I just came across a short
article that reported on the effects of menopause on skin. The article didn't say anything new...it just reiterated the fact that dryness is yet another frustrating effect of menopause that women have to deal with.
When it comes to alleviating dryness, I recommend using the best natural skin care possible. One of my top recommendations is an all natural beauty care product called
Trilane, which is made with 100 percent olive-sourced squalane with jojoba esters. I also write about many other natural anti aging skin care and beauty products throughout my blog (just use the search box and you'll find many, many entries for other natural skin care solutions). Remember, dry skin may be an effect of menopause, but it by no means has to be a permanent issue!
I recently reported in my newsletter, Women's Wellness Today, about a study in which 29 middle-aged women who were complaining of severe hot flashes had the frequency and time of day of their hot flashes logged over a 24-hour period using skin conductance monitors. The results of the study showed that the hot flashes occurred an average of 19 times in that 24-hour period, with the highest frequency occurring during late afternoon and early evening and the lowest frequency occurring at night while the women were asleep.
This was interesting and somewhat surprising considering night sweats are a common complaint among perimenopausal women. However, what the researchers called the “lowest frequency” of menopause hot flashes was still substantial, considering it was five hot flashes in just one night of sleep. Based on an eight-hour night of sleep, that amounts to more than one hot flash every 90 minutes.
How to explain these results? Human core body temperature naturally follows a circadian rhythm, meaning that throughout the course of a 24-hour day, it naturally increases during the daylight hours until it peaks in the late afternoon/early evening (around 6:30 PM), then it declines to an all-time low in the early morning before the sun comes up. And, external factors—including physical exercise, emotional stress, being overdressed, an overheated house, sleeping with a warm bed partner and/or warm covers, and having an emotionally charged dream—all can raise core body temperature enough to trigger a cooling response, particularly if your zone of tolerance has narrowed.
I have been using red light therapy for many years to treat a wide variety of conditions, including skin problems, migraines, and even to balance estrogen levels.
You might be wondering what red light is all about, so let me explain. Various wavelengths of red light easily penetrate the skin and stimulate energy production within the mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of the cells. They enable the energy from food to be released and trapped as high-energy bonds called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is found in all of our cells and releases energy needed to fuel nearly all chemical reactions in our bodies. So, red light therapy helps our bodies create energy, vitality, and stamina, so every tissue and organ system can run more efficiently.
If you suffer from PMS, irregular menstrual cycles, menstrual cramps, or menopause symptoms like hot flashes or night sweats, red light therapy can be a powerful treatment. For example, if you are post-menopausal, your ovaries and adrenal glands continue to produce small amounts of estrogen and male hormones, even though you no longer menstruate. Red light therapy helps to maximize their production, balancing out your estrogen levels and providing your tissues with more hormonal support.
You can use red light therapy right in your own home with specially designed hand-held devices. Two red light devices I use and have been recommending for years are the X-Light from the Chee Energy Company and the Red Light-Shaker from the Light Energy Company.
Everything in your body depends on water. In fact, water makes up 82 percent of your blood, 75 percent of your muscle, 25 percent of your bone, 76 percent of your brain tissue, and 90 percent of your lung tissue! Plus, water neutralizes acidity, which can dry out your skin.
Additionally, water is a critical part of the detoxification process. This is key, as healthy detoxification helps to keep your skin blemish-free and even works to reduce cellulite.
You should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of filtered water each day to achieve soft, supple, wrinkle free skin.
I am personally a huge fan of Fiji water from the South Pacific. Renowned for the natural purifier and filtration system that this crystal clear, still water runs through, Fiji has an extremely high concentration of silica (83 mg per liter), which you may remember is an essential nutrient for your hair and skin, thanks to its collagen-building capabilities.
You can find Fiji Water in most grocery stores and convenience stores. The only downside is that it comes in a plastic bottle.
Sweet potatoes are your best natural skin care source for two reasons. First, they are a great source of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. And, as you may remember from the
blog I posted on March 27th, vitamin A improves the overall health of your skin.
But that’s not all. Sweet potatoes are also rich in the B vitamin biotin. On one hand, too little biotin can result in dry and scaly skin (not to mention fatigue and muscle pain). But on the plus side, brittle, weak hair and nails are well known to get healthier with oral supplementation of this B vitamin.
A few delicious natural skin care recipes that include sweet potatoes are my favorite oven fries and whipped sweet potatoes.
Oven Fries- Cut a sweet potato into “disks.”
- Spray a cookie sheet with canola oil and place potato disks in single layer on the cookie sheet.
- Spray the potatoes with the canola oil.
- Sprinkle potatoes with cinnamon, then bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.
