Skin undergoes two types of aging, says Coyle S. Connolly, DO. The first, intrinsic aging, is genetically programmed. You can’t do much about that without the help of a dermatologist. (Here are 6 questions dermatologists get asked over and over.) The second—extrinsic aging, or photoaging—is the result of damage primarily from too much sun. You can fight photoaging every step of the way by making smart choices. Here are the home remedies for wrinkles that experts advise—give them a try to keep those reminders of how much mileage you have on your odometer from taking too much of a toll on your skin.
Apply Active Skin Care Treatments
Doctors often recommend active skin care treatment for wrinkles. Active skin care creams contain one or more of six ingredients that do more than just moisturize the skin. They also help reduce wrinkles, make skin look brighter and more youthful, and stimulate fibroblasts (connective tissue cells that make collagen), which helps reduce fine lines and blotches. Using an “active agent” helps hydrate the skin, says Audrey Kunin, MD. If your skin still feels dry even after using the active cream with a sunscreen, add a moisturizer, she says. The ingredients to look for in some product samples are vitamin C (found in many topical creams), GHK copper peptides (Neutrogena Visibly Firm), glycolic acid (Total Skin Care Glycolic Gel), N6 furfuryladenine (Kinerase cream or lotion), alpha lipoic acid (Z. Bigatti Re-Storation Deep Repair Facial Serum), and tretinoin, a vitamin A derivative (RoC Retinol ActifPur Anti-Wrinkle Treatment). MORE: 5 Best Vitamins For Beautiful Skin
Sleep On Your Back
Sleeping on one side or the other or on your belly with your face mashed into the pillow causes wrinkles, says Connolly. Some stomach sleepers develop a diagonal crease on their foreheads, running above their eyebrows. Sleeping on your back may eliminate this problem. (Here’s how the 3 most common sleeping positions affect your health.)
Hold Your Head Up
Don’t let leaning on your hands become a habit. The constant pressure may lead to wrinkling, says Connolly.
Wear Sunglasses
One real problem area for wrinkles is around the eyes. These wrinkles, called crow’s-feet, often result from squinting. One way to avoid them or lessen their severity is to wear sunglasses whenever you go outside. A pair of UV-coated glasses can also protect your eyes from a type of melanoma that can form at the back of the eye, says Kunin.
Relax Your Facial Muscles
Excessive frowning or smiling, or any other much-repeated facial expression, deepens wrinkles. For the same reason, experts advise against facial exercises. Facial exercises build facial muscles just like biceps curls build biceps, says Kunin. Normal, everyday repeated movements cause enough wrinkles. Smiling causes crow’s-feet, frowns result in deep crevices between your brows, and lifting your brows in surprise leaves you with lines across your forehead. MORE: 5 Skin Care Vows To Never, Ever Break
Quit Smoking
Smoking makes your skin age faster, says Connolly. And for several reasons. It robs your complexion of oxygen and important nutrients and damages the collagen fibers that keep your skin firm and elastic. Constantly pursing your lips to inhale and squinting your eyes to avoid the smoke contribute even more premature wrinkles. But it’s not only your facial skin that suffers from a tobacco habit. A recent study at the University of Michigan suggests smoking is linked to skin aging, even in the upper inner arms. (It’s never to late to quit smoking.)
Be Sun Smart
Most wrinkles are the result of too much sun. Today’s tan leads to tomorrow’s wrinkles, whether it’s achieved indoors or outside. “Obviously, excessive exposure to sunlight is going to increase your chances of developing wrinkles,” says Kunin. Wear your sunscreen, preferably with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 and with both ultraviolet (UV) A and B protection (also known as broad-spectrum). Kunin recommends titanium oxide or zinc oxide. Connolly couldn’t agree more: “I cannot overemphasize the need to use sunscreen every day. That means on cloudy days and in winter months, not just in summer.” Apply sunscreen first thing in the morning whenever you’re going to go outside, even on cloudy days. If you have dry skin, look for a sunscreen that contains a moisturizer. The moisturizer in the sunscreen plumps the skin and helps prevent overdrying, says Connolly.
