What makes someone look old, or young? A combination of several external factors determine one’s apparent biological age, including color and quantity of hair, physical condition and body mass, general attitude and demeanor and skin quality. But it seems that the most revealing single indicator of age is the integrity and health of the skin: a firm, radiant, flawless complexion is a hallmark of youth and vitality, while wrinkles, lines, and sagging jowls are obvious indicators of advancing years. The quest for youthful, glowing, smooth skin and the desire to banish wrinkles and erase lines is so compelling that consumers world-wide spend billions of Dollars each year on skin care products, many of which do nothing more than perhaps prevent moisture loss, side-stepping key mechanisms of cumulative skin damage and failing to renew and restore the skin’s structure and function. Research reveals that skin aging involves several key mechanisms, and the good news is that it’s possible to significantly slow and even reverse many of these deleterious processes. How? With the topical application of scientifically formulated ingredients found in Crème-Pro™ skin care products, so let’s see below how Crème Pro Protector, Moisturizer, Smoother and Cellulite can literally turn back the hands of time for your aging skin.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and one of the most complex. The epidermis is the outer-most layer and provides protection from the environment. Just below is the dermis which contains fibrous proteins such as collagen and elastin, polysaccharides (complex sugars), hyaluronic acid, lipids, and other components that network to form a supportive structural framework imparting the skin with elasticity, moisture, density and strength. With increasing age, the skin’s rejuvenation processes slow down, with a decrease in cell proliferation, cellular hydration and collagen synthesis. The epidermis begins to atrophy and the dermal support scaffolding degrades. These changes lead to a loss of youthful suppleness, moisture and thickness and result in the thin, dry, saggy and wrinkled skin characteristic of aging.
Skin aging results from many factors, including poor nutrition, genetics, hormonal imbalances, excess alcohol consumption, smoking and environmental exposure, but one of most aggressive instigators is cumulative oxidative stress caused by the generation of reactive oxygen species and free radicals. These highly unstable molecules or molecular fragments assault the skin from within and without: they are generated internally as byproducts of routine metabolism and also in response to exposure to UV radiation from sunlight, pollution and smoke (and by far, the number one factor responsible for prematurely aged skin is exposure to the sun). Year after year of relentless free radical damage wreaks havoc on the health and appearance of the skin.
Thankfully, research has demonstrated that topically applied antioxidants restore the skin’s health and vitality by counteracting the damaging effects of free radicals, restoring moisture, and promoting the rejuvenation processes of the skin’s underlying supportive architecture. The result is firmer, smoother, hydrated skin with an improvement in the appearance of lines and winkles. Many of these agents target similar cellular mechanisms as dietary anti-oxidant supplements. Here are a few of the leading ones:
Crème-Pro Protector is a synergistically formulated cream containing all of these antioxidants that can be applied to the face every day to protect and renew the skin. The result: a younger-looking you.
Another truly innovative approach to youthful, radiant skin is the topical application of procaine, an antiaging or rejuvenation therapy popularly known in its injectable and tablet form as Gerovital-H3®, or GH3®. Romanian physician Ana Aslan originally used the drug as an injectable anesthetic to treat the elderly in the 1950’s and in the process discovered its revitalizing effects on her patients, such as improved mobility, hair regrowth and increased energy. In the body, procaine is metabolized into para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and diethylaminoethanol (DEAE). PABA is a relative of the B-complex vitamins used to treat skin conditions and protect against UV radiation, and DEAE is a structural analog of DMAE, a cell membrane-stabilizer shown to produce a general firming effect on the skin. (See Crème-Pro Smoother, below) According to Dr. Aslan, GH3 can reverse many of the signs and symptoms of aging and degenerative diseases and is beneficial in treating a plethora of conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, depression, fatigue, stress, hair loss, even wrinkled skin.
Crème-Pro Moisturizer with active ingredient procaine is a unique skin cream that serves as a vehicle ─ rather than injections or tablets ─ for the transport of procaine through the skin into the bloodstream where it can accomplish its overall systemic rejuvenation effects, from increased energy, reduced stress, enhanced mood and thicker hair to radiant, healthier, firmer, and younger-looking skin. Crème-Pro Moisturizer is formulated for easy absorption of procaine through the skin of the upper thighs ─ it is not applied to the face. Renew your skin from the inside out with the all-purpose anti-aging tonic found in Crème-Pro Moisturizer.
With the desire to banish lines and wrinkles and recapture a youthful appearance more fervent than ever, many have turned to Botox® injections. Botox® is the trade name for the botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which in large doses causes botulism, a paralytic illness linked to food poisoning. Cosmetically, diluted botulinum toxin is injected with a fine needle into muscles underlying the skin to reduce the appearance of ‘expression lines’ (i.e., forehead lines, crow’s feet around the eyes and frown lines) formed by repetitive movements of facial muscles, which over time become permanent and deep. Botox® acts by blocking nerve impulses to muscles, immobilizing the targeted area of the face, and causing lines and wrinkles to relax and smooth. The effect, however, is not permanent, lasting four to six months, and requires repeated injections. Besides the consideration that this cosmetic procedure involves injection of a neurotoxin into the face, another downside is side-effects such as bruising, eyelid drooping, and temporary paralysis of other muscle groups, not to mention its cost ($300 – $1200 or more).
