Could it be that the key to maintaining youthfulness starts with what you put on your plate? Fruit, vegetables, spices and oilseeds constitute the first line of defence against free radicals, the wayward molecules responsible for, amongst others, ageing of the skin (1).
If diet is crucial for staying on top form, hydration is just as important (2). Essential for regenerating epidermal cells, it also promotes the elimination of toxins. It’s no coincidence that Penelope Cruz drinks a litre and a half of water every day without fail!
The bravest souls, such as Vanessa Paradis, even put ice on their face to keep their skin looking smooth.
Even Victoria Beckham has experienced her fair share of skin imperfections. To maintain a blemish-free complexion, the former Spice Girl now stocks up on omega-3 by eating salmon every day.
A beauty aid, certainly, but also a health one, since the EPA and DHA fatty acids in oily fish support good heart and brain function(3-4).
If you’re not taken with the idea of a ‘week of salmon’, you can still increase your intake by supplementing with omega-3 (try, for example, the product Super Omega 3, a highly-stable, marine-source supplement obtained using sustainable fishing techniques).
What do Gisele Bündchen, Kate Winslet and Jessica Alba have in common?
They’ve all been bitten by the yoga bug! As well as improving suppleness and tone, this form of exercise is also great for managing stress - a major factor in accelerating ageing. A good bet then, if you want to take a few more ‘miles off the clock’ (5-6).
It seems the radiant Halle Berry’s secret is to be found in her beauty kit. She won’t go anywhere without her must-have vitamin C serum which gives her a glowing complexion and velvety skin.
Vitamins C and E actually help to protect cells against oxidative stress (7). Some multivitamins (such as Daily 3 which contains no less than 41 exceptional ingredients) combine these two nutrients in a single formulation.
In a more targeted way, vitamin C is available in combination with senolytic compounds for a synergistic effect (in products such as Senolytic Complex, in which top billing is given to fisetin, a flavonol widely-studied by researchers in anti-ageing medicine) (8).
For Cindy Crawford, the key to a radiant complexion, impervious to the ravages of time, lies in regularly removing all impurities. Follow her lead by exfoliating your skin weekly with a gentle scrub. And it goes without saying that, like Demi Moore, your daily beauty routine should always include a moisturiser, to maintain your skin’s hydrolipidic film.
Take care too with UV exposure which hastens the appearance of wrinkles and liver spots (9-10). Choose a day cream with the right sun protection factor (SPF) for your skin type.
Widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, astragalus is a substance much-studied by anti-ageing researchers. The plant’s root helps to protect cells against oxidative stress and encourage rejuvenation of the skin(11).
This ‘fountain of youth’ can also be found in certain supplements (such as Astragaloside IV 98%, which benefits from a cutting-edge extraction process).
Another plant with significant benefits for the skin and immunity, as well as for combatting fatigue, is aloe vera (available in the supplement Organic Aloe Vera) (12).
Jennifer Aniston swears by it: collagen is a structural protein which ensures cohesion in our skin, muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and bones (13).
Similar to human collagen, marine collagen is absorbed even more effectively. As a result, it features in various supplements (such as Marine Collagen, a patented, hydrolysed form of marine collagen).
How does Sharon Stone manage to look wrinkle-free despite the passing years?
The sultry star of Basic Instinct knows how to move with the times. From her blond 90s bob to her ‘noughties’ short cut, her hair style has kept pace with changing fashion trends.
And her make-up has become more subtle: gone are the dark red lips, replaced by a nude palette, more suited to her mature skin. Proving that, along with carefully chosen exercise, creams and supplements, the right ‘look’ plays an important role in maintaining youthfulness.
Forget the needles and injections! Hyaluronic acid is now the darling of the celebrity cosmetics world. From Hailey Baldwin Bieber to Maggie Gyllenhaal, the stars are all lining up to use it (14).
Certain oral supplements have also taken advantage of this aesthetic gem (such as Injuv® Hyaluronic Acid, which offers exceptional bioavailability).
Present in the mitochondria of cells, coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) is the key ingredient in anti-ageing creams.
But when it’s combined with the cofactor PQQ, it offers even greater potential (15-16). Certain formulations (such as the synergistic Q10 & PQQ) have staked everything on this cutting-edge combination!
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