Extreme alternatives: healthier cosmeceuticals that really work

You can take two approaches with anti-aging cosmetics.

The first approach is the "sanding and peeling" method, which may stimulate collagen production because of the skin's response to irritation. But this technique thins the skin, destroys its lipid barrier, makes it vulnerable to sun damage and may even the out its collagen-producing fibroblasts.

The second approach--which I recommend--rebuilds the skin's integrity and defenses while stimulating collagen synthesis and skin cell regeneration without irritation. That's why you won't find information in my column on self-microdermabrasion, alpha hydroxy acid or retinol products, natural or otherwise. Instead, I want to tell you about powerfully effective, skin-friendly cosmeceuticals that don't contain the soup of synthetic emollients and perfumes that conventional products have, nor do they carry the high price tag of collagen injections.

The Superantioxidants

"We've known for a long time that topically applied antioxidants, such as beta carotene and vitamins E and C, were able to significantly reduce skin aging. But those are weak antioxidants," says Linda Miles, vice president of Derma-E Bodycare. "Superantioxidants, like pycnogenol and astaxanthin, are 50-500 times more potent than vitamin E. They're also anti-inflammatory. Pycnogenol stabilizes the capillary system to encourage it to pick up and retain fluid, and thus it can benefit under-eye puffiness as well as rosacea. Astaxanthin, perhaps the most powerful of all antioxidant anti-inflammatories, stimulates defensive skin cells to seek out and eliminate problems."

Philip Cohen, MD, ND, co-formulated Ecco Bella's new Health by Chocolate line of edible, drinkable and externally applicable skin care products as well as the company's MD Formulated line. "Dark chocolate has four times the polyphenol antioxidant content of green tea, and the same as red wine," says Cohen. "It's also rich in magnesium, which increases energy production in the cells, increases relaxation and contributes to your glow." The MD Formulated and Health by Chocolate lines are enhanced with the superantioxidants astaxanthin, lycopene, lutein and blueberry extracts.

Research by Nicolas Perricone, MD, on the trio of vitamin C ester, alpha lipoic acid and dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) continues to have phenomenal impact on skin care formulations. His own line of Products containing that famous ingredient trio (I call it "the Perricone trio") has been emulated or built upon in several other natural formulas with features of their own. These include offerings from Derma-E, Reviva Labs, Nutra-Lift and Source Naturals. Youthful Essentials' Wrinkle Serum, for example, offers the Perricone trio along with green tea, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and the exciting anti-aging peptide camosine. Camosine is not only a powerful antioxidant, but it's also known as a skin healer. Most notably, it inhibits a destructive protein/sugar reaction in the body called glycation, which contributes to a number of aging factors, including collagen breakdown.

Collagen, Botox and StriVectin-SD Alternatives

Injections of Restylane, a stabilized, synthetic form of hyaluronic acid (HA), have now surpassed collagen injections in popularity for filling in wrinkles and facial folds. IIA is the skin's natural internal moisture sponge that keeps skin hydrated and plumper from within.

But for those who furrow their brow at the price or pain of Restylane injections, Reviva Labs, which first introduced hyaluronic acid into skin care products in 1986, may have an alternative. Its new Hyaluronic Serum--unlike topical humectants, which depend on moisture in the air to work--actually locks moisture from liquids consumed internally into the intercellular spaces within the skin.

Another internal skin plumper that boosts both hyaluronic acid and collagen throughout the entire body is Toki, a drinkable form of collagen from Lane Labs. Told has been clinically shown to increase serum collagen by more than 100 percent while significantly reducing wrinkles around the eyes. A possible alternative to laser surgery may be found in another product by Lane Labs, SunSpot ES, which sloughs off raised sunspots, leaving healthy skin unaffected--thanks to glycoalkaloids, the powerful substances used in its formulation.

Speaking of furrowed brows, a handful of cutting-edge products, including Age Reversal Face Serum by Desert Essence, feature acetyl hexapeptide-3, a combination of linked amino acids referred to by extreme makeover enthusiasts as the non-invasive Botox alternative. It won't immediately deaden muscle function as Botox does, but it can relax wrinkles caused by muscle tension over time. The Age Reversal Face Serum also contains another ingredient, palmitoyl pentapeptide--arguably the hottest skin care product ingredient of the past 5 years--which is featured in the wildly popular antistretch mark and anti-wrinkle sensation, StriVectin-SD. The synthetically produced peptide, which is based on the animal source precursor to human collagen, has been shown in double-blind studies to significantly reduce wrinkles while thickening the skin 1.5 times faster than retinol and vitamin C--without irritation.