How to repair damaged skin on the face naturally (No office visits)

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Is there anyone over 40 who hasn’t caused some major DNA damage to his or her skin? I’m talking sun damage, to be exact, since the majority of that injury sadly comes from UV rays. My hat’s off to you if you were ahead of the curve (and you must’ve been wearing your hat and sunblock in bed) but that’s definitely not most of us.

Of course it is part of being alive to love the feeling of sun on your skin and we should be able to enjoy it – in moderation. I used to love getting crispy with my high school friends over summer break. Memories of baby oil and yes even reflectors aren’t hard to recall (sigh).

So how, without cosmetic procedures from a dermatologist, can we reverse sun damage? We can’t turn back the clock completely for sure and I certainly have plenty of proof left that I sunbathed too much.

However, on their own or combined with treatments like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids, there are some natural things you can do at home to help your skin heal and look fresher and younger, no matter your chronological age today. And beyond that? We just accept our beauty and remember how lucky we are to have the signs of a life well-lived.

BUT until then…let’s look at some proven ways to renew our skin:

WAYS TO REVERSE SUN DAMAGE AT HOME:

fasting AND autophagy

According to this abstract from the NIH:

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation process and protective housekeeping mechanism to eliminate damaged organelles, long-lived misfolded proteins and invading pathogens. Autophagy functions to recycle building blocks and energy for cellular renovation and homeostasis, allowing cells to adapt to stress. 

Fasting is a great way to renew your skin cells and in fact all of the cells in your body. With each hour beyond 12 hours of fasting, your body receives more physiological benefit, which comes from reducing blood sugar and fat storage. How does this relate to your skin? Once Autophagy begins, your body starts to dispose of dead cells that are just sitting there amongst the fresh skin cells, gumming up the works. It is a cleansing mechanism that the body has: to whisk away old cells and make way for the new.

As a result of this disposal of old cells, your body is able to replace those old cells with fresh new ones, which helps your skin as well as other organs. People who fast for long periods of time refer to the radiance of their skin as the “fasting glow.”

Autophagy was such an important discovery that in 2016, a scientist named Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for his research.

If you’re interested in reading more about autophagy and fasting, here’s a book from one of the founding researchers on intermittent fasting. There are many books and articles that go into great detail about the benefits of time-restricted eating, including this article on suchgoodskin!

KIWI FRUIT REALLY?

While it doesn’t seem likely that a little kiwi fruit could have much impact on your skin, the research is good. I choose to believe that my having eaten kiwi for the past 2 decades has helped my skin look a little younger than its age.

Dr Michael Greger reviews a study on his site nutritionfacts.org that reveals the kiwi’s ability to not only prevent DNA damage with its antioxidant potency, but to actually restore cellular damage after it has happened. I talk more about this in several articles, including 22 Foods for Gorgeous Skin, and What Do Kiwi, Strawberry, Banana…

Eating just one kiwi a day appears to perk up your cells and revitalize the DNA. But what about topically? As long as the active ingredients can penetrate the epidermis, they should be as valuable topically as internally. I’ll talk about absorption* in a minute but below is a very simple recipe for a facial mask that includes blended kiwi, strawberry, turmeric powder, mustard seed powder, and banana.

The strawberry has ellagic acid which lightens sun spots. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory that is used to heal scars and brighten the complexion, while mustard seed powder will help circulation and promote a glow. The banana soothes and helps to create a paste, but it is optional.

*Remember the absorption factor I spoke about earlier with regard to applying topicals? See the paragraph that follows for more on that and how to make this face mask even more effective.

microneedle…_{Damage skin to heal it?}

The concept behind micro-needling is factual: cause damage to the skin and collagen will come to the rescue to heal the damage. That’s how a scar forms, after a burn for instance.

A roller consists of hundreds of tiny needles that come in various depths, that poke tiny holes in the epidermis/dermis and trigger the fibroblasts to start building new collagen. Micro-needling is quite the thing these days. You can find all kinds of how-to’s that will give you all the details if you’re interested.

I don’t have patience to do it as often as required for collagen restoration, but I use it before I apply a facial mask, for enhanced penetration of the ingredients. I especially focus on brown spots or any areas I want to correct. I use the shallowest needle – .25 – and make sure to clean my skin and the device well before using.

So if you don’t mind a little needling, give this a try prior to applying your favorite mask! You can buy micro-needles easily on Amazon here.

ASTAXANTHIN

Due to the decline in melanocytes as we get older, our skin tends to get paler. And if you’re already a little pasty, as I am, it’s not a good look. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid found in certain types of algae and eaten by sea life, like shrimp, krill, and salmon. It’s the substance that gives them the pink color, and it protects them from sun damage. Studies are impressive. They show that:

Astaxanthin improves the DNA repair capacity of cells exposed to UV radiation, …astaxanthin-treated wounds showed significantly increased expression of wound healing biological markers such as collagen type I and basic fibroblast growth factor.

So, It fends off oxidation and inflammation, and builds collagen…and did I mention it gives seafood their pink color?

