Vitamin E may help prevent or minimize wrinkles when applied to your skin regularly, although evidence is not conclusive regarding whether topical vitamin E has any noticeable effect on wrinkles or other signs of aging. The moisturizing and antioxidant properties of vitamin E may offer other skin benefits, however, such as decreasing skin roughness and flaking. Consult your doctor before rubbing vitamin E on your skin and discontinue use immediately if you develop a skin rash or other signs of an allergic reaction. Clean the affected area using a mild facial cleanser and lukewarm water. Avoid harsh soaps and hot water when washing your face, as these are irritating and drying and can make wrinkles worse. Gently pat your skin dry with a soft towel. Puncture a small hole in a capsule of vitamin E with a clean pin or pair of scissors. If you intend to cover a large area with the vitamin E gel, make a larger hole to increase the speed at which the gel is released from the capsule.
Squeeze a small amount of vitamin E gel onto your clean fingertips and dab it onto wrinkled areas. Be careful not to get the vitamin E gel in your eyes or nose. Spread the gel around your face, using gentle pressure and the tips of your fingers. Let the gel dry before going to sleep or using cosmetics or other skincare products. Rubbing vitamin E on your skin within 8 hours of sun exposure may help prevent wrinkles caused by inflammation and sun damage, according to John R. Trevithick, PhD, of the University of Western Ontario. Clean pin or pair of scissors Does Vitamin E Skin Oil Have Side Effects? Severe Stress-Induced Allergic Reactions Can Too Much Vitamin C Cause Hives or a Rash? Vitamin E for EczemaFew of us embrace the signs of aging skin--those fine lines and creases that creep up after 30. Eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and using a moisturizing sunscreen will help preserve complexions, but they won't make a 50-year-old look 35.
And for those who want a dramatic age reversal, there are plenty of medical solutions—from face-lifts to injectable treatments for lines and creases. But there are also any number of tricks you can do at home or find at a beauty salon or drug store that are reputed to reduce lines with scant (or no) science behind them. Here's a short list of some popular wrinkle-fighting moves that doctors say are useless, unproven or harmful—and some real tips from dermatologists for keeping your skin young:Egg whites, mashed banana and honey—no, we're not talking about baby food. Each of these has been touted as a beauty treatment that will make skin appear more youthful, although dermatologists say there's no good reason why they would. Then there's citrus fruit and oils. Rubbing your face with pineapple—the most commonly used fruit—will, in fact, exfoliate dead cells, which improves the skin's appearance temporarily. But a castor or olive oil treatment can plug up pores and cause acne.
2. Exercising the Facial Muscles. Actually, making faces aggravates, rather than prevents, wrinkles. There is no evidence that you can build up the small, thin muscle fibers in facial skin the same way you tone biceps.Some beauty practitioners apply small jolts of electricity to facial muscles to "reprogram" them to lift. But the effects are brief, says Dr. Susan Weinkle, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of South Florida: "You need to kill the nerve to stop it from contracting for any length of time." The FDA is currently evaluating technology that will kill the nerves. 4. Vitamin E Creams. In any beauty-supply store, you'll see dozens of creams with long lists of ingredients, often including vitamin E. Alas, the vitamin E in these creams does not prevent wrinkles and can cause an allergic rash. What does work on wrinkles (other than a trip to a plastic surgeon)? Dermatologists recommend creams containing tretinoin, marketed as Retin A or Renova and available only by prescription, or the weaker over-the-counter creams containing retinol.
