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.