As we age, it’s natural to develop some sagging in our body. This happens for a few reasons: loss of muscle tone, thinning of the skin, reduced hydration of the skin, and loss of the fat layer under the skin. We notice this effect most on our faces, unfortunately. It is not all inevitable, and you do not have to resort to injections (Editor’s Note: as you can imagine, injectables, like Botox, are not cruelty free) or surgery, although surgery will give more dramatic and immediate results. From the perspective of a naturopathic doctor, there are many options to consider. Read my eight points below on how to reduce the droopiness in your face.
1. Facial yoga. There are particular facial yoga ‘postures’ that can tone facial muscles. Speak to your yoga instructor for some guidance.
2. Herbal heavyweights. Rose and white teas have proven to benefit the skin. They are both anti-inflammatory, and also have been shown to protect the skin’s collagen, which gives the skin its strength.
3. Ginseng for the face. A 2012 Danish study tracked the skin quality of 43 healthy women, after applying the Chinese herb Sanchi (Panax notoginseng). The results showed significant improvement in maintaining skin firmness, as well as improving the orientation and depth of facial wrinkles.
4. Facial massage. A gentle, yet firm stimulating facial massage, using your knuckles, can help invigorate your face, increasing local circulation.
5. Facial acupressure can be useful as an alternate way to specifically stimulate points that allow for the proper flow of energy, or qi. If you want a more effective treatment, try facial acupuncture with a specially trained acupuncturist.
6. Facial mask. Apply a natural home made combination of ingredients that can increase the moisture content in the skin. One example is an egg (beaten) mixed with yogurt and rosewater – leave on your face for 10-15 minutes, then wipe off with a wash cloth and warm water.
7. De-stress. The more you emphasize certain expressions, the deeper your wrinkles can get. By reducing the stressors in your life, and shifting how you perceive your stressors, your level of wrinkling should decrease.
8. Sleep. This is truly underrated but requires more research. Essentially, when you are adequately rested, your face will show it, so get your 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
9. Hydrate. Without water, we sag, just like a plant without water. Go beyond water, and take herbal teas such as white or green tea.
10. Help from the sea. Make sure to consume a reasonable amount of the omega-3 fats. These are found in certain foods (fish, flax, walnut, soy), however, a supplement will make sure you get enough to feed your skin. Astaxanthin is a constituent found in certain sea algae. Studies have shown that taking oral and topical astaxanthin for two months helped improve wrinkles, skin texture, and the size of age spots on the face.
When incorporating the above methods, it’s important that you realize that it will take time to actually see the benefits; plan on waiting 3-4 months before expecting noticeable improvement.
Rahim Habib is a registered naturopathic doctor who has a general family practice, with a special interest in helping patients comprehensively detoxify their bodies for preventative and therapeutic benefit. He is the director of the Four Seasons Naturopathic Clinic for Detoxification and Healing and can be reached at 905-597-7201 or www.FamilyNaturopath.ca. He is also a writer for the Bell Lifestyles Products www.belllifestyleproducts.com. Bell Lifestyle Products offers a wide selection of natural health products and nutritional supplements across 7000+ locations across the U.S and Canada.
I like the natural route to beautiful healthy skin than using needles. Exercise and food we take in are so important. Sleep too!
really all of them are really interesting. thanks for sharing all those information. but i think Ginseng for the face is one of the best. and also one of the very much interesting thing is the sleep .without sleep everything you do will go for waste. nothing else. so be aware of this.
thanks for this article you inspire me too much just thank you.
I did not know there were so many alternatives to avoid wrinkles and line expression of my face! I was looking for application of botox, but now I will follow your tips!
I’m not a big fan of Botox or surgery as well. I love all of the alternatives that you’ve mentioned, especially facial yoga. Every ailment, etc. that we may have, there should be an alternative method other than the more mainstream practices. It is blogs like this that remind us that there are better ways of doing things. Thank you so much for another great post.