"If I had to choose one cream, I'd choose one that contains tretinoin or retinol," says Weinkle. Dermatologists also recommend creams with high concentrations of alpha hydroxyl acid, which exfoliate dead skin and trigger formation of new collagen and elastic fibers. OTC versions have a concentration of 6 percent or less of alpha hydroxyl acid, while prescription products typically contain 12 percent or more. Other helpful creams are those that contain Vitamin C and the brand formulations TNS Recovery Complex, Citrus CRS, Revaleskin and Prevage. Creams based on the small chains of amino acids called peptides seem to have some benefit in promoting collagen production, says Chicago dermatologist Carolyn Jacob, but the proof so far only comes from lab experiments, not large clinical trials with people. And then there's prevention: Ultraviolet A rays (UVA, not UVB) are most responsible for skin aging, so check your sunscreen for UVA blockage, and opt for 30 SPF in sunny climates, says Weinkle.
Sleeping on your back, rather than your stomach and side, can help prevent creases in your face. Weinkle's personal skin care routine: She uses an at-home microdermabrasion scrub along with the Clarisonic supersonic skin brush. Microdermabrasion goes further than exfoliation, buffing away so much skin that your body reacts as if to a wound and creates brand new skin. Or try an at-home machine that uses crystals instead of the diamond head used in the most state-of-the art equipment in dermatologists' offices. Related to Healthy Beauty Skin Problems & Treatments Myth vs. Reality on Anti-Aging Vitamins Paying extra for exotic vitamins in skin creams that promise to erase fine lines and prevent wrinkles will get you little more than an empty wallet, according to dermatologists. Although many face creams contain vitamins known as antioxidants, very few are actually effective in preventing or reversing skin damage. "Despite advertising claims, almost all available topical formulations contain very low concentrations of antioxidants that are not well absorbed by the skin," said Karen E. Burke, MD, in a presentation to the American Academy of Dermatology's annual meeting this week in New Orleans.
"There are three antioxidants that have been proven to decrease the effect of the sun on the skin and actually prevent further damage: selenium, vitamin E, and vitamin C." Antioxidants are known to prevent agents called free radicals from damaging cells in the body and the skin. Free radicals are a result of normal body processes, but they can also be created by exposure to various environmental factors such as smoking or ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and can speed up the aging process. Burke says the problem with applying antioxidants to the skin to fight aging is that they aren't very well absorbed or only have short-term effects. But new research presented at the dermatology conference suggests more effective formulations to deliver two of these antioxidants directly to the skin that needs it may soon be available. The mineral selenium helps protect the body from cancers, including skin cancer caused by sun exposure. It also preserves tissue elasticity and slows down the aging and hardening of tissues associated with oxidation.
Dietary sources of the mineral include whole grain cereals, seafood, garlic, and eggs. Recent animal studies have found that when selenium is taken orally or through the skin in the form of L-selenomethionine, it provided protection against both everyday and excessive UV damage. A study also showed selenium also delayed the development of skin cancer in the animals. Burke says those results are promising, but studies are still needed in humans. Experts consider vitamin E to be the most important antioxidant because it protects cell membranes and prevents damages to enzymes associated with them. Natural sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, grains, oats, nuts, and dairy products. New laboratory studies suggest vitamin E helps inactivate free radicals, making them less likely to cause damage. Several other studies have shown applying vitamin E to the skin can reduce damage caused by sun exposure and limit the production of cancer-causing cells.
"For additional sun protection, individuals may consider taking vitamin E supplements," said Burke, in a release. "Supplementation with vitamin E in 400 milligrams a day has been noted to reduce photodamage, wrinkles and improve skin texture." Vitamin C is the most common antioxidant found in the skin. It's also found in vegetables and citrus fruits. Like vitamin E, vitamin C is considered important in repairing free radicals and preventing them from becoming cancerous or accelerating the aging process. Since vitamin C is most prevalent in the skin, the skin is the organ that suffers most from environmental stressors. Smoking, sun exposure, and pollution rob the nutrient from our bodies, says Burke. "Even minimal UV exposure can decrease the vitamin C levels in the skin by 30 percent, while exposure from the ozone of city pollution can decrease the level by 55 percent," said Burke in a release. Creating a skin cream that carries a useful dose of vitamin C is difficult because it reacts immediately when exposed to oxygen.