Aging Gracefully Inside and Out

Whether you’ve noticed the signs of aging in family and friends, or acknowledged how it affects your own mind and body, getting older is an unavoidable part of life. And while Ponce de Leon never found the Fountain of Youth, daily preventative measures can be taken to help you age beautifully both inside and out.

The most frequently recognized signs of aging include extrinsic indicators such as gray hair and wrinkles. But have you ever stopped to think about other factors that influence how young we feel and how young others perceive us to be? Here are some tips on how to take aging in stride and help you look and feel your youngest:

* Heart-felt: Choosing a heart-healthy diet may not only lengthen your lifespan by helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, it will also help you age healthier. The FDA recommends eating well-balanced meals low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt. Additionally, heart-friendly foods, especially those high in fiber, such as salmon, soy protein, oatmeal and spinach, will help you stay “young at heart.”

* Smile On: Tooth stains and red gums can age the appearance of your smile and impact its health. In fact, gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease that affects one out of every two adults, can be a major cause behind prematurely aging smiles. “The good news is that it’s preventable,” says Dr. Jamie Sands, D.D.S. “I recommend using Crest Pro-Health toothpaste, which helps stop gingivitis before it starts and protects all these areas dentists check most — plaque, cavities, tartar, sensitivity and stains and a power toothbrush, such as Oral-B Vitality Precision Clean, which reduces up to two times more plaque than a manual brush.”

* Work It: No one is too old to reap the benefits of exercise. Regular physical activity provides endless advantages — from reducing the risk of osteoporosis to increased energy and feelings of well-being — even a brisk 20-minute walk several times a week can improve your overall health.

* Skin Deep: Although genes are a major factor in how skin ages, a great deal of visible aging also stems from environmental factors. Just a few minutes of sun exposure a day can cause noticeable changes to the skin, such as freckles, age spots, spider veins, fine wrinkles, and of course, skin cancer. To maintain your youngest-looking skin, avoid deliberate sun exposure, wear protective clothing such as a wide-brimmed hat, and apply sunscreen, preferably SPF 15 or higher, year-round.

* Thought-provoking: Studies suggests that people who engage in logic-based activities, such as crossword puzzles and games that involve strategy like Scrabble or chess, are less likely to develop memory loss. Not only will these hobbies keep your vision and hand-eye coordination sharp, but such challenges also help to keep your mind active.

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BEST OF BEAUTY

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

Brannon, owner of Brannon Salon at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

• Shampoo: Brannonhair Daily 01, $24, Brannon Salon. This is an all-around great daily use shampoo that does not weigh the hair down nor strip color.

• Conditioner: Davines Vegetarian Nourishing Miracle, $24, Cloud 9 Salon & Day Spa. This conditioner replenishes moisture as well as retextures the hair follicle.

• Straightening Product: L’Oreal ARTec Texture Line Texture Paste, $13.99, Mosaic Salon & Spa. This product has been discontinued, but you can still find it on the Internet. Great stuff.

• Hair Defrizzer: Phyto Phytodéfrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm, $26, Sephora. It was one of the first defrizzers to ever come out, and has yet to be matched.

• Blow Dryer: Elchim 2001 Professional Blow Dryer, $119.95, Folica.com. This is the industry standard. Oh, and don’t throw away the condensers (the little back tips) they are the most important piece!

• Flat Iron: T3 Bespoke Labs flat irons, $119 to $260, Sephora. This is a workhorse. Adjustable, ceramic, and you can drop it a hundred times and it wont break.

• Curling Iron: Hot Tools curling irons, $42 to $49.99, Ulta. They come in about 10 different sizes, they heat up quick, and the chords swivel, as to never get tangled.

• Hair Spray: Davines Wizards No. 7 Crystal Fixative Lacquer, $26, Mosaic Salon & Spa. It gives a light spray but holds and is workable.

• Hair Mask: Davines Natural Tech Environmental Damage Recovery Mud, $38.50, Brannon Salon. This stuff gets everything from air pollution to chlorine out of the hair!

• Pomade: Privé Detailing Pomade, $21, Apothecary at Wynn Las Vegas. This stuff gets in the hair, holds it relentlessly, and then washes out very easily.