- Goes great with a veggie or turkey burger and side salad.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes- Peel and cut two sweet potatoes into large pieces.
- Steam until tender.
- Place in blender with two ounces apple juice.
- Add ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and purée until smooth.
- Great side dish to any free-range chicken meal.
How many times have you heard to place sliced cucumbers on your eyes to reduce puffiness? Or to drink (or even make!) “spa water” with sliced cucumbers in filtered water. The reason? Cucumbers are high in silica.
Silica is a critical ingredient in healthy skin, hair, and nails, and it commonly declines with age. Studies show that daily silica supplementation significantly improves the condition of hair and nails. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 48 women with fine hair, those in the group who took silica enjoyed significantly thicker, stronger hair.
Silica also helps reverse graying and is critical for healthy bone density, which helps explain why prematurely gray hair is linked with bone loss.
So, if your goal is natural anti aging skin care, you can’t go wrong with cucumber. Just be sure to leave the skin on, as the majority of silica is found in the skin. Other silica-containing foods include beets, soybeans, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains. Combined with cucumber, aim to make at least one of these natural skin care ingredients part of your food-based beauty plan every day.
The benefit to green tea lies in the fact that freshly harvested tea leaves contain polyphenols, remarkable compounds with a host of therapeutic actions. In fact, the average cup of brewed green tea contains about 100 mg of polyphenols.
On the beauty front, these polyphenols in green tea give you a natural weightloss “kick” to help you burn calories. Polyphenols appear to block the enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, a brain chemical that regulates your metabolism. The higher your levels of norepinephrine, the faster your metabolism, which in turn allows you to burn calories even more efficiently.
In one study, researchers divided participants into three groups, giving them either a placebo (sugar pill), caffeine, or green tea extract, which was standardized to 50 percent of the active ingredient epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Researchers found that those who received the green tea burned an additional 500 calories per week, with no changes in diet or physical activity. That equates to about eight pounds a year!
Plus, green tea is a great source of antioxidants, which have been shown to help prevent ultraviolet light-induced inflammation, dryness, and damage to your skin.
To take advantage of this great natural anti aging skin care gem, while also enjoying a natural weightloss kick, aim for about two to three cups of green tea a day.
Wheat germ is rich in vitamin E, which has mildly estrogenic properties. In fact, wheat germ contains the fatty acids and other nutrients that your body needs to support and produce hormones such as estrogen.
This is key for wrinkle free skin, as estrogen is responsible for the deposits of fat under the skin that give rise to the soft and fine-textured skin that many women enjoy when they are young. Estrogen also causes fluid and salt retention in the tissues, which helps plump up and fill out skin, giving you the best natural skin care Mother Nature has to offer.
You can use wheat germ much like flax, by sprinkling it on yogurt or oatmeal or adding to a smoothie. Additionally, you can reap the same natural anti aging skin care benefits from wheat germ oil. Again, you can add to smoothies or even take in supplement form. Dr. Lark recommends taking 2,000–2,400 mg in capsule form a day, in divided doses.
Berries are proof that great things do come in little packages. (Sort of like Tiffany’s…but I digress). Whether you are talking about strawberries, blueberries, or my favorite raspberries, all berries have one thing in common; they are high in antioxidants, particularly vitamin C. This fact makes them a powerful part of any natural anti aging skin care plan.
Vitamin C is needed for collagen production, thereby helping to strengthen the connective tissues underlying the superficial layer of the skin. Plus, research has shown that high levels of vitamins C (as well as vitamin E and beta-carotene) can provide added protection beyond sunscreen to prevent ultraviolet light-induced inflammation, dryness, and other skin damage. Overexposure to the sun can slowly destroy the dermis (the layer of skin just beneath the epidermis), causing it to lose its strength and resilience. The result: sags, folds, creases, and wrinkles.
So up your berry intake in get the best natural skin care these vitamin C powerhouses have to offer. And don’t be afraid to go beyond the obvious of adding them to smoothies, oatmeal, or as a snack.
- Add raspberries to a spinach salad for a one-two vitamin A/vitamin C beauty power punch.
- Add sliced strawberries and one tablespoon balsamic vinegar to cooked chicken breasts. Sauté for two minutes and serve over brown rice.
- Toss quinoa with blueberries and chopped pecans for a delicious side dish to your favorite fish recipe.
Spinach is rich in vitamin A, which has been shown to improve the overall health of your skin. In particular, it is helpful in suppressing oily skin and acne. One study found that high doses of vitamin A helped clear up even the most severe cases of acne in 90 percent of people given the vitamin.
