Our skin is one of the first parts of the body to show signs of ageing.  Most of us aren’t too happy about lines and wrinkles when they start to appear on our faces.  And because our skin is so exposed to our environment, it can look older before you feel older. A lot of people feel that they’re too young to be getting wrinkles, but there they are, staring back at us in the mirror.

According to Top 10 Home Remedies, “wrinkles occur as part of the natural ageing process, when the collagen and elastin in the connective tissue of the skin become weak and break down due to changes in fibroblasts that produce collagen and elastin. Premature or excess wrinkles can also be caused by factors like too much exposure to sunlight or harsh environments, smoking, use of certain drugs, excessive stress, sudden weight loss, loss of vitamin E, and genetic predisposition.”

Even before these lines start to appear, many people start looking for ways to prevent and minimise them.

Unfortunately, many anti-aging products are packed full of chemicals and are far from natural. Here at Activation, we prefer to go the natural way.

We’ve gathered a list of natural products that have anti-aging properties to make things easy. The best part about using natural products for anti-aging? You can give them all a try without exposing your skin to harmful ingredients. Plus, you can combine them, so there's no need to pick and choose. 

Whether you eat them or put them on your skin, these ingredients will help you out.

Olive oil

According to Livestrong.com, “olive oil contains protein, minerals and vitamins — all effective skin-softening agents and essential nutrients skin and hair need to retain moisture.[...] Olive oil also preserves elasticity and resiliency in aging skin, thus reducing the appearance of those dreaded wrinkles.”

Olive oil is actually one of the top sources of natural squalene, a healthy fat your body needs. Using olive oil as a source of squalene is much more environmentally friendly than using the traditional source of shark liver. 

Squalene can be found in pure, fresh extra-virgin olive oil, according to OliveOilSource.com. Squalene is often added to anti-aging products (even including the more synthetic ones). It keeps your skin hydrated, helps your skin produce a barrier that keeps out pollutants and prevents sun damage, prevents wrinkles and even skin tone.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is another all-natural wrinkle-reducer that tightens your skin, keeping it fresh and healthy-looking.

According to Healthy Bliss, ingesting the clear gel that comes from the aloe vera leaf can actually increase your body’s natural collagen production. They also say that rubbing pure aloe vera gel directly on your skin naturally tightens the skin which gives it a fresh and youthful look.

Plus, aloe vera is great for soothing the skin. The gel from inside the aloe vera plant is often used topically to soothe burns and heal the skin from sun damage.

Using it that way not only feels great when you’re suffering from a burn, but it can also prevent those burns from damaging your skin in the long-term.

According to a study published in the Annals of Dermatology journal, “Aloe gel significantly improves wrinkles and elasticity in photoaged human skin, with an increase in collagen production in the photoprotected skin and a decrease in the collagen-degrading MMP-1 gene expression.”

Lemon

If you're starting to see ageing skin, you might be starting to see age spots. Lemon juice naturally reduces the appearance of these spots.

The vitamin C present in lemons is a strong antioxidant. Besides, its bleaching action works wonders on age spots and freckles.

Lightening age spots isn’t the only thing the vitamin C in lemon can do. Vitamin C encourages collagen production, which helps maintain the skin’s elasticity, tightens pores, reduces fine lines, returns lost moisture to your skin and repairs damage caused by sun exposure and pollution.

Avocado

Avocados aren’t just good on toast or in a salad. They can also prevent signs of ageing.

Avocado is high in vitamin A which helps get rid of dead skin cells.

Plus, avocado contains glutamine, which is an amino acid that is excellent for cleansing the skin and protecting it from harsh environmental factors. The antioxidants found in avocados help to fight free-radicals which are thought to cause ageing.  Therefore it may diminish fine lines and wrinkles giving your skin a younger, more youthful glow.

Avocados are rich in healthy fats and contain high levels of fat-soluble vitamins A and E, which both keep skin moisturised and younger looking.

Consumer Health Digest tells us that “these vitamins are also vital in keeping cells and cell membranes healthy, and therefore in delaying senescence, or the natural ageing process. Whether you incorporate avocado in your regular diet, put it on as a face mask or, both, you’ll benefit from its anti-aging effects.”

Avocado is beneficial for skin health in general, not just for ageing skin.

Coconut

Coconut, particularly coconut oil,  works wonders for your skin.

Organic virgin coconut oils are the way to go, whether you’re eating it or putting it on your face.

Like avocado, coconut is rich in antioxidants that protect the skin from free radicals. Those free radicals cause damage to your skin, leading to premature ageing. Coconut oil also acts as a natural moisturiser, which is a key factor in preventing premature signs of ageing.

Coconut oil maintains the skin’s connective tissues, preventing sagging and wrinkles while repairing damaged skin.

What’s really unique about coconut oil is its ability to protect your skin from dark spots due to ageing and sun exposure.

Amaranth

Remember when we said olive oil had a lot of squalene? Well, amaranth has more.

Amaranth seed oil contains the highest concentration of squalene at 8%. Squalene is one of the most common lipids produced by our own skin, and is a natural moisturiser. It slows down the effects of skin ageing and wrinkle formation, and is non-irritating. Amaranth oil is high in linoleic acid (40%) which helps to preserve the health of cell membranes, enhance nutrient use, and establish and direct cellular metabolism.

Not only is amaranth a great source of squalene, but it’s also packed full of useful vitamins. Ageing Naturally tells us that amaranth contains pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, B1, B2, niacin, folate and vitamins A, E and K.

The high squalene content in amaranth seed oil promotes elasticity to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. It also hydrates your skin.

Not only that, but according to The Aromatherapy Encyclopedia: A Concise Guide to Over 385 Plant Oils, amaranth oil will help moisturise dry skin and improve elasticity. This feature will further reduce wrinkles and actually slow the skin’s ageing process.

If you’re looking for a top quality amaranth oil, we’ve got you covered. Our Amaranth Oil is made from organic, non-GMO seeds. There’s nothing added and it’s pressed using our Perfect Press Technology, which ensures that you are getting maximum nutrition and undamaged squalene. 

Other tips for keeping skin healthy

While there are plenty of natural solutions for keeping skin looking youthful, it’s important to take care of your skin in general.

One of the easiest ways to protect your skin is to wear a natural sunscreen when you’re exposed to any kind of sunlight. Burning and excessive tanning can lead to premature ageing as well as skin cancer. Avoid the more toxic sunscreens that you’d find at the drugstore. Your local health store will have natural options made with zinc oxide (and, ideally, almost nothing more). They're effective but don’t have added risks.

And make sure to stay hydrated. A hydrated body means hydrated skin, which looks brighter, tighter and fresher no matter what.

It’s also important to wash makeup and dirt from your face with an all natural face wash. Follow it with a moisturiser to keep your skin supple.  Be sure to give your skin a good scrub at least once weekly to remove dead skin cells and reveal your natural glow.

There are many easy ways to make a natural scrub using products you probably have in your house right now (many of which may be included in the list above). For a great scrub recipe that will clear dead skin cells, soften skin and prevent signs of ageing, check out our scrub recipe featured below.

Whatever product you decide to go with, make sure you spot test and don’t continue putting anything on your skin that you seem to react negatively to. 

Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Take care of it.

Discover more about getting great skin, from the inside out, with Perfect Press® Amaranth Oil.

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