Turns out that when we eat astaxanthin, we take on color just like the fish do! You can take it in supplement form, or by eating foods that contain it. You can also find it in the ingredient list of some skincare products.

I took the supplement for a while and I really noticed a difference – and quickly, within days. My skin had a definite pinky, tan-like glow, and it even looked smoother.

I stopped taking astaxanthin because I’m not good at taking supplements, but I eat salmon and I’m trying out skincare formulations that contain it. This one from DHS looks like a good one to try:

smoothies (as opposed to juice)

Ahh the smoothie. You can get them in malls and airports and yogurt shops, but are you getting the best ones for your skin?

Smoothies have the potential to be skin saving/repairing powerhouses due to the fact that they preserve all of the fiber along with the nutrients of the plants and fruits, as opposed to juice which just gives you a lot of vitamin C but also imparts a huge dose of concentrated sugar.

I’ve come up with a smoothie recipe that perfects the ingredients and allows them to work synergistically to provide the best skin-repairing benefits. I always feel so hydrated and energetic and frankly glowy, when I drink one of these treats. And I mean treat, because it tastes good too!

Okay so you need a good blender of course. I have a Vitamix and it has never failed me. If you don’t have a good one, you can find it easily on Amazon.

I’ll give you all the ingredients I use, and all you need to do is blend them to your preferred consistency. I make it like a milkshake and it goes down just as easily as when I was a kid and mom would take me to Dairy Queen for my favorite chocolate milkshake.

Some of the ingredients might sound a little odd but they’re easily available and I’ll explain my reasons.

Start with a base of either :

• Organic Soy Milk (unsweetened always) or Cashew milk, Coconut or Almond, whichever you prefer,
• Power Greens (blend of spinach, kale, arugula or whichever leafy greens you have available),
• Frozen Strawberries,
• Frozen pineapple (or I also like frozen peaches),
• Frozen Banana (once banana ripens, peel and store in freezer to have available for smoothies),
• Fresh Organic Broccoli,
• Organic unsweetened Cacao powder, and
• Yogurt (optional if you’re vegan).

Next you’re going to add a few ingredients to bring this smoothie to a whole other level...

• Mustard Seed Powder: This ingredient has been shown to enhance the super antioxidant/cancer-fighting power of Sulforaphane – a substance I talk more about in my post 22 Foods for Gorgeous Skin. Broccoli contains the highest amount of sulphoraphane – aside from broccoli sprouts – of any other vegetable. Not only does this plant chemical halt the progression of cancer cells and protect against DNA damage, it also provides good amounts of the mineral sulfur, which is crucial for your skin health.
• Organic Turmeric Powder: Turmeric is an important super antioxidant that is widely used in Indian cooking, and thought to be responsible for the low levels of Alzheimer’s disease in the country. It is also used as a home remedy to lighten brown spots on the skin. The active ingredient, Curcumin, is said to slow down melanin production hence with topical application it has a lightening effect. Internally, it reduces inflammation and keeps free radicals from injuring healthy skin cells. To be best absorbed, it needs to be taken with fat, so be sure you’re not using a fat-free milk in your smoothie.
• Black Pepper: This ingredient activates the turmeric, to make it more powerful. The active substance is called Piperine. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it!
• Organic Cinnamon Powder: Cinnamon has been shown to reduce blood sugar. This helps regulate excess sugar which can cause the breakdown of collagen.

With regard to the amounts, I will tell you my preferences but you can make yours to your own taste. If you want it a little sweeter, either add more banana or a teaspoon of real maple syrup.

I use:

• a cup of milk
• a small handful of each of the fruits
• a large handful of greens
• a smallish crown of broccoli
• a large tablespoon of cacao
• a tablespoon of yogurt. With regard to the powders,
• about a 1/2 teaspoon of each of the powders, (except for the black pepper – just a dash of that is good).

Blend it all together and enjoy! Yum.

kinetin

When I was in college there was a line of products called Kinerase. I loved these products because they were gentle and moisturizing and had a similar effect as a retinoid but without any irritation. They used sweet almond oil and left a sheen on the skin. Just beautiful. Somewhere along the line Kinerase was no longer available. I heard something about how their patent had expired.

The key ingredient in Kinerase is called Kinetin, which is a hormone in plants that activates their growth. In human skin it has been shown to be protective against oxidation of skin cells, as well as to activate the fibroblasts responsible for secreting new collagen. All of the mechanisms are not yet known, but I know I liked the effect. If you want to try one of the few products on the market today, here’s a good one to check out:

• Obagi Clinical Kinetin+ Hydrating Cream – high-quality formulation with great reviews on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

You can incorporate one or all of these into your healthy routines. Staying fresh and vibrant is a good by-product of eating well and practicing skincare, but I hope I’m helping you to enjoy it along the way. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below, or if you have any of your own ideas to share!

For more on reversing sun damage, see my article: Repair Sun Damage With 3 Natural Alternatives To Retinol

And for more on the amazing benefits of Broccoli, see my post: Why is Broccoli so Good for your Skin?