The good news is, safer and more cost-effective topical alternatives to Botox® mimic its effects without causing facial paralysis or side effects; argireline and synthetic Temple Viper venom are two such innovative compounds. Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3) is a peptide that immobilizes muscles by interfering with neurotransmitters involved in muscle contraction, resulting in reduction of wrinkle depth and improvement in the skin’s appearance, especially in the eye and forehead area. Synthetic Temple Viper venom is a laboratory-made peptide that mirrors the paralyzing action of the venom of the Temple Viper snake; it temporarily inhibits facial muscle contractions, smoothing areas of lines and wrinkles. Crème-Pro Smoother, a needle-free Botox® alternative delivered to the skin as an easy-to-apply cream, contains both of these wrinkle-erasing compounds, as well as DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol) and ascorbyl palmitate. Topically applied DMAE has been shown to increase the thickness of collagen fibers, facilitate skin hydration, and produce a general firming effect on aging skin. It aids the appearance of forehead lines, crow’s feet, nasolabial folds (the lines running from the nose to the corners of the mouth), and wrinkles. As a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, DMAE also plays a role in muscle contraction, and may also exert a mild Botox®-like effect. The cream is also formulated with ascorbyl palmitate, the fat-soluble form of Vitamin C (also in Crème-Pro Protector) that enhances collagen and elastin synthesis, and provides general skin anti-aging and anti-oxidant properties.
Crème-Pro Smoother can be applied once or twice daily to clean, dry skin. Although positive results will not appear immediately, as with Botox® injections, the wrinkle-relaxing effects of the cream are cumulative and a comparable result can be obtained with regular use. Consistent application will also provide a longer-lasting result that will not fade in four to six months. Also, in contrast to Botox®, Crème-Pro Smoother can safely be used on any part of the face where wrinkles or lines are present, not just expression lines. What’s more, this cutting-edge anti-aging treatment can be obtained at a fraction of the cost.
Besides wrinkles, creases and saggy skin, another dreaded problem is cellulite ─ the unsightly dimpled ‘orange-peel’ or ‘cottage cheese’ pattern on the surface of the upper thighs near the buttocks, hips, stomach, or upper arms. Cellulite is caused by the accumulation of fat cells deposited in pockets called ‘standing fat cell chambers’ located just below the skin’s surface and develops when small projections of fat cells protrude from fat cell chambers into the skin’s dermis, producing the characteristic bumpy or lumpy appearance. It develops predominantly in women, and is technically not a result of skin aging, but rather a manifestation of the fat storage process just below the skin. However, the appearance of these unpleasant-looking fat projections can worsen with age; as mentioned earlier, due to degradation of collagen and elastin fibers, the dermal scaffolding loses its firmness and structure, allowing more fat to protrude into the dermis, exacerbating the orange-peel appearance. Fortunately, three compounds ─ caffeine, yohimbine and aminophylline ─ have been shown act as lipolytic stimulators when applied topically; that is, they are absorbed through the skin and induce fat burning activity below the skin’s surface, causing fat cells to release fat and water and shrink in size. The result is less fat bulging into the dermis, and firmer, smoother-looking skin, with an overall improvement in the appearance of cellulite-affected areas.
Crème-Pro Cellulite is an advanced topical cream that contains not just one, but a synergistic blend of all three fat-melting agents, as well as other ingredients, such as methylnicotinate, a vitamin B3 derivative that acts as a vasodilator, promoting increased blood flow to the area of cream application for optimal fat reduction. To use, apply a thin layer of Crème Pro Cellulite directly onto clean skin in areas of cellulite at least once a day.
As we’ve just seen, the skin, as the outermost organ of the body, is especially susceptible to the deleterious mechanisms of aging. Fortunately, research has uncovered the biological underpinnings of age-related skin degeneration, and technological advances in skin care have resulted in the identification of agents that can ameliorate and even reverse the unsightly wrinkles, lines, dry and sagging skin (and even cellulite) associated with advancing years.
The best skin rejuvenation effects can be obtained with a comprehensive antiaging program consisting of positive lifestyle choices ─ a healthy nutrient-dense diet, plenty of drinking water, ample exercise, restorative sleep, moderate alcohol intake, not smoking, avoiding direct sunlight and appropriate nutritional supplementation ─ coupled with the use of advanced skin care ingredients in the new Crème-Pro product range.
In the 21st century, it’s no longer necessary to endure the external manifestations of skin aging ─ you can recapture a youthful appearance with smooth, firm, radiant skin!
