Natural anti-aging tips

You don't have to spend a fortune on fancy creams and treatments to have younger looking skin. There are plenty of simple steps you can take every day to delay the natural aging process. The tips below are good for you, the planet, and your budget.   

Choose nontoxic creams

Many conventional moisturizers and anti-aging creams are loaded with synthetic chemicals that are linked to a long list of health effects from skin irritations and allergies to neurotoxicity and cancer. These ingredients are absorbed through your skin when you slather them on your face and neck.

Luckily, some of the most effective ingredients for maintaining youthful skin are natural. For example, antioxidants (such as coenzyme Q10 and green tea and vitamins C, E, and A) are great for your skin because they repair the damage caused by sun and pollution.

Choose creams that contain vitamins, minerals, and botanical ingredients instead of synthetic chemicals. Weleda, Evan Healy, Pangea Organics, and Jurlique are just some of the growing number of brands that focus on plant-based ingredients, but you'll want to check ingredients lists before purchasing. Better yet, search the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to find the safest products on store shelves.

The best way to really know what's in your skin care products is to make your own. It can be as simple as using extra virgin olive oil to moisturize your skin to whipping up your own products.

Protect your skin from the sun

Sun exposure can cause wrinkles and age spots. One of the best things you can do to keep skin looking young and healthy is to protect it from the sun.

Sunscreen is an essential part of the equation. Finding a product that adequately protects skin from the sun's harmful (UVA and UVB) rays and is free of toxic chemicals is not an easy task. Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen Rankings highlights products that work well and are light on the ingredients that may pose health hazards. Get detailed info on 10 of its top rated sunscreens.

Don't rely solely on sunscreen. Limit your time outside in the middle of the day when the sun's rays are most intense. Wear a hat, sunglasses, and protective clothing (dark and tightly woven). Coolibar and Solumbra are two lines of sun-protective clothing that are worth checking out.

Take good care of yourself

A healthy lifestyle will translate into fresher, younger looking skin.

• Don't smoke. Smoking can accelerate the normal aging process of your skin and contribute to wrinkles, according to Lawrence E. Gibson, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic.


• Eat well. Diet suggestions for healthy skin aren't all that surprising. Choose foods rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, such as fruits, veggies, sustainable fish, and legumes. Too much meat and full-fat dairy, on the other hand, may increase your risk of developing wrinkles.


• Get your beauty sleep. Your body needs it to produce human growth hormone, an essential ingredient for skin that's thick and less prone to wrinkle. Cortisol levels can rise if you don't get enough rest. The hormone can break down skin cells. Try sleeping on your back so you don't develop sleep lines.

Environmental journalist Lori Bongiorno shares green-living tips and product reviews with Yahoo! Green's users. Send Lori a question or suggestion for potential use in a future column. Her book, Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-smart Choices a Part of Your Life is available on Yahoo! Shopping and Amazon.com.