Research has also shown that 100,000 IU of vitamin A daily removed all age spots from subjects over a 12- to 16-month period. While you cannot possibly eat enough spinach in any given day to equal this amount, you can augment your spinach intake with vitamin A supplementation as part of your natural anti aging skin care regimen. Dr. Lark recommends taking its water-soluble precursor, beta-carotene, at 15,000–25,000 IU daily.
This succulent houseplant exemplifies the best natural skin care, due to its ability to soothe, heal, and moisturize skin. In fact, a large body of research documents the use of aloe for a variety of dermatological conditions, including rashes, acne scars, dermatitis, psoriasis, and wound healing.
When aloe is applied to skin, it reduces the scaliness, itchiness, and extent of seborrheic dermatitis; prompts the remission of psoriasis; relieves poison ivy; assists the healing of chronic leg ulcers; and speeds healing after dermabrasion, a technique used to remove acne scars and wrinkles.
Although allergic reactions to aloe vera gel are quite rare, before applying it, you should test yourself by dabbing a small amount on your leg or arm and monitoring the area for 24 hours. If your skin becomes red or itchy or you develop hives, do not use aloe preparations on your skin or ingest them.
I personally use aloe vera juice. As one of my natural skin care recipes, I mix aloe very juice with mineral water and a bit of pomegranate or cranberry juice, and pour over ice into a large wine goblet. (It’s my little evening ritual.)
Now, I’m not going to lie to you…this beauty food is definitely an acquired taste. But the skin and health benefits are worth it!
Loaded with unsaturated fatty acids, avocados are a wonderful natural beauty food that promotes soft skin, as well as healthy cell walls and strong nerves.
There are so many ways to incorporate one of Mother Nature’s most versitle natural skin care ingredients in to your diet. You can add slices to any salad or sandwich, or mash and add diced tomatoes for a quick guacamole to scoop up with celery.
Of course, one of my favorite avocado-based natural skin care recipes is a vegan chocolate banana smoothie. Place one cup coconut water (not the milk), 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, one avocado (pitted and scooped out of shell), one banana, and handful of ice in a blender and mix well. The avocado provides a great thick texture without altering the taste!
Have you ever met a woman who just radiates natural beauty? Her skin is smooth and glowing, her hair shines and is healthy, and she seems to light up every room she enters. When you see a woman like this, do you wonder—what is her secret?
I can tell you first hand that the answer is NOT the latest beauty fad. In fact, most of the “beauty” products on the market are actually bad for your skin—not to mention your health. The true secret is natural. Natural beauty radiates from the inside out.
When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you look good. Best of all, some of my favorite natural beauty care products are actually food!
Over the next few days, I’ll share with you the top 10 beauty foods, as well as a few natural skin care recipes…some to eat and some to wear. But all will include foods you can find right in your local grocery or health food store.
Natural Beauty Food #1: Olive Oil
Olive oil is a one of my favorite natural beauty care products for two reasons: it is a great source of essential fatty acids (EFAs), as well as squalene.
EFAs help to moisturize and soften skin, as well as promote shiny, healthy hair. This is particularly important for women with estrogen deficiency (including those in premenopause or perimenopause), as dry skin is on of the more common menopause symptoms. In addition to benefiting skin and hair, EFAs have also been found to soothe and heal dry, chapped lips.
On the squalene front, this natural antioxidant found in olives also occurs naturally in all human tissues, with the greatest concentration in the skin. In fact, rumor has it that Sophia Loren uses olive oil on her skin as part of her natural anti aging skin care regimen.
In addition to using olive oil topically, you can use extra virgin olive oil in typical ways, i.e. to cook with or dress a salad. I also like to use it to top a sweet potato (also a beauty food!) or popcorn, as a delicious and beautiful alternative to butter.
#5 Natural Skin Care Ingredient: Zinc Oxide
Zinc oxide is a main ingredient in many sunscreens--but not necessary the cheaper brands. The cheaper brands in grocery stores and drug stores often include scary-sounding ingredients like octyl-dimethyl PABA, benzophenone-3; octyl-methoxycinnamate, homosalate, and 4-MBC (4-methyl-benzylidene camphor). Now let me ask you...do you really want to apply these unpronounceable things to your entire body every single day? I doubt it!
So when it comes to sunscreen--something you should be using each and every day--I like to recommend the most natural forms available. And it just so turns out that zinc oxide is an all-natural sun protectant that shields your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
Two brands of natural sunscreen that I love are
Soleo and
UV Naturals.
#4 Natural Skin Care Ingredient: Tea Tree Oil
Every woman experiences the occasional blemish. Yes, it is frustrating to deal with problems that you thought you let go of when you exited your teen years...but fortunately, you don't have to use a teen product to deal with acne. The best natural skin care you can use to treat acne is tea tree oil, which you can find at health food stores.
