Wrinkles, the telltale signs of the aging process, have long been a concern for individuals seeking to maintain youthful and vibrant skin. Among the plethora of skincare advice and products available, identifying genuinely effective strategies for wrinkle reduction can be challenging. In this article, we present a meticulous compilation of scientifically substantiated recommendations for the reduction of wrinkles.
From essential directives like sun protection and the incorporation of supplements to the significance of optimal hydration, dietary choices, and stress management, this article is the ultimate skincare guide. The following articles explore why we get wrinkles and how to best prevent them. You can learn more about specific supplements to reduce wrinkles here.
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22 Tips To Reduce Wrinkles
- Protect your skin against sun exposure. Always apply, and reapply sunscreen, especially after 1-2 hours in direct sunlight, and wear caps and hats as much as possible.
- Take specific supplements that are healthy for the skin: copper, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids are all important ingredients the skin needs to thrive. Learn more about important supplements here and here.
- Take specific supplements that have scientifically proven to slow down aging and thus treat wrinkles at their root cause. These are supplements like alpha-ketoglutarate, glucosamine, glycine, and oral hyaluronic acid containing acetyl-glucosamine. NOVOS Core contains all these ingredients and more.
- Hydrate the skin: this means drinking a lot of water and using hydrating skin creams twice daily, such as skin creams with at least 1 to 1.5 percent hyaluronic acid. You can also drink green or white tea, 100% pomegranate juice, and zero-sugar cacao drinks, which have all been shown to improve skin health.
- Consume a healthy diet. This means a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, fatty fish, legumes, and mushrooms. Avoid unhealthy fats and too much sugar and carbs. Click here to learn more about a healthy longevity diet.
- Do not smoke.
- Drink (very) little alcohol. Alcohol is converted into substances that damage DNA, stem cells, and the skin. Drink a maximum of one glass of alcohol daily, including alcohol-free days.
- Reduce stress. Stress causes accelerated aging of the skin and can even accelerate hair greying. Scientists found out why here.
- Get enough sleep. Find more than 50 tips to sleep better here.
- Take supplements and foods that reduce inflammation. When we get older, our body becomes more and more inflamed (this is called “inflammaging”). This inflammation also damages the skin. Herbs like ginger, turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, garlic, and thyme reduce inflammation. Take omega-3 fatty acids (whether from supplements or foods like fatty fish, walnuts, chia seeds or flaxseeds), pterostilbene, fisetin, olive oil and green tea and white tea.
- Avoid repetitive facial movements. If you always frown your forehead squint your eyes, or raise your eyebrows, you will get more wrinkles in these areas. Become aware of these automatic muscle contractions and try not to do them. Try to relax your face more.
- Use science-based skin creams daily. Unfortunately, most skin creams only have a small effect on skin aging; they mainly hydrate the skin and give it a bit of radiance so the skin looks superficially somewhat better. There are however some science-based ingredients to reduce or even reverse wrinkles. We are a big fan of tretinoin cream (0.05% tretinoin). Tretinoin, also called retinoic acid, is a derivative of vitamin A and has lots of science behind it showing it can prevent and reduce wrinkles. Combine a tretinoin cream with hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that occurs naturally in the skin and plumps up the skin (always apply hyaluronic acid first and subsequently tretinoin). Vitamin C and vitamin B5 can also improve wrinkles. Read more about tretinioin here.
- Exercise more. Exercise improves blood circulation to your skin, improves the immune system, and releases all kinds of substances that repair the body. Exercise has also been shown to reduce cortisol levels, alleviating stress levels that can lead to inflammation when chronic.
- Ever heard of sleep wrinkles? That is what you can get if you sleep too much on your belly or on your side, pushing parts of your face hard into your pillow for hours on end during the night. Try to sleep more on your back, or if you are a belly sleeper, try at least to sleep more on your side. Also use a pillow that is not too rough. Use finely woven pillow covers, or pillow covers made from silk.
- Avoid over-cleansing and using harsh cleansers that can dry out or remove the thin oily layer that is naturally present on your skin. However, always clean your skin before applying creams, serums, or other products.
- Micro needling: puncturing small holes in the skin, so that the skin repairs itself more which could also improve wrinkles. While micro needling can be done at home with micro needling devices, we recommend going to trained professional/medical clinics for these procedures due to their invasive nature.
- Dermabrasion: scraping of the skin so that the skin repairs itself more, which could reduce wrinkles. We also recommend going to trained professionals for these procedures.
- Botox injections. Botox is a substance that prevents the nerves from activating the muscles in your face. You move less facial muscles, so you get fewer wrinkles. However, long-term botox use can make facial muscles become very thin (because they receive too little contractile stimulation) which actually can make you look older in the long-term.
- Laser therapy: While the evidence showing that light therapy has a substantial effect on wrinkles is weak, laser light could stimulate skin cells and also kill them so the skin repairs itself more.
- Chemical peels: using chemicals to remove the upper layers of the skin, which then repair and regenerate the skin.
- Facelifts, including micro-face lifts.
- Injections with regenerating substances like platelet-rich plasma (PRP from “Vampire Facials”) or stem cells. PRP also contains growth factors that can increase blood flow and create a nurturing environment for skin & stem cells, consequently increasing collagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis, ultimately contributing to reducing wrinkles.
Learn more about the best anti-wrinkle supplements here.
Learn more about the anti-aging supplement NOVOS Core