Wash In Sunblock
Rit Sun Guard is sun protection for your skin that you wash into your clothing. “This product increases the capability of fabric to prevent UV rays from reaching the skin and is the relative equivalent of an SPF 30 rating for sunscreen,” says Kunin. Simply add it to the wash cycle, rinse, and dry your clothes as usual. One treatment of Rit Sun Guard is good for more than 20 washings, says Kunin. “Normally, clothing has an SPF of 4, making it worthless when it comes to screening out the longer UVA rays. While these rays may not cause a sunburn like UVB, they are more likely to cause skin damage that leads to wrinkles and skin cancer down the road,” she says.
Ban Tanning Beds
Twenty minutes of tanning-bed use is equivalent to an entire day at the beach without sunscreen. Avoid them like the plague to keep from damaging your skin, suggests Kunin. “If you want to look tan, use a self-tanner lotion and perhaps a bronzer with your makeup foundation,” she says. (See 3 easy ways to get a sun-free glow.) MORE: 4 Beauty Products You Should Never Skip After Age 40
Wear A Hat
Whether you’re heading to the beach or spending extended time in the midday sun, put on a hat with a 4-inch-wide brim to keep the sun off your face and neck, says Kunin. But steer clear of straw hats that are unlined and loosely woven. They allow the sun’s rays to penetrate directly through the hat. Also keep in mind that baseball caps don’t protect your ears, the back of your neck, or even most of your face from full-bore sun. Choose a hat with an extra-long bill and sun-protective cloth inside, says Kunin. “It gives you the extra protection you need to limit your chances of developing wrinkles.”
Stay Out Of The Midday Sun
That’s 10 AM to 4 PM during spring, summer, and fall, or 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during winter. These peak hours are when the ultraviolet radiation is the strongest.
Be A Shady Person
Wrinkles are caused by excessive sun exposure, so periodically retreat to a shady spot on sunny days. At the beach or in your backyard, sit under a large umbrella. While on hikes or on the water, if it’s not too hot out, wear tightly woven clothing. It helps keep UV rays off your skin. MORE: What Your Birth Month Says About Your Skin
Use Moisturizer
If you have dry skin, daily use of a moisturizer can plump up your skin and temporarily hide smaller wrinkles that form on the skin surface, says Connolly. “It’s not a long-term solution for wrinkles, but it will give your skin a healthier look.”
Give Me A “C”
Apply a topical vitamin C cream or ointment on a daily basis. You’ll notice a marked improvement in your skin’s overall quality, says Connolly. “Vitamin C creams help build collagen and gobble up free radicals, which if left unchecked will cause your skin to age or wrinkle,” he says. Vitamin C creams and ointments are available over-the-counter in many drugstores.
Rely On Retinol
Apply retinol creams at night to fill out lines. Retinol creams are weaker and gentler than prescription Retin-A, says Connolly. They may be a little drying, so use them every other night if redness or excessive dryness occurs, he adds. MORE: 5 Types Of Bumps And Blemishes You Should Never Try To Pop
Slough Off The Cells
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), found in plants and fruits, are available in creams, lotions, and gels. They act by defoliating dead skin cells on the surface to uncover the younger cells underneath. And they fill in the areas that cause wrinkles. Glycolic acid is the most common AHA, and there are fragrance-free versions of AHAs for sensitive skin around the eyes. If your skin is too sensitive for AHAs, you might try beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), such as salicylic acid. It’s available in moisturizers and cleaners, and it exfoliates the skin like an AHA but with less irritation.
Dine On Fish And Flax
Two dietary adjustments can help to maintain proper skin moisture. Eat fish such as salmon, trout, sardines, and tuna, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, at least twice a week to help replenish moisture to dry skin. Flax oil, which also is loaded with omega-3s, can be mixed into fruit juice or drizzled on salad and vegetables. It is perishable, so it must be refrigerated. MORE: 9 Drugstore Anti-Agers That Actually Work
Put On Some Papaya
Try using a papaya peel twice a month. The same protein-eating enzymes that make this tropical fruit a good digestive agent can also break down your outer layer of skin. Grind 2 tablespoons of washed and peeled papaya in a food processor, and add 1 tablespoon of dry oatmeal (the oatmeal helps remove debris from the skin). Pat this mixture onto clean skin and let it set for 10 minutes. Then remove it with a wet washcloth, wiping in an outward, circular motion.
Panel Of Advisors
Coyle S. Connolly, DO, is a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and president of Connolly Dermatology in Linwood, New Jersey. Audrey Kunin, MD, is a cosmetic dermatologist in Kansas City, Missouri, the founder of the dermatology education website DERMAdoctor, and the author of The DermaDoctor SkinStruction Manual.
