Facelift Without Surgery

Why opt for surgery, Botox, or collagen injections and their side effects? You don’t need surgery to help keep you looking young. Instead, rely on natural skin care products, vitamin-rich foods and supplements, and facial toning exercises. Over time you will see significant results, without the discomfort of surgery.

Natural skin care products that contain the right ingredients can enhance the condition of your skin. Look for these natural health products:

• moisturizers that contain sorbitol, honey sugars, or fruit acids draw moisture from the air and trap it in the skin
• exfoliators such as natural salts offer microabrasion, flaking off the dead outer layers of skin, unclogging oil glands, and allowing natural oils to lubricate the skin
• emollients such as coconut, corn, jojoba, or nut oils prevent moisture loss
• skin conditioners that contain lecithin, vegetable alcohol, and vitamin B smooth and soften skin
• comfrey, the star herb in natural skin care products due to its anti- inflammatory properties, can help heal and regenerate damaged tissues
• natural sunscreens that contain zinc oxide actually create a physical barrier on the skin against the sun’s rays

Eating right can make a big difference to your skin. Foods high in vitamin A (found in milk, eggs, cantaloupe, and yellow and dark green vegetables) help build new skin cells. Vitamin B (found in whole grains, brewer’s yeast, legumes, and green vegetables) allows the skin to shed dead skin. Vitamin C (found in citrus fruits, yellow and dark green vegetables, and strawberries) helps build and maintain elastin and collagen. The trace element zinc (found in peas, nuts, brewer’s yeast, and dairy products) helps regulate the skin’s oil glands.

The simple yoga exercises shown in the sidebar will help firm face muscles.

A facelift without surgery only makes sense.

Simple Face Yoga

Tighten Up a Double Chin

Sit up straight and pull your mouth into a great big grin. Slowly let your head drop backward. Continue to grin while opening and closing your mouth three times. Raise your head to the starting position and repeat twice. Now jut your bottom jaw forward and reach it up toward your nose. Hold for a count of five. Relax and repeat three times.

Reduce Brow and Stress Lines

Sit up straight and close your eyes. Interweave your fingertips and place them on your forehead above your eyebrows. Inhale to a count of seven and slide your fingers over your brow to your hairline to relieve tension in your forehead. Relax and repeat five times.

Minimize Lines Around the Eyes

Sit up straight with your hands on your knees. Inhale deeply. Now open your eyes, spread your fingers wide, and stick out your tongue as you exhale forcibly, trying to get your tongue to curl over your chin. Hold for a count of 10. Relax, and repeat three times.