Saving Face

By Anne Marie Scanlon

"Hope I die before I get old" was the anthem of the generation BEFORE mine. I don't know about you but the sight of aging leather faced gentlemen belting out rock classics in vast arenas makes me shudder - and not in a good way. Lads, honestly please, go home put on a pair of slippers and a cardie and stop inflicting your wrinkly auld faces on the rest of us.

You have to wonder what drives a bunch of grandfathers to keep on touring - its not like they need the money is it? Mind you no matter how much money these chaps have it still aint enough to undo the damage that a lifetime of debauchery has done to their respective skin. Yes there's cosmetic surgery but how much would you need and how plastic would it leave you looking? And God knows there's only so much a shot of Botox can do.

In their defense the dinosaurs of rock weren't armed with the same information (not to mention products) that we have today. The best way to treat wrinkles is to prevent them in the first place. Yes I know wrinkles are a natural product of the passage of time and it makes perfect sense that a forty year old woman (or man) will not have the same skin as a twenty year old. But how you treat your skin between those ages will have a big effect on how many and how bad your lines are.

So what should you be doing? Well, don't think you're too young to start minding your skin. If you're past prom age then you're old enough to start paying extra attention to wrinkle prevention. The first step, especially for pale skinned Celts, is to stay out of the sun. Never mind the wrinkles, Irish people are particularly susceptible to skin cancer and no tan is worth that. When you do go in the sun wear a good sunscreen, even on cloudy or overcast days - damaging UV rays aren't only present when the sun is beating down. Secondly, a regular exfoliation regime is good for removing dead skin and keeping skin rejuvenated. Thirdly, using products which contain Retin-a or Vitamin C to help reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Fourthly, I know I've said this a million times before, stay hydrated. By hydrated of course I mean water not pints of the black stuff or Bacardi Breezers. Recently some scientists pooh-poohed the idea that drinking water is good for the skin. Now I'm sure they have whole hard drives full of research to prove their thesis but I simply can't and won't believe it. I know myself that when I don't drink enough water everything goes to hell in a hand basket. Dehydration makes you feel headachy, nauseous, constipated and overall dodgy. I know myself that if I go without enough water I can tick all of those boxes and my skin definitely feels the effects. But who am I to question the boffins, surely they know better? Hmm, wonder if these guys who claim PMS doesn't exist.

Speaking of dehydration don't overdo the alcohol. You know yourself how awful your skin looks and feels after a night on the jar. Now just imagine the cumulative effect - right, not pretty. Apart from the wrinkles copious amounts of alcohol result in bar tan - that permanent red flush that's the product of so many broken veins. Similarly cigarettes do skin no favors at all. I was prompted to give up myself when I saw a famous best selling author who is well known for her love of fags (the nicotine sort) interviewed on the television. I was astonished when I found out that she was only a year older than me as she was pretty damn wrinkly. Fifthly - moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Finally, although it's not for everyone Botox not only helps diminish the appearance of those lines you already have but will help prevent further lines developing.

As I said earlier the poor old gods of rock didn't have our advantages when it comes to preventative skin care. There are a enough products around these days to give even Dorian Gray a run for his money. Brand new from Origins Youthtopia™ Skin Firming Cream & Lotion with Rhodiola (both $47.50) work to strengthen the cells on the skins surface and reinforce the natural moisture barrier. Youthtopia™ discourages the formation of new lines while improving overall firmness and elasticity. The Cream is a rich formula created for combination and dry skin types while the lotion is sheer, oil-free and designed for combination and normal/oily skin. Rhodiola isn't, as I thought, an African country. Instead the 'golden root' is a small flowering herb, a member of a new category of herbs that scientists have termed 'adaptogens' - natural substances that help increase resistance to stress and boost stamina. These two products also contain Vitamin C which you may remember helps reduce the appearance of fine lines.

If you're looking for an instant lift (without recourse to the surgeon's knife) then check out Osmotics Blue Copper 5 Face Lifting Serum ($75) which firms, lifts and smoothes. The serum contains copper (I guess the name gives that much away) which studies indicate stimulates healing and collagen synthesis (loss of collagen and aging go hand-in-hand). This product introduces the first Penta-Peptide (five chain) molecule that increases and maximizes the absorption and effectiveness of the copper. And you'll be pleased to hear it provides both short term and long term lifting and firming for sagging skin. Osmotics Blue Copper 5 Face Lifting Serum is a lightweight, easily absorbed formula which is suitable for all skin types. philosophy have such a wide range of anti-aging preparations that it would be almost impossible not to find one to fit your needs. hope and a prayer p.m. retinol dermochlorella capsules ($35) work towards making skin smoother and more radiant while restoring youth and elasticity. You can use these capsules to 'boost' your regular nighttime regime, by mixing them with your regular serum or moisturizer. Regular use will help diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone and will help repair significant skin damage.

