens, alcohols, propylene glycol, mineral oil, paraffin.

Prevention of Aging-
As we age the protein levels in our body drop. Changes occur in the connective tissue which reduce the skin’s elasticity and strength. Sebaceous glands produce less oil, blood vessels become fragile and the subcutaneous fat layer which provide padding thins.

The reversal of established wrinkles is modest so prevention is far better. You cannot prevent aging but with proper care you can prevent premature aging and delay the visible signs of aging.

Please consult your doctor before taking any supplements. Regular supplements of primrose oil and flaxseed oil are very useful.

A good lifestyle with balanced diet, exercise, sleep and adequate water beautifies your skin. To get a clear, youthful skin follow a good skincare regime.