Pycnogenol®, the cosmetic pill

Friday, June 18, 2010

Pycnogenol®, the cosmetic pill

The first "laugh lines" appearing in our face don't make us worry yet. Though we surely follow the development when looking into the mirror. The question we then ask ourselves is "do I need to already do something". The progression towards deep lines radiating down from the corners of the eyes and on both sides of the mouth is just a question of time. How long this takes depends on the efforts we take to prevent supply shortages of all that our skin needs to stay healthy and juvenile.

The way every day life lets our skin look worn-out are complex. The sun's ultraviolet rays create a burst of free radicals in the skin. The same rays that force our skin to tan break down and weld-together collagen and elastin, elastic fibers that hold skin cells together. It doesn't take a sunburn for this process, a few minutes exposure is enough to cause skin cells to make enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, causing skin to wrinkle and sag.

Free radicals do not only originate from the environment but are a by-product of cells' metabolism. These harmful molecules need to be cleared up before they can burden skin cells.

A stressful unhealthy lifestyle causes constriction of fine blood vessels in the skin. The skin is insufficiently supplied with oxygen and nutrients and not detoxified properly, it dries out. Sometimes these fragile capillaries even break, causing red blotches.

There are plenty of good cremes and lotions available to bathe the skin in nourishing vitamins, constituents to combat free radicals and to moisturize the skin. Yet, this addresses only one, the outer side of the skin. The importance of the interior of our body gets mercilessly visible, when we have sinned: A stressful day at the job, little sleep, a few drinks, unhealthy deep-frozen food. The skin crucially depends on fine, barely visible blood capillaries to bring in nutrients, water, oxygen and remove waste products. In this respect the skin is an organ like others of our body, with the exception that it happens to be our visible outer barrier. The key to a well performing organ is to make sure it gets what it needs. This cannot be compensated by cremes or lotions.

The amazing action of Pycnogenol® begins with the relaxation of tiny blood vessels in the skin, restoring a good blood circulation. With abundance of water and oxygen and removal of waste products, life is brought back to the skin. You can actually see that the skin being replenished with moisture, looking tight and fresh.

But Pycnogenol® doesn't stop here: It binds and protects collagen and elastin, soft and resilient proteins that support the skin and keep it taut. Enzymes and free radicals can no longer break down collagen and elastin fibres, the process enabling development of wrinkles. Moreover, Pycnogenol® supports renewal of collagen fibres letting skin regain its firmness and elasticity. Pycnogenol gives stability to fragile capillaries in the skin, stopping them from causing blotches.

The minute you start using Pycnogenol®, the ageing process of the skin will be defied. Pycnogenol® is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants currently known, far more powerful than vitamins C and E. In fact, Pycnogenol® even recycles and protects used-up vitamins C and E, extending their activity.

The skin ages because the damage caused by free radicals piles up over the years. Degenerative changes begin slowly but surely, leaving an indelible imprint on the face that, sooner or later, becomes noticeable. Pycnogenol® brings this process to a halt by clearing up free radicals, no matter whether they result from sunlight, environmental pollutants or cellular metabolism.

A californian clinical study published this year has shown that Pycnogenol® helps to prevent sunburn and photoageing. Pycnogenol® extinguishes free radicals developing in response to light-exposure before any damage can be done to collagen and skin cells. Moreover, it was discovered that Pycnogenol®'s action is not restricted to neutralising UV-induced free radicals developing in the skin: Pycnogenol® anti-inflammatory action diminishes further damage caused by activated immune cells to the skin. This does not imply that it is safe to expose yourself to broad mid-day sun when you take Pycnogenol®. Pycnogenol® is no sun-block substitute, but it considerably helps your skin to cope with the sunlight-burden.

Pycnogenol® is also able to correct an over-pigmentation of the skin, medically termed melasma or chloasma. This is a condition frequently experienced by women: Small skin areas which are darker than the surrounding, and to make things worse it predominantly affects the face. Taking Pycnogenol® lets these spots shrink and get lighter too.

Pycnogenol® also has a moderate anti-inflammatory action which is often helpful in cases of minor irregularities of the skin.

Looking as good as you possibly can, no matter what your age, doesn't need to remain a dream: The tool that can make it happen is at your disposal.


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