The must-have topical vitamins are l-ascorbic acid and Vitamin E. Other very beneficial vitamins/anti-oxidants include : beta-carotene, super-oxide dismutase, idebenone/Co-enzyme-Q, alpha-lipoic acid, niacinamide and catechins from green tea. It is crucial that you not only choose them but use them wisely. Follow the suggestions below and you will find you have made some powerful friends in the anti-aging battle.

1) Anti-oxidant cycles.

Anti-oxidants work with each other in various ways: Vitamin C and Vitamin E work together to keep the anti-oxidant cycle going, Vitamin C stabilizes the catechins in green tea, and superoxide dismutase picks up the superoxide anion that are released in conjunction with certain common reactions. It’s teamwork! Choose a serum that contains a complement of anti-oxidants to scavenge different types of free radicals, and maintain anti-oxidant feedback loops.

2) Avoid Vitamin C lotions or serums.

If the Vitamin C is l-ascorbic acid it oxidizes too rapidly in a liquid medium to be safe to use. If it is an oil-soluble Vitamin C- ester it will not be effective as an anti-oxidant. Use Vitamin C, l-ascorbic acid, by adding a small amount of the powdered form directly to your serum, so it is fresh, ie non-oxidized, each time you use it. To get even more benefits, make sure the serum you combine it with contains Vitamin E.

No matter what skin type you are, from very oily to very dry, your skin needs the essential fatty acids found in oils to miantain barrier function, lubricate and cleanse, and prevent transepidermal water loss. Because the lipid barrier is constantly developing gaps due to lipid peroxidation from UV exposure, as well as from use of cleansers and exfoliators, EFA-rich oils shouild be applied daily or twice-daily to keep the skin lubricated, supple and glowing with health.

Note on dry skin.

People with dry skin may apply oils more frequently—don’t be surprised if your skin drinks it up and clamors for more, especially at first. It will eventually settle down when it reaches its state of equilibrium. This is your skin talking to you—listen to it and you will be rewarded with a glow your friends and family will notice.

To Help Correct Saggy Neck

Surgeons contend that some aging issues can only be corrected with surgery, such as loose jowls, a "turkey gobbler" neck, baggy eyelids and very saggy, heavily wrinkled skin. Here is an alternative to surgey –prevention! To prevent turkey neck or saggy jowls use this massage technique when applying oils. It’s simple to make this a prat of your daily routine since you are applying oils twice a day anway. 

1)  Apply L-ascorbic acid topically. For healing and photoaging protection nothing beats L-ascorbic acid, but taking supplements by mouth is not enough. To get large concentrations into the skin where it will do the most good (as far as your skin is concerned) you need to apply L-ascorbic acid topically. 

2) Choose L-ascorbic acid rather than an esterified version. Ascorbic acid is the active compound, and studies indicate that neither magnesium ascorbyl phosphate nor ascorbyl-6-palmitate topically applied appreciably changed skin levels of L-ascorbic acid. 

3) Vitamin C oxidizes readily in light or liquid, so avoid serums and creams that may contain oxidized Vitamin C. Oxidized vitamin C is incapable of boosting collagen synthesis or scavenging free radicals, and indeed, may even act as an oxidant. Check out the color—if the serum is yellow, orange or brown it may be doing you more harm than good.

4) Only highly concentrated preparations (10% or more) deliver enough vitamin C to the cells to be topically effective, so be sure you are using enough. 

5) Combine Vitamin E with your Vitamin C treatment. Vitamin E is the major antioxidant of the stratum corneum, and works to protect lipid membranes. Because it is oil-soluble it is readily absorbed when applied topically. Combining C and E gives you a feedback loop that sustains your anti-oxidant protection.

Overnight Botox at Home

The following is a simple delivery system you can use at home. It takes into account all the factors that are necessary to optimize the rejuvenating effects of Vitamin C and E.

Step 1 At night, apply a Vitamin E rich oil like avocado oil, or an oil blend that contains Vitamin E, or you may apply Vitamin E oil directly. Blends are best, because Omega-3-6 essential fatty acids are also an excellent supplement for the skin. Choose an oil blend containing mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E). Massage into the skin prior to applying Vitamin C.

Step 2 Powdered L-ascorbic acid is the one you want. Dissolve 1/16 of a teaspoon in green tea, then pat it on your face. Or dissolve it in your night serum or moisturizer if you use one. Just make sure you use it fresh each time, and keep the rest of your supply dry and out of the light.

Our Topical Supplements

We have two supplements, Anti-Wrinkle and Skin Lightening each contains equal amounts of L-ascorbic acid in powder form. In addition, each one contains a mixture of ingredients specific to the condition being treated. The doses are pre-measured so all you need to do is add the contents of one capsule to your serum (Anti-Wrinkle, Skin Lightening, Moisture Serum) at night (many people find that using one-half the capsule is sufficient). It may feel a bit gritty, but rest assured that once it is on your skin it is penetrating and working its magic.

I heard Dr. Christine Northrup, my new hero, on the radio the other day give the pithiest and soundest advice I have heard since Emil Coue’s advice to say 15 times daily: “Every day in every way I am getting better and better.” I will paraphrase Dr. Northrup as I don’t remember her exact words, but the gist of it was that you look in the mirror and you say: “I accept you, as you are right now, unconditionally.”

The New York Times recently featured an article, Bosom Buddies, about neck and décolletage creams designed to help smooth out age-revealing lines and wrinkles. The sad truth is, neck and décolletage are the first places to start showing age. There are a few different reasons for this, but let’s take a look at the most obvious one first.