There are two products called when hope is not enough - a facial firming serum and a nighttime replenishing cream (both $35). Both of these products were designed with post-menopausal skin in mind and are intended to counteract dull dry skin that is losing its elasticity. When hope is not enough serum contains peptides (amino acids which, amongst other things, help increase the production of collagen), Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The cream contains similar ingredients to its serum counterpart but is better for even drier skin. Now let me tell you that I am definitely not a post-menopausal woman - I just had a baby if its proof you want. Having said that I've become quite addicted to when hope is not enough cream, which I slather on before going to bed. In the past I haven't had much luck with rich creams like this as they've tended to sit on my skin and sort of coagulate. This one though is different and despite the fact that I don't have excessively dry skin and that I haven't been through 'the change' it seems to be working really really well and leaves my skin feeling really good. Which goes to prove what I'm always saying - you need to experiment a bit to find out what works best for you.

Back to the philosophy selection of anti-aging potions - help me ($45) is another nighttime treatment which was created specifically for people who cannot use retin-a. This is one of those wonder products that does a variety of important jobs - it unclogs pores (deeply congested pores at that), it evens pigment, helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and gives you a deep cleansing facial - WHILE YOU SLEEP! (If you are pregnant or breastfeeding you should consult your doctor before using help me as it contains retinol).

If you want to choose your face saver on the basis of popularity then look no further than hope in a jar therapeutic moisturizer for dry sensitive skin ($35). A Sephora.com survey of 87,000 beauty junkies nationwide voted hope in a jar the winner of the 'best way to save face' category. This product was originally created for the medical market but luckily it is now available to the rest of us. The reason for the popularity of hope in a jar may well lie with its ingredients which include beta glucan - a powerful antioxidant which enhances skin immunology and lactic acid a gentle exfoliator which helps created smoother, more radiant looking skin. Come on now, 87,000 voters can't be wrong.

Eye believe ($30) and dark shadows ($30) are two philosophy anti-aging products that target specific, in both cases the eyes and upper lip area, the latter is a silicone based brightening cream which uses light diffusing technology to help reduce the appearance of baggy puffy eyes. These are two products you definitely don't have to be post-menopausal to use. If you are old enough to have an ID that allows you to drink liquor then a tube of either product will come in handy the morning after. (I'll be taking a closer look at eye believe in an upcoming feature on eye care.) Dermalogica also have an anti-aging product specifically for the lips and eyes. Multivitamin Power Firm for the eye and lip area ($44) is a wonderful complex which uses Seaweed Extract and Vitamins A, C and E, to promote elasticity, increase smoothness and protect against further damage.

Well the good news is, as I recently you, Proactiv have expanded their market beyond basic spot treatment and their new line includes anti-aging products targeted at adult acne sufferers. Their Clarifying Night Cream ($26.50) includes Salicylic Acid to help clear existing blemishes and prevent new ones and Retinol to help minimize fine lines and wrinkles. (Shouldn't someone tell some of those aging rock gods I spoke of earlier? Seriously.)

Acne isn't the only embarrassing skin condition that a girl can face as she ages, there's also facial redness and Rosacea - not all red faces are caused by shameful misdeeds or bar tan. Eucerin Redness Relief system offers sufferers relief from the obvious signs of facial redness and Rosacea. Now they've introduced a dual action product to help combat aging while battling perma-flush. Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Anti-Aging Serum ($14.99) made with Coenzyme Q10 is the very first anti-aging product for visibly red skin. The formula is lightweight and absorbs easily into the skin making it equally good for day time (under a normal moisturizer) or bedtime use. Like the rest of the Eucerin Redness Relief line it is gentle and as befits a product designed for sensitive skin - oil free, fragrance fee and non-irritating.

Unfortunately it isn't just our faces that reflect the passage of time. Ever seen a really old guy with tattoos? Then you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm thankful that I've never seen a really old lady with tattoos, I hope I never do, I might not recover from the sight. But I digress. Yes, the skin on our other parts is prone to showing its age just like our facial skin. With that in mind Jergesn have introduced an anti-aging moisturizer for the body. Jergens® Age Defying Multi-Vitamin Moisturizer ($3.99 for 10 fl oz, $6.99 for 24 fl oz) contains Vitamins A, C and E to promote smoother softer skin. Daily use provides 24 hours of moisturization.