Has this ever happened to you? You're out running errands and suddenly you run into an old high school classmate. You stop and chat, catching up on who is doing what, but inside you are wondering whether you look your age, or worse, older.

Well, here are some tips on anti aging skin care, and what you can do to help turn back the clock.

Tip #1 Get your ZZZZZZZ's. We've all seen it in the mirror, the morning after a night of little sleep. The dark circles under the eyes, the wrinkles that seemed to have popped up overnight, and the baggy eyelids. All of these are outward signs of lack of quality sleep.

Now imagine what would happen if you rarely got a good nights sleep.

A person needs sleep in order to rejuvenate their body, and keep everything in good working order, and that includes the skin. One can take a few, easy steps to ensure more sleep in their anti aging skin care routine.

First, make sure you get to bed on time.

Second, make the room and bed as conducive to sleep as possible by removing TVs and computers, and make sure both mattress and pillows are comfortable.

Lastly, make the room as dark as possible using room darkening shades, a sleep mask or both.

Tip #2 While a good antiaging skin cream can't hurt, healthy, radiant skin starts from the inside out. Everything we eat and drink will affect both how we look and feel, so a good diet and plenty of water are essential.

A healthy diet should include lots of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables. An easy way to identify these is by color: the darker the color, the higher the level of antioxidants in the food. Some examples of these antioxidant powerhouses would be spinach, blueberries, and broccoli. Foods that contain high amounts of vitamins E and C are also powerful antioxidants. What is so important about these antioxidants, you may ask?

The answer is free radicals.

These destructive molecules are one of the major causes of aging of the skin. They circulate thru the body, stealing electrons from healthy cells, thus creating more free radicals, fewer healthy cells, and speeding up the aging process. The last part of a healthy diet and good anti aging skin care regimen is fresh, purified water in adequate quantities. Our bodies are largely made up of water, about 70% in fact. If you stay well-hydrated, by drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily, that can go a long way in keeping your skin looking its best.

Tip #3 Limit your time in the sun. While we have all heard recently of the need for sun exposure in order for our bodies to make vitamin D, too much sunlight can damage our skin cells and hasten the signs of aging. It is best to keep your face shaded, using a wide brim hat, if you plan to be out in the sun, especially during the peak sun hours of 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Turning back the clock Here are some ingredients that I have found important to look for in an anti aging skin care product. Hopefully you can benefit from my quest for a quality product with proven results.

Phytessence Wakame. This is derived from kelp that is found in the Japanese Sea. Phytessence Wakame helps to keep the enzyme hyaluronidase from breaking down hyaluronic acid. This is important because hyaluronic acid is necessary in order for the elastin and collagen fibers in your skin to hold together. Without it, one would lose their youthful appearance and begin to notice more fine lines and wrinkles.

Cynergy TK. This is a very exciting new compound that actually stimulates your body to produce more collagen and elastin! What does this mean for you: fewer wrinkles, and firmer, more youthful, healthier looking skin?

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This is a vitamin-like substance made in our body that acts like an antioxidant by blocking free radicals. As we age, our bodies secrete less of this material, causing us to show the visible signs of aging.

One thing to bear in mind is, not all CoQ10 is created equal. Though many an antiaging skin cream will say it contains CoQ10, most are ineffective. The best I have found is called Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10. This stuff is different because it is a "nano-emulsion" and can penetrate deeply into the skin blocking free radicals as far as seven layers deep!

So, now that you know how to enhance your anti aging skin care habits, and what ingredients to look for, you can do your own research to find a product that works best for you. That way, the next time you run into that former classmate, they can be the one wondering how old they look.

Autor: Jennifer J. King

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