"Delay aging."
"Tone up facial muscles and tighten sagging skin."
"Renew your skin's collagen and reduce wrinkles."

Please take a moment to read this important message as it relates to skin care and your health.
We spend billions of dollars every year on skin care products to fight aging and make us look younger. Large cosmetics companies offer up secret anti-aging skin care formulas that supposedly result in erasing wrinkles, lightening age spots, tightening sagging skin, and eliminating itching, flaking, and redness.

But do these skin care companies really deliver on their promises? Are there really anti-aging skin care products out there that can restore your skin to a younger and healthier condition?
Most anti-aging skin care formulas are nothing but advertising hype in print or on TV, filled with psychological triggers to separate consumers from their hard earned money. In fact, most anti-aging skin care product manufacturers spend more on the product packaging and containers than on the so called anti-aging skin care ingredients inside!

There are a few skin care product ingredients and a few basic principles you can follow to achieve healthier and younger looking skin.

Basic Anti-Aging Skin Care Principles for Healthy Skin

• Sunshine is good skin care?

That’s right, a little of that anti-aging skin care called Vitamin D from sunshine may do wonders for your skin! Sunshine promotes both physical and mental health. Just 5 to 10 minutes per day of sunlight is all you need. If you stay in the sun long enough for your skin to turn color (tan) it is already sun damaged to some degree.

Overexposure to sunlight is a major cause of skin damage and aging. Wrinkles, dryness, and age spots are just a few symptoms of aging skin. As you age, you sweat less and your skin becomes drier. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and loses collagen and fat. It will look less plump and smooth. Underlying structures — veins and bones in particular — become more visible.

Your skin can take longer to heal when injured so don’t overexpose yourself to sunshine. Although nothing can completely undo sun damage, the skin sometimes can repair itself.

When you must be in the sun for a long time, use a large brimmed hat and long sleeved clothing to limit your direct exposure. You can make your own decision About using sunscreen and sun block products as a part of skin care. There are studies pro and con regarding their use and potential toxicity. Sunscreen can prevent sunburn, but the chemical ingredients are absorbed deep into the skin as well.

• Avoid artificial tanning.

Don’t fall for the promise of safe tanning through the use of artificial tanning beds and booths. Getting an Acapulco glow from a tanning bed may not be worth the EMF exposure from the magnetic ballasts surrounding the tubes and various other concerns.

Tanning beds do release high levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can cause premature aging of the skin, impair your immune system, and increase your risk of skin cancer. They can also cause your skin to be itchy, dry, and red. Continued exposure may result in sagging and wrinkled skin.

Tanning pills and skin dyes are not that safe either. These skin tanning products contain carotenoid color additives, which are responsible for the orange color in carrots. If you don’t want to have carrot-colored skin, don’t make these skin care products a part of your skin care regimen. The canthaxanthin in tanning pills can deposit crystals in your eyes and damage your vision.

• Water is a good skin care product so keep your body well hydrated at all times.

You don’t necessarily have to guzzle down 8 to 12 glasses of water a day. Just be guided by your thirst. Your thirst will signal you when it is time for a refill. Just think of your body as a car. You only refill gasoline when the tank is low, right? It’s the same with your body. When you begin to feel thirsty, it’s time for a refill

Drinking too much water is not healthy either. Besides causing you to urinate frequently, it can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and hyponatremia.  Hyponatremia is a deadly condition in the sodium level of your blood is dangerously low. This can sometimes result excessive water intake.

Some say that if your urine has a faint yellow color, you are dehydrated. Don’t be fooled. That is the normal color of your urine! The exception to that is the bright yellow color you experience shortly after taking a multivitamin which includes riboflavin.

• Healthy Skin Care includes Omega 3 Supplements.

Omega 3 fatty acids are a requirement for healthy skin. Most people’s diets lack this healthy fat. I’m not an exception; therefore, I take Omega-3 supplements every day. Adding Omega 3 is an anti-aging skin care practice that helps to regulate skin lipids and avoid cell dehydration. Omega 3 also serves to reduce or eliminate the inflammation present in irritated skin. Symptoms of fatty acid deficiency include dry skin patches, cracked skin on your heels, and more. Some believe re-establishing the balance between Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet can help to prevent skin cancer.

• Antioxidants are essential for good skin care.

In discussions on anti-aging skin care and how to achieve vibrant, healthy younger looking skin, you often hear the terms "clean" and "green."  "Clean" refers to cleansing your digestive plumbing to make it work properly. "Green" refers to eating lots of mineral rich, high antioxidant green foods as well as other brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

Free radicals are partially responsible for premature aging and wrinkles. They can damage protein, fats and DNA. Free radical damage gives your skin a dull, drab, grayish appearance with lines, furrows and wrinkling.

You cannot totally eliminate free radicals, but you can offset their results by increasing your use of high quality antioxidants, both inside and outside your body. You should take a high quality antioxidant supplement in addition to high antioxidant foods like broccoli and berries. Raspberries, cherries and blueberries are great. Acai is even better. Acai, from South America is at the very top of today’s best list of super foods.

• Stop smoking!

Cigarette smoke is overflowing with free radicals. Long term smokers often appear as much as 10 years older than their real age.

• Antioxidant vitamin creams and amino peptide creams are good skin care products.

There are two types of anti-aging skin care products that have shown true lasting results that don’t just wash away into your sink when you wash your face.

The first type of anti-aging skin care products to show real results are the Vitamin C and Vitamin E creams and serums. These vitamin creams and serums can provide visible benefits to many.

Vitamin C should be at a 10% concentration and the creams tend to be less irritating than the serums, especially for those with sensitive skin.

Vitamin E, in the form of a d-alpha tocopherol based cream or gel provides noticeable benefits. Do not break open a capsule of Vitamin E oil and spread it on your face as it can cause irritation in those with sensitive skin.

The other proven type of anti-aging skin care product is based on amino peptide creams and lotions, which can rebuild collagen in older skin, thus reducing wrinkles, lines and furrows and enhancing elasticity and thickness. This can result in a much improved appearance without the risks of cosmetic surgery or laser skin resurfacing.