Herbs & things

First Photo: Dawn, a 51 year-old stroke victim;  Second Photo:  after 7 days;  Third photo:  after 2 years

Natural Awakenings   January 2005  Blanca DePaul

For years I had heard that there is nothing we can do about wrinkled and sagging skin.  Once the damage has begun, there is no reversing those signs of aging. Oh, sure there’s plastic surgery, if you can afford the expense, not to mention its possible side effects.  And, of course, there’s always acceptance.  Quite a few wrinkles ago, I used to declare that a wrinkle was not always a sign of living too long or too hard, but by and large it represented a sort of coming of age as we approach our years of maturity and wisdom.  There were enough of us at that time that were going to accept and honor our aging skin with grace.

 Today I wonder… is there a wrinkle in the way we look at wrinkles?  Could it be that wrinkled skin is not necessarily a by-product of aging, but that indeed it is skin has reached a critical stage where its health is being compromised?  Many dermatologists believe that to be the case.  It is now confirmed that the health of our skin—its radiance, suppleness, tone…—is a prime indicator of our overall health.  If among the many functions of our skin (our largest organ) is to protect us from toxins coming into our body and at the same time releasing toxins from the body, would it not behoove us to maintain a healthy, wrinkle-free skin capable of breathing and working efficiently?

 Since the face is the part of our skin most exposed to sun damage and other environmental hazards, I started investigating facial creams and lotions that would increase the production of collagen and elastin and repair scars and wrinkles. A few months ago I was introduced to a product called Nature’s FaceLift™.  It purported to be a non-surgical facelift in a bottle that would “deliver results unheard of in the industry…with the very first application.”  The before-and-after photos provided by the company that manufactured the product were amazing.  The women and men that had gone through the 90-day program looked at least 10-15 years younger! 

 I was excited about the prospect of trying the product myself, but naturally went into it with some skepticism.  The ingredients included rosemary extract, pine needle extract, carageenan, other herbals, stabilized aloe vera Barbadensis, silk amino acids and a proprietary blend of amino acids that helped to promote collagen growth and the production of acetylcholine, used by the body to activate muscular activity.  In addition to the all-natural ingredients, the price was surprisingly affordable and the product was guaranteed, 100%... no questions asked. I figured I had nothing to loose but my wrinkled and sagging skin.

 I started the program August 2004.  I applied the masque every other day and left it on for 30 minutes before washing it off.  My initial results were not as dramatic as some of my friends.  I had been told that some people experience faster results than others and that with each subsequent use the results would be cumulative.  As I continued using the product I did notice better results that held for longer periods of time.  After a month of being on the program, I noticed some of my newer wrinkles had disappeared and the bags under my eyes were not as bad.  What I noticed most was that my faced was firmer and the tone was more even.  I remember being very satisfied at the end of that first month and thinking that if that was all the product would do I would still continue using it.

 The second month of the program, resulted in others complimenting me on the way my face looked, “you look younger…your skin looks radiant…you have beautiful skin…”  The third month brought even greater results.  I also learned that you can use the product on your hands.  So I started applying it on only one hand and after a month, everyone could tell which hand was receiving the treatment; it had a lot less wrinkles.  

I have since finished the 90 day program and am currently applying the masque once a week for maintenance.  I am happy that even though vanity may have been my primary motivation for starting the use of this product, I am now reaping the health benefits as well.  

Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 20 Oct 2003,Laura Cartwright

This is not a product endorsement.  Oh, it's going to sound like one.  But really, all I'm going to do is tell what happened.  Honest.  What happened is this:  Information came across my desk about Natural FaceLift, a supposed non-surgical alternative to a nip-and-tuck face-lift or the very scary (to me, anyway) Botox phenomenon.  With low expectations (but an open mind), I decided what the heck--I'll check it out.  If it's at all impressive, I'll mention it to readers.

(Is it a cream?  A miracle pill?  Heaven forbid, but is it one those crazy elastic-band thingees that supposedly stretch your wrinkles up into your hairline? Eww...)

Turns out that Natural FaceLift is a mask to be used three times a week for 90 days, then once or twice a week thereafter for maintenance.  Also turns out that the sisters wanted to mak only half our faces so we could notice the results.  OK...

(Please let there be some results because these ladies are so nice and earnest, I was steadily thinking as the mask dried--it only took about 20 minutes, though it could have taken up to 30.)

Whoa, Cathy and I were impressed, to say the least.  Shocked, to say the most.  But, hey, we're highly imaginative ad eager to please.  (Sorry, Cathy, but we are.)  Later John noticed immediately which side had been done--I didn't tell him, either.  But he's such a sweetheart...I had to be sure.

So the next day at work, I showed my co-workers and told them I'd tried the mask on half my face.  Double whoa.  The mouths of all the women (I kept count) fell open.  Literally.  More amazingly, all the men said they could see the difference and that it was impressive.  Ben Krain, a photographer here who shot the accompanying photos, called it amazing and pointed out to me that it "really closes pores."  Bear in mind that journalists as a whole are a very skeptical lot.

After the women (even my show-me-the-facts counterpart Celia Storey) closed their mouths, they opened them again to exclaim variations on this theme:  "Oh my gosh that's incredible how does it work and how much does it cost?"  How it works, I won't answer.  I'm not sure I buy the official explanation that it "creates isometric pressure that stimulates circulation" which in turn "firms, tones, and tightens facial muscles."  Whatever.  It's just magic in my book.  By the way, it contains some pretty healthy ingredients like alow vera and ginkgo biloba (maybe it helps your face remember how it used to look).  What is costs is $49.95 a tube [cost has gone up], and the first 90-day period requires three tubes.  After that, a tube could last you up to four months or so.

I've done my whole face once no--people say the twice-lifted side is still noticeable.  I'm going to use ethe product the whole 90 days, then let you know the results.  I kind of like my wrinkles and figure I've earned them, but this is research.  And who can reisist a little modern-day magic??