Satin, smooth, peachens-and-cream skin(credit:
Farl)
There are so many cosmetic procedures that can make you look young and attractive – facelifts to perk up your face, eyelid surgery to fix droopy eyelids, rhinoplasty to give you a sharper profile, lip augmentation surgery for plumper lips and breast surgery for a 34D size. These cosmetic surgery techniques can help you look a decade younger, but what they cannot do is change the quality of the skin.
So, if you want to look like you’ve just taken a sip of the potion of youth, then you need to know the basics about your skin. The skin is composed of three materials that keep it young:
1. Collagen, which acts like rope to give our skin strength and prevent sagging.
2. Elastic Tissue acts like rubber bands, and gives our skin elasticity.
3. Hyaluronic Acid keeps our skin plump and hydrated.
Our body’s natural hormones are directly responsible for the production and maintenance of these three key ingredients in our skin. A dip in estrogen levels can cause less Collagen, elastic tissue and Hyaluronic Acid to be made and this factor is known as ‘Hormonal Aging.’
Hormonal Aging causes 12 distinct skin symptoms such as thinning skin; dehydrated dry sensitive skin; acceleration of fine lines and wrinkles; decreased elasticity and firmness; flushing and uneven skin pigmentation; occasional itchiness or breakouts; photosensitivity; and unwanted facial hair growth.
If women address Hormonal Aging early, these symptoms can be delayed and reduced. Many women resort to the Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) to mask the symptoms of hormonal aging, but HRT has dangerous side affects.
So what can a woman do to get an early start on treating the symptoms of hormonal aging? Research has shown that specific botanicals, such as soy and black cohosh, when applied topically, mimic the effects of estrogen on your skin, and can actually treat the skin symptoms of hormonal aging. These phyto-estrogens are being incorporated in new innovative products that combat hormonal aging, yet still contain all the essential ingredients to treat all 3 types of skin aging.