The antiseptic properties of teat tree oil have been used for centuries to clean and treat wounds. Even the early settlers of Australia and metal workers during the Second World War used this camphorous-smelling essential oil to treat cuts and insect bites.
After washing the affected area, place one drop of Australian tea tree oil directly on blemishes. Read the product label carefully to be sure the oil contains 50 to 60 percent terpenes (preferably terpin-4-ol) and no more than 15 percent cineole.
#3 Natural Skin Care Ingredient:
Aloe veraAloe vera is more than just your common houseplant! It is also a gentle, effective anti-inflammatory, as well as a skin regenerator. I often recommend using
facial cleansers that contain aloe if you have acne, eczema, or another condition that causes sensitive skin.
In addition, aloe can:
• reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain;
• keep exposed tissue moist;
• combat skin pathogens as effectively as the antibacterial preparation used on burns and skin ulcers at most hospitals, silver sulfadiazine;
• promote wound closure; and
• stimulate skin repair and regeneration.And studies have shown that Aloe vera reduces the scaliness, itchiness, and extent of seborrheic dermatitis; prompts the remission of psoriasis; relieves poison ivy; assists the healing of chronic leg ulcers; and speeds healing after dermabrasion, a technique used to remove acne scars and create wrinkle free skin.
#2 Natural Skin Care Ingredient: Collagen
Skin is built on a sponge-like framework of a protein called collagen, which supports the skin and gives the face its youthful, lifted appearance. Unfortunately, as we age, collagen weakens, causing your face to look less plump and wrinkles to be more apparent.
The good news is that studies show that the topical use of marine collagen can create the wrinkle free face you want. Applying collagen topically can cause immediate firmness and hydration of the skin, as well as create a significant increase in overall thickness. The key is to use concentrated collagen that’s formulated for optimal absorption, which you can find in a product called
Wrinkle Reducing Collagen Concentrate with InstaFirm.
Now that I've told you how to feed your skin from within with my top 5 supplement recommendations for wrinkle free skin, I am going to share with you what I consider to be some of the best natural skin care ingredients or products you should be using for a gorgeous, wrinkle free face. Let's get started.
#1: Olive-based squalane
All humans produce a substance called squalene, which serves as an oxygen carrier, an emollient, and an antioxidant in the body. Additionally, it is a component of sebum, the oily substance produced by our sebaceous glands that protects and "waterproofs" hair and skin. Squalene is also found in other natural sources, like olives. Because squalene is easily oxidized, its stable form, squalane, is used in skin care products to nourish and protect skin.
If you look at the ingredient list of many lotions on the market, one of the things listed is squalane--because it works! But what I don't like is the additional "fillers" that most products contain, like parabens and synthetic fragrances. Fortunately, there's a way to gain the amazing benefits of squalane without the fillers--
Trilane. This product contains two ingredients: olive-sourced squalane and jojoba esters. which provide additional moisturizing benefits. Trilane is by far my favorite natural skin care product for dry, flaky skin that needs intense moisturizing.
#5 Recommendation for a Wrinkle Free Face: Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
EFAs are an excellent way to create moister, softer, wrinkle free skin. The moisturizing effect of these oils has been particularly evident in my younger patients who already have a high moisture content in their skin, so if you are at midlife, it takes a little longer to replenish your moisture content--in some cases, three to six months.
To ensure that you are getting enough EFAs in your diet, eat foods rich in omega-3s, like ground flaxseed (up to 6 Tbsp per day), raw pumpkin seeds, and cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel (up to three times a week). You can also supplement with a high-quality fish oil.
Another form of omega-3s come from krill oil, an EFA complex derived from tiny shrimp called Antarctic krill. Krill oil’s fatty acid and phospholipid content makes it an ideal choice for delivering moisture and hydration to the skin. A clinical study showed that supplementation with krill oil had a positive effect on skin health and appearance, helping to produce wrinkle free skin by improving skin hydration.
You can find fish oil and krill oil at health food stores and vitamin shops.
#4 Recommendation for a Wrinkle Free Face: Olive pulp extractI am a big fan of olive oil, not only for its health benefits, but for its beauty benefits as well. But did you know that olives only contain 15 to 20 percent oil? More than 50 percent of an olive is juice…and that juice is a very rich source of polyphenols--amazing antioxidant compounds.
Olive pulp extract is particularly rich in the polyphenol called hydroxytyrosol. Research on people given oral doses of olive pulp extract showed that the antioxidant capacity of their blood plasma increased as the dose increased. And, in animal studies,olive pulp extract has been shown to help prevent UV damage to the skin and help keep skin in its normal, healthy state. I recommend 100 mg of olive pulp extract daily.
One brand you can try is Olivenol from Life’s Vigor.
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