• Best Beauty Secret: Mason Pearson Brush, $50-$253, Omni Chemist at Fashion Show mall. It is the industry standard. If your stylist doesn’t have one, switch stylists.

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You can’t get around the fact that too much sun exposure is bad for your skin. From sunburns and rashes to heat stroke, sunspots and cancer, the sun’s powerful rays can wreak havoc on your entire body. Dermatologists refer to it as photo-aging; you and I are more familiar with the effects: freckles, brown spots, crow’s feet, and lines. The reason for accelerated aging is that the UVB waves can cause damage to the DNA and weaken the skin’s ability to defend itself. Your trouble is only doubled by the UVA waves that can further damage the cell membranes.

Ava Shamban, M.D., board certified dermatologist, and owner of the Laser Institute for Dermatology and European Skin Care in Santa Monica, California, helps demystify the slew of sun damage–reversing products by highlighting some of the most essential ingredients: AHAs exfoliate and even out skin tone. Retinol stimulates collagen production. Antioxidants (including topical green tea and vitamin C) prevent free radical damage.

If your skin has endured damage from excessive sun exposure, here are some of our favorite topical treatments that can help relieve, heal, and protect your skin:

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Researchers in Belgium have found creams may have more long-term moisturizing benefits, while serums can be more effective in the short term.

The long-term moisturizing effects of cosmetic formulations may be more effective if applied in a cream rather than a serum format, according to scientists. Researchers from the University Hospital of Liège, Belgium, investigated the effect of the concentration of active ingredients and the application medium on the efficacy of an anti-ageing formulation containing marine extracts.

Serums for short-term effects, creams for the long term

The study, published in this month’s International Journal of Cosmetic Science, included both a medium-term trial where test formulations were applied to volunteers twice daily for two weeks and a short-term trial which investigated the effect of one single application of the formulations.

The medium-term trial involved twelve volunteers who applied the four test formulations of two serums and two creams at 7.5 and 10% concentrations, and the two controls–the serum and the cream with no marine extract.

Although the serums showed good results immediately after application, the creams delivered better long-term results, particularly in terms of hydration, according to the scientists led by E. Xhauflaire-Uhoda.

Hydration

The team hypothesized that the immediate rise in hydration brought about by the serums is likely to be due to the higher water content and the absence of film-forming hydrophobic compounds. In contrast the creams contain hydrophobic compounds that may help to limit water evaporation through the skin barrier.

Firming

Similarly, with regards to the formulations’ firming effect on the skin, the serum produced the best immediate results. The positive effect of the serum on skin firmness also continued over time. The team put the swift and intense effect of the serum down to more hydrophilic agents that may facilitate the diffusion of the active compounds, in contrast to the hydrophobic compounds in the cream. Marine extract improved hydration and firmness

Furthermore, the team noted the effect of the concentration of the active marine compound on the efficacy of the formulation. The 7.5 and 10% serums and creams performed better than those devoid of the marine extract, and the 10% serum appeared to be more active than the 7.5%.

However, no firming effect remained 3 days after treatment ended with any of the formulations–the team suggested that a two-week period is perhaps too short to highlight such an effect.

Application medium influences product efficacy

The study highlights the importance of the application medium on a product’s efficacy and the subtleties of these effects.

A formulator’s choice of application medium may depend on the desired effect for the product. For example, a product designed to provide immediate moisturizing benefits may require a different medium to one formulated to provide long-term hydration.

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When to Use: Staying moisturized is vital to keeping your skin plumped up and healthy looking, so use a moisturizer twice a day, in the morning and before bed.

Which ones work best? To find out, volunteers tested both day and night creams to see how well — and how long — they hydrated the skin. At each of three readings throughout the day, our chemists tested the volunteers’ skin with our Corneometer (an instrument that measures moisture levels in the top layer of skin). We also asked about the creams’ scents, textures, and usability.

THE RESULTS

• Olay Definity Intense Hydrating Cream ($28, drugstores) was the highest-scoring day cream in our tests.
• Lancôme Absolue Premium Bx Night Recovery Cream ($132, department stores)
• Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Night Cream ($20, drugstores) tied for first place in the night cream category.