Wrinkles pop up - of course - as we age, thanks to sun, dryness, or just time doing its thing. But certain nutrients truly are natural wrinkle remedies and can help stop them before they start and even soften ones we’ve got.
And the great news is these nutrients also help with the thinning hair, fading smile and painful joints that sneak up in perimenopause and menopause.
So in this guide I am sharing everything I've been learning about the simple diet tweaks that ease wrinkles and boost all round mid-life health including :
- Best Nutrients For Wrinkles
- Super Foods For Wrinkles
- Foods That Cause Wrinkles
- Natural Treatments For Wrinkles
I hope these wrinkle remedies give your skin the deep treatment it needs. Do save on Pinterest to come back to.
Table of Contents
Best Nutrients For Wrinkles
The key nutrients our body is crying out for in mid-life and older to prevent and soften wrinkles are :
- Collagen
- Retinol
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Omega 3
- Zinc
Collagen
Collagen is the magical ingredient that keeps our skin tight and bouncy. As we get older, we make less, so lines show up. Boosting collagen is the essential foundation of smooth skin in mid-life.
Retinol
Retinol - vitamin A - is the wrinkle-buster. It speeds up fresh skin, keeps it thick and healthy, vanishing crow's feet and softening forehead lines.
Beta-carotene in carrots etc is NOT vitamin A. Our body can convert beta-carotene into retinol with the help of iron. But lots of mid-life women are iron deficient so end up short on vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is our skin’s best friend for making collagen and fighting off sun damage that causes wrinkles. It helps build new skin and protects against those pesky free radicals from UV rays.
As our estrogen levels drop an extra boost of vitamin C can really help.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a shield for our skin, keeping it safe from sun and pollution that make wrinkles worse. It locks in moisture and heals damage.
It is best friend to a crepey neck where surprisingly sun damage hits hard.
Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 fats are the healthy fats that keep our skin plump and hydrated - less dry patches = fewer extra lines! It calms redness and keeps water in our skin so it doesn't sag and is another great friend to a crepey neck.
Zinc
Often forgotten zinc is the fixer-upper in our nutrient tool kit for fighting wrinkles - it boosts collagen and repairs little damages that turn into lines and is a hero for fading deep forehead lines.
Water
Dry skin wrinkles faster - it really is that simple! Water keeps it plump and happy so the lines we do have - we can't stop them all - don't look as deep.
Super Foods To Remove Wrinkles
Luckily there are 5 super foods that are super rich in anti-wrinkle nutrients :
- Bone Broth
- Beef Liver
- Bell Peppers
- Roasted Seeds
- Mackerel
Bone Broth
The best natural source of collagen, bone broth is a wonder remedy for wrinkles - keeping skin firm and elastic to stop sagging and smooth out wrinkles. Bone broth also contains zinc for skin repair and renewal.
You can make bone broth very cheaply and easily to sip on its own or use as the base for all your savoury sauces.
Beef Liver
Loaded with retinol and zinc, beef liver promotes cell turnover, revealing fresher, smoother skin and reducing fine lines. It also aids collagen production and heals skin damage. A powerhouse food for radiant skin, it’s a must for your anti-aging arsenal.
If you have never cooked liver check out these organ meat recipes.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are bursting with vitamin C, crucial for collagen synthesis and free-radical protection but are much lower in the natural fruit sugar fructose which can cause skin-ageing glycation. (More on this below).
Roasted Seeds
Roasted seeds are rich in vitamin E to shield skin from oxidative damage and zinc for skin repair. Roasting seeds reduces the antinutrients which block the nutritional goodies in seeds and other food we eat with them and makes them gentler on sensitive guts.
Pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp & flax seeds make great wrinkle remedies.
Mackerel
Mackerel is full of omega-3 fats, to keep skin hydrated and supple and minimise the appearance of fine lines PLUS zinc for healing and renewal.
Mackerel is a winning natural wrinkle remedy but salmon comes in close second if you don't like the flavour.
Eating your mackerel with the skin on is an extra anti-wrinkle boost as it has more omega-3 plus collagen.
