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Dear Clavin Labs Customers,

We hope you enjoy this newsletter taken in part from Life Extension Magazine.

It has many fascinating insights into skin care rejuvenation and the skin aging process.

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST SKIN AGING

Skin distortion is often the most visible sign of human aging.  The passage of time can wreak havoc on the face; leaving wrinkles, age spots, and sagging skin in its wake.

Americans spend billions of dollars each year on creams and lotions in the quest for smooth and healthy-looking skin.  Cosmetics manufacturers flood the market with a plethora of products that promise to deliver results.  The problem is that most commercial companies do not understand the multiple pathological mechanisms involved in skin aging.  The result is skin care products that provide only limited effects and fail to address the unsightly alterations associated with aging skin.

This newsletter discusses findings from scientific studies showing that skin aging can be postponed and partially reversed. 

The most potent antioxidants that help protect against skin aging are vitamins A, C, and E and other nutrients found in fruits and vegetables.  Regrettably, the skin is exposed to many natural and environmental hazards.  This makes it virtually impossible to maintain optimal antioxidant levels through the oral ingestion of healthy foods or supplements.

An increasing number of scientific studies support the value of applying antioxidants directly to the surface of the skin to combat free radical damage.  These findings suggest that “topical application of antioxidants may result in a sustained antioxidant capacity of the skin,” and conclude that “regular application of skin care products containing antioxidants may be of the utmost benefit in efficiently preparing our skin against external stressors occurring during daily life.”

Skin Rejuvenating Nutrients

The positive effects resulting in the topical application of vitamin C were singled out in a recent investigation where it was proven to stimulate collagen production.  A double-blind study published in 2002 confirmed vitamin C’s efficacy in improving the overall look and feel of the skin.  Clinical evaluation of wrinkling, pigmentation, inflammation, and hydration was performed prior to the study and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 on individuals who applied topical vitamin C complex on one-half of the face and placebo gel to the opposite side.  The results showed a statistically significant improvement to the skin on the vitamin C side, with biopsies showing increased collagen formation and reduced wrinkling.

Several studies suggest that topical vitamin E, particularly alpha tocopherol (a form of vitamin E), decrease skin roughness, length of facial lines, and wrinkle depth.  In one particular study, it was determined that “alpha tocopherol can act as a scavenger of free radicals,” thereby arresting the free radical sequence and the ultimate destruction of collagen fibers.

Vitamin A has also undergone a fair amount of scientific scrutiny.  A study involving 72 people of varying age groups tested the efficacy of vitamin A and its role in stimulating skin cell renewal.  Researchers found that a seven-day topical application of vitamin A increased collagen synthesis and reduced the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.  And further studies have shown that topical application of vitamin A can protect the epidermis (outer layer of the skin) and the most delicate areas of the skin against free radical attack by actually absorbing ultraviolet light and preventing it from doing its damage.

Guarding against Moisture Loss

Women typically use face creams to replace moisture lost to aging.  It becomes increasingly difficult to keep the skin moist once a woman reaches menopause because of a reduction in the hormones that signal oil production in the sebaceous glands.  Most commercial face creams are oil-based and work by blocking the release of water from the skin.  That may work with younger skin, but as we age, the skin loses its ability to even attract moisture.  Instead, aging skin needs to be replenished with it natural moisturizer complex to attract and retain water. 

Hyaluronic acid is yet another natural component of healthy skin.  The network of collagen fibers below the skin is filled with a composition of water, protein complexes and hyaluronic acid.  This jelly-like moisture is necessary for transportation of essential nutrients from the bloodstream, via the capillary network, to the living cells of the skin.  Hyaluronic acid is found in great abundance in young skin, but over time, free radical production destroys our hyaluronic acid reserves.  By the time we reach our 50^th birthday, we’ve already lost close to half of the hyaluronic acid that we had in our youth.  Replenishing the skin with hyaluronic acid can help facilitate healing, repair, and antioxidant capacity. 

How Free Radicals cause Wrinkles

Free radical damage has been linked to as many as 60 illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and immune system disorders.  And it also plays a significant role in the aging process of our skin.  Over the years, the skin’s collagen suffers mercilessly from free radical attack.  Normal, healthy collagen proteins gently mesh with each other, giving skin its softness and elasticity.  Once damaged, these proteins become crosslinked and hard and ultimately collapse on themselves, preventing them from holding water and remaining plump.  The overall effect is a confusion of crosslinked collagen fibers, manifested on the skin’ surface as wrinkles.

A Comprehensive Battle Plan

The skin is a sophisticated organ, designed to safeguard us from external dangers, such as bacteria and other environmental stresses.  Think of your skin as a suit of armor that protects your internal organs from the hazards of daily living.  If any cream or lotion is to penetrate this barrier and nourish the layers underneath, it needs to be specifically formulated to circumvent the armor.  For any skin care cream to deliver on its promise, it must first be designed to operate within the confines of our physiology.  And our physiology, with particular regard to aging skin, is a complex system that works best when we work with it.

Lifestyle Modifications make for Beautiful skin

Experts recommend a diet rich in fruit and vegetable to help skin stay looking its best.  Leafy green vegetables and other brilliantly colored foods like blueberries, tomatoes, and carrots contain antioxidants which can stabilize free-radicals destructive cellular structures that have been implicated in everything from cancer to wrinkles and aging skin.  Health care professionals recommend drinking plenty of water, consuming antioxidants, and avoiding cigarettes and excessive alcohol consumption to keep the skin looking healthy and youthful.  And it goes without saying that we should limit our sun exposure.  Nothing ages the skin faster than excessive sun damage.*

*References:

Collector’s Edition 2004 Life Extension