While you can get by coasting on light anti wrinkle products during your 20s and 30s, serious anti-aging skin care needs to begin the moment you hit your 40s.  At this age, accumulated skin damage should be apparent even to untrained eyes.

Most of the time, you’ll find easily-noticeable signs like fine lines around the mouth and the eyes.  The good news is, these types of damage at this age still responds well to common topical treatments, making relatively easy to treat.

However, women in their 40s are also likely to see a noticeable loss in their skin’s elasticity along with some mild amount of sagging.  As such, using preventive anti wrinkle products that tighten and nourish the skin is crucial at this stage.

From this point forward, you will need to actively work on your skin care.  No longer are anti wrinkle products optional – they’re a number one priority and should be used in copious amounts.  Take every precaution you possibly can to protect your skin, including regular moisturizing, gentle cleansing and sun protection.

Apart from anti wrinkle products, many women will need to deal with various skin problems at this age.  Some will be a result of hormonal changes as they close in on menopause.  Others will be side effects of medication for other common health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

I went to check out the new Canyon Ranch spa in Miami Beach as soon as they opened since I always want to know what skincare lines the high end spas are carrying. As you know, if you routinely read my blog, I am always a skeptic about skincare products. I was stunned to see that Canyon Ranch’s “Your Transformation” skincare line contains my favorite ingredient, Pro-NAD, which is a form of niacinamide that penetrates better than the type found in the Olay Regenerist products.

(As a disclaimer, I have always been a fan of Canyon Ranch. I have stayed at the one in the Berkshires and thought that it was a great experience. The new one that just opened in Miami Beach is gorgeous and has great food, but I have no financial relationship with them.),

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Are you on a quest for anti-aging remedies? Is there such a thing, a magic pill or a secret solution? Yes, the search for magic pills, the age control genes and the secret remedies continues hotly pursued in the world of research. Yes, there is a growing body of evidence that the human life span can be extended, with some Japanese Okinawans living upwards of 120. But is it the extension of life that intrigues us? Or is it the possibility that we may live as productive, happy and disease-free people if we use restorative approaches to correct imbalances in hormones, nutrition, toxins, mind and body, allowing our body does what it does best; keep us healthy.

Whether you call it “anti-aging” or “regenerative” or “restorative” or “functional”; this is no myth. The last two decades in medicine proves that applied correctly this new genre of medicine results in greater than a 90% resolution of symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, decreased libido, weight gain, anxiety, depression, muscle and joint pains and decreased mental function. It also results in greater than an 80% improvement of disease states such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastric reflux, IBS, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, PMS, PCOS, infertility and in teenagers, ADD, anxiety and sleep disorders; and thus, the quest for “anti-aging” medicine.

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A new analysis suggests that an acne medication that was tried as a possible skin cancer preventative in a 1998 clinical trial probably did not cause the deaths of several veterans participating in that research.

The earlier study was halted six months early, when a increased risk of death was seen in those using retinoid tretinoin cream when compared to those taking a placebo.

However, a closer look at the data from that trial did not uncover a definitive link between the treatment and an increased risk of death.

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Retin A (generically known as tretinoin) is a Vitamin A analogue that is a popular acne medication. It is also used “off label” to prevent skin cancers, treat wrinkles and prevent skin aging. Renova, which is also a form of tretinoin, is FDA-approved to reduce the signs of wrinkles.

These products have been used safely and effectively for many years. However, a recent study by Weinstock, published in the reputable journal Archives of Dermatology, was very disturbing. It showed that patients treated in a VA hospital with 0.1% tretinoin topically to prevent skin cancer had a higher risk of death than those not using tretinoin. The veterans in this study were predominately elderly men.

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