Anti-Aging Skin Care Hacks Part 3 – Oils & Serums

helen
Helen February 7, 2021

I’ve always been a strong believer that beautiful skin starts from within, so you have to start with a healthy diet, incorporate lots of movement and get adequate sleep to stay looking youthful. Having said that, I’m also a disciple of not aging gracefully, so in this blog, here are some topical treatments I personally use to not look my age.

Sun protection

Did you know that there are natural substances that when applied topically or even taken internally, can prevent the detrimental effect of sunlight on your skin?

Squalene is in a class of compounds called isoprenoids which are fats /lipids. These isoprenoids are now known to have impressive bioactive properties that can protect you from cell dysfunction, including cancer formation in early stages. Squalene is not a sunblock like a typical sunscreen but works to protect your skin at a cellular level against harmful UVA, UBV and visible light. Squalene also has protective effects against lipid free radical formation which contributes to visible signs of aging. The richest source of squalene comes from olive oil, rice bran oil, red palm oil and shark liver oil. It is even more potent when combined with natural vitamin E. You can purchase squalene with added vitamin E or you can mix it yourself. Here’s what I use liberally particularly during the summer. I mix 2 parts to 1 part of the plant-derived squalene to natural vitamin E and keep in a dark glass bottle in a cool place. Here’s what I recommend:

Facial moisturizer

During a facial at a skin spa about five years ago, I was told about the wonders of emu oil for its anti-inflammatory properties. Emu oil comes from the emu bird that is native to Australia. Emu oil is rich in oleic, palmitic, linoleic acids, antioxidants, and due to the smaller particle size of the oil, it not only absorbs well into the skin but is a great carrier of other ingredients. When used topically, this wonder oil is known to promote skin healing from scars and help with common conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. It’s also used for protection against damage from UV rays. I was sold when I also heard that the plastic surgeon in that spa was using it to give to patients after surgery.  So, I now make my own facial moisturizer using emu oil as a base and add:

  • Frankincense oil – This is used for skin healing, stretch marks and scars as it helps generate  healthy skin cells. It’s also a good disinfectant and good for cleaning wounds and cuts as well as promoting rapid healing without leaving scars. 
  • Fibroblast synthesizers – Aside from collagen, fibroblasts make the remarkable elastin which is the protein that keeps your skin elastic. As you age, the levels of enzymes that synthesize elastin decrease so using fibroblast stimulators is important to give you a springier and less saggy look. Powerful elastin stimulators include rosemary oil, dill seed oil and helichrysum. Increasing elastin produces anti-aging results wherever you apply these elastin-stimulating essential oils.
  • Coconut oil, rice bran oil and red palm oil – these oils have antioxidant capacity and also stimulate fibroblasts production. When applied to wounds, it speeds up healing and increases collagen formation. I prefer the coconut oil or rice bran oil as it is readily available in liquid form.
  • Vitamin E – A highly effective, fat soluble antioxidant that penetrates into the dermis easily while providing protection against the photoaging process.

Here’s my recipe:

Blend it all together and shake – pour into two 4 oz. dark glass dropper bottles. Gift to a friend or keep the extra bottle in the fridge. I didn’t realize the popularity of this blend but I now have a small following of friends and family who ask me for more when they run out!

Anti-Aging Serum

There are many anti-aging serums out there that use Vitamin C, E and collagen boosters like Ferulic acid. Did you know that rice bran oil contains a form of ferulic acid which is now widely available in anti-aging serums? Ferulic acid is very effective at protecting skin across the UV spectrum including visible light. Rice bran has been shown to reverse skin aging and is rich in tocotrienols – compounds that are closely related to vitamin E. It’s interesting to note that in this study, ferulic acid combined with vitamin C and E was shown to prevent sun-induced damage. I haven’t tried making the ferulic acid serum with rice bran oil as you can find ferulic acid combinations readily at cosmetics stores – some are very expensive but it may be worth the investment. Try to find something that has 15% vitamin C, 0.5% ferulic acid and 1% of vitamin E in the formulation.

Here are several to try:

Categories: Skin

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