Foods That Cause Wrinkles
Whilst tucking into plenty of the super foods that prevent and smooth wrinkles we do need to keep a big eye on the foods that make wrinkles worse :
- Sugar
- Fruit Juice
- Seed Oils
- Processed Carbs
- Alcohol
Sugar
Too much refined sugar - candy, sodas, cake - triggers glycation where sugar makes collagen and elastin stiff and brittle. This wrecks skin structure leading to deep wrinkles. It also spikes skin-damaging inflammation.
Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is full of natural sugars without the fiber of whole fruit to slow absorption. This can still cause skin-aging glycation and inflammation. Peppers, leafy greens and whole fruit are a better source of vitamin C.
Seed Oils
Seed oils - e.g. sunflower, corn - are high in omega-6 fats which can fuel inflammation if over consumed. Chronic inflammation breaks down collagen and speeds up wrinkles.
A weekly balance of these oils can be a nutritious mix for wrinkles :
- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Grass fed butter
- Ghee
- Tallow / dripping.
Processed Carbs
Processed carbs like white bread and pasta break down into sugar quickly in our body, spiking blood sugar and causing the same glycation and inflammation as refined sugar.
They’re sneaky wrinkle accelerators - low grains or whole grains can reduce the impact. Just watch out for the antinutrients and FODMAPs in whole grains if you've been on a plant heavy diet or struggle with IBS or SIBO.
Alcohol
Booze dehydrates our skin making it dull and amplifying fine lines. It also cuts vitamin A causing inflammation, puffiness or broken capillaries. A glass of wine here and there is fine but heavy drinking dials up the damage.
Best Treatments For Wrinkles
Topping up on anti-wrinkle super foods whilst skipping skin damaging junk is the best foundation for smooth skin but these natural wrinkle treatments help :
- Sun Cream (Sometimes)
- Natural Retinoid Creams
- Vitamin C Serum
- Hyaluronic Acid Moisturisers
- Ceramide Moisturisers
Sun Cream (Sometimes)
Hands down, the best way to prevent more wrinkles is to protect skin from too much sun. UV rays break down collagen and elastin - which keep skin firm - making wrinkles worse.
But slathering sun-cream on our face daily may NOT be the answer!!
Sun has benefits like vitamin D, nitric oxide and melatonin for sleep. And suncream chemicals e.g. oxybenzone have known and under-investigation risks for hormone and thyroid issues.
So as ever it is a balancing act - try mixing these anti-wrinkle strategies :
- Wear old school sun hats.
- Only wear suncream when needed, i.e. not to sit in the office all day.
- Choose mineral suncreams - e.g. with zinc oxide - that aren't absorbed as much into the skin when you need heavy protection for e.g. outdoor sports.
Retinoids
Retinol is the gold standard for smoothing wrinkles in food e.g. liver AND face creams -combine the two for a double-whammy wrinkle remedy!
There's lots of good quality evidence for retinoid creams especially in the early reduction of fine lines so they don't build up into heavy wrinkles.
You can buy OTC and prescription synthetic retinol products but there are also lots of natural retinol wrinkle creams out there plus bakuchiol based products for sensitive skin.
Hyaluronic Acid Moisturiser
Moisturisers with hyaluronic acid (HA) are a hydration game-changer!!
HA - occurs naturally in our body - pulls in moisture like a magnet, plumping our skin and smoothing fine lines for a dewy glow that lasts all day.
Ceramide Moisturiser
Ceramides are little barrier skin cells that lock in moisture, protect against dryness and keep our skin supple.
Adding some in with a ceramide moisturiser can fend off fine lines and maintain a strong, healthy complexion.
Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights damage from sun and pollution while helping skin make more collagen - a daily boost direct to our skin helps keep wrinkles at bay and evens skin tone.
And there you go, everything I have learned about natural wrinkle remedies for mid-life and beyond.
Do save on Pinterest for reference.
And for more simple health and beauty tips check out my other natural health remedies and follow me on Pinterest.
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