These days an antiaging product has to be especially versatile because it's not just about wrinkles. Due to environment, stresss, and diet, adults over 30 find themselves dealing with acne, sun damage, spider veins--any number of things that can cause a blemished complexion.

Blemishes

The typical causes of a blemished complexion in adults are twofold--sun damage and acne scars. Let's take a look at these problems one at a time.

In the case of sun damage, you don't have to spend a lot of time in the sun to do damage if you are fair complected. Even if you aren't blond and blue eyed, the cumulative effect over the years can take its toll. Brown-skinned folks need sun protection as well since hyperpigmentation is a common problem for many brown-skinned people.

Adult acne is another problem that leads to blemished skin. The triumvirate of hormones, stress, and diet are the biggest culprits in adult acne. Endocrine disruptors are rampant in our environment and act as synthetic hormones, and it's a well established fact that chronic stress signals glands to secrete more oil.

There is a stress hormone known as corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH). An increase in CRH signals oil glands in the body to overproduce, which can exacerbate oily skin and lead to acne.

The typical Western diet of refined starches and sugars triggers a spike in blood sugar levels (insulin) which elevates testosterone. This leads to an overproduction of sebum and blockage of pores, so it's no wonder we see people in their 30s and 40s with acne.

In 2002, Professor Loren Cordain, Ph.D., from Colorado State University studied two groups of people for two years--one group in Paraguay and one group in New Guinea. Both groups of people were hunter-gatherer types that ate all natural foods. No cases of acne were observed during the two-year study. His report is published in the December 2002 issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Remedies

Obviously, a whole food diet is desirable for clear skin. Removing as much of the refined foods and sugar as possible is a good first step. In other words, eliminate sodas, sugary breakfast cereals, anything made with white flour like pasta and bread--try whole wheat. Don't eat fruit rollups, eat fruit--organic if possible. After that, repairing damage to your skin with natural skin care products is called for.

You may want to start with a skin peel. A skin peel removes a very thin layer of debris (dead skin cells, sebum, scar tissue) from your face. Whatever products you use will penetrate quicker and work a faster. Lately, I've had luck with Philosophy's Oxygen Peel Kit. Not too harsh and not too mild.

Shameless Plug and Self Promotion Alert

I love my cleanser--primarily because it has mud in it. I know you're thinking mud=dirt, but just hold on. Mud is not dirt. Mud is organic matter with healing properties.

I'm sure you've heard of mud baths. They charge big money at spas to soak in mud. Animals do it naturally because they know intuitively that mud pulls toxins from the body. When your skin is congested or in need of TLC, mud is a great way to rejuvenate. You've never seen a pig with acne, have you?

The mud in Face Natural's cleanser is made of French green clay and pink clay. Both contain decomposed plant matter as well as trace amounts of minerals that clean without drying the natural oils in the skin. Combined with DMAE, MSM, and Vitamin C, the cleanser is perfect for preventing blemishes in skin.