Skin loses elasticity and becomes thinner and drier with age. Facial wrinkles are mostly the result of fragile skin not being able to protect itself from the damaging effects of the sun, though smoking can also prematurely age facial skin. The cosmetics market is flooded with products that promise to eliminate wrinkles, but the Mayo Clinic notes that “…these products are not likely to make a noticeable difference in your skin.” Instead of spending your money on remedies that are not likely to work, try a few homemade anti-wrinkle solutions.
Sleeping Posture
“The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II” recommends keeping your face off the pillow when you sleep. When you sleep on your side or stomach, your face gets scrunched up by the pillow and gets “frozen” into one position for extended periods of time, leading to the formation of wrinkles — particularly those long horizontal creases in the forehead just above the eyes. Try sleeping on your back to eliminate or avoid those wrinkles.
Homemade Masks
Make simple yet effective anti-wrinkle facial masks with ingredients found in your cupboard. All of these masks will essentially add moisture and exfoliate your skin. For example, Natural-HomeRemedies.org recommends mixing 1 tsp. of rose water with a mashed, ripe banana, and applying this to the face with a cotton ball (rinse after 30 minutes or so). Or try a mixture of 1 1/2 tbsp. of honey and 1/2 tsp. of carrot juice. Apply this to the skin using cotton balls, then rinse off after 20 minutes using a mixture of 1/2 tsp. baking soda (not powder!) dissolved in one cup of water.
Vitamins and Prevention
Your skin needs vitamins in order to stay supple and wrinkle-free — in particular, the B-complex vitamins, as well as vitamins A, C and E. You can get healthy amounts of these vitamins from a well-balanced diet that includes lean sources of protein, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Eliminating or avoiding facial wrinkles is as much about prevention as it is about remedies. Again, the biggest no-nos are too much sun and smoking, but simple things like wearing sunglasses and drinking alcohol in moderation (or not at all) can go a long way in preventing skin damage. When your eyes squint due to the sun, the muscles around them contract and, over the long term, cause wrinkles around the eyes. Excessive alcohol consumption can puff up your face, causing skin damage when it shrinks again. Over the long term, this skin expansion and contraction will cause wrinkles.
Finally, though some experts recommend facial exercises to reduce or prevent wrinkles, a 2008 “Newsweek” article warns that facial exercises can actually contribute to wrinkle formation.
