Are anti-aging creams enough?

In our ever-widening search for the perfect method of looking younger, we should perhaps look at taking a holistic approach which will include diet, exercise, meditation and of course, anti wrinkle and anti aging products.

Unfortunately most people forget about the first requirements and put all of their efforts into creams to reduce crows feet, lines, deep wrinkles, firm eyes, remove dark circles and age spots.  Sometimes they use a different product for each problem area.

It is vital that your skin care product be of excellent quality, and with proven scientific research backing it.  The cost is really irrelevant - quite often a high price is a consequence of multi million dollar advertising campaigns, payments to distributors and retailers, and the exorbitant cost of unnecessary packaging designs and methods.

The adages "beauty comes from within" and "you are what you eat" are ones that should be employed in an anti aging skincare program.

Having a healthy diet and drinking lots of water affects your general well being.  It keeps your internal organs functioning well, helps keep illness and allergies at bay, and promotes shiny hair, clear eyes and fresh, vital looking skin.

Eating foods rich in antioxidants neutralizes the free radicals that we attract through everyday life.  Being stressed, over exerted, spending too much time in the sun all generate more free radicals.  If this is you, then your consumption of even more foods containing antioxidants will improve your skin.  These include a variety of berries, artichokes, prunes, other fruit and vegetables, and the best of all, leafy green vegetables.

Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown in a recent study to reduce the chances of skin aging in women over 40.  Omega 3s are contained in fish, primarily tuna, sardines, trout and salmon.  Omega 3s can also be taken as a fish oil capsule.  As well as being great for your skin, Omega 3s have also been dubbed "brain food" because they are so good for your mind.

Women who consume an adequate amount of Vitamin C, have, in recent research, been shown to have fewer lines and wrinkles.  Increasing the level of Vitamin C in your diet can be achieved by eating more oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, brussel sprouts and most other fruit and vegetables.

A small amount of exercise each day, at a level that raises your heart rate for around 20 minutes, will also affect your skin's vitality because your circulation will improve.

Try to limit your exposure to stressful situations, or learn how to better manage them. Stress raises the level of the stress hormone cortisol but meditation raises the anti aging hormone DHEA - its not rocket science!

Anti wrinkle and anti aging creams are not the solutions to looking younger, but good quality ones have a vital role to play.