Anyone who doubts that there are significant health and anti-aging benefits of plants only needs to do a quick google search – the overwhelming evidence to the contrary of their doubt should change their mind. Headlines about the positive benefits of plants are endless.
What the Headlines Say About the Benefits of Plants
- “The Perks of Being a Plant Lover” (Healthline, in which the health benefits of indoor plants are illuminated). These include clearing toxins out of the air, increasing the humidity in ways that are beneficial to health, boosting mood, and improving memory.
- “How Hospital Gardens Help Patients Heal” (Scientific American, in which the medical benefits of hospital gardens are reported). These include less pain and a shortened recovery time for patients with views of gardens, better patient outcomes for patients with pictures of plants, and improved quality of life for patients who spent time in an actual hospital garden.
- “These 8 Inspiring People Prove That a Plant-Based Diet May Be the Secret to Age-Defying Vitality” (One Green Planet, in which famous people’s vegetarian spectrum diets are held up as evidence for their youthful looks and beauty). Included are women in their 60s and 70s and men that are in their late 90s who look decades younger than their chronological age.
- “The Potential of Plant Phenolics in Prevention and Therapy of Skin Disorders” (The International Journal of Molecular Sciences, republished by the NIH, in which the medicinal and cosmetic benefits are reviewed).
Evidence suggests that people can benefit from plant phenolics obtained either by the diet or through skin application, because they can alleviate symptoms and inhibit the development of various skin disorders. Due to their natural origin and low toxicity, phenolic compounds are a promising tool in eliminating the causes and effects of skin aging, skin diseases, and skin damage, including wounds and burns. Polyphenols also act protectively and help prevent or attenuate the progression of certain skin disorders, both embarrassing minor problems (e.g., wrinkles, acne) or serious, potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer.
- “Skin Aging: Natural Weapons and Strategies” (National Institutes of Health, in which virtues of plant extracts for use in cosmetic products are extolled).
The fact that the skin is the most visible organ makes us aware of the ageing process every minute. The use of plant extracts and herbs has its origins in ancient times. Chronological and photo-ageing can be easily distinguished clinically, but they share important molecular features. We tried to gather the most interesting evidence based on facts about plants and plant extracts used in anti aging products. Our main idea was to emphasize action mechanisms of these plant/herbal products, that is, their “strategies” in fighting skin ageing. Some of the plant extracts have the ability to scavenge free radicals, to protect the skin matrix through the inhibition of enzymatic degradation, or to promote collagen synthesis in the skin. There are some plants that can affect skin elasticity and tightness. Certainly, there is a place for herbal principles in anti aging cosmetics.
Health Benefits of Plants
These benefits of plants are well known to those who work in the healthcare and beauty industries, whether plants are used to enhance the environment, consumed, inhaled, or applied topically. Scientists, including those working on skincare, and medical practitioners agree that a high value should be placed on certain plants in relation to human health.
Aging is related to health. WebMd is one of the most read and trusted sources of information on all things health related. It is easily accessible on the internet and user friendly. It only publishes information that is verified through peer-reviewed research or well cited and accepted as fact by the medical profession at large. There are articles on WebMD that specifically explain the foods to eat that will keep your skin, nails, and hair healthy and the relationship between a healthy look and beauty. Diets that are high in a rainbow array of colored fruits and vegetables provide a full range of antioxidant loaded vitamins and minerals, as well as compounds that promote the production of collagen and elastin. These all provide your body with what it needs to keep disease at bay, keep your skin healthy and therefore youthful looking with a clear, smooth, glowing complexion. This type of diet has the added benefits of providing you with healthy energy and is the best for maintaining a good weight level and good eyesight. Combining eating plenty of a diverse range of plants and vegetables with staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, keeping your stress under control, sun protection and avoiding cigarette smoke and excessive amounts of dehydrating caffeine and alcohol will help your skin stay younger longer.
Anti-Aging Benefits of Plants
Plants can also help you stay young looking when they are used topically. This is something that the cosmetics industry (a multi-billion dollar per year industry) is highly aware of. Plants enhance cosmetics and make them more effective. And consumers, like you, are aware of this. Most cosmetics products, however, fill up their bottles and vials with ingredients other than the pure goodness of plants. The plant oils and extracts are diluted. This is never the case with Delta-5TM by SciaEssentialsTM. What you get in every bottle is topically safe to apply, concentrated enough to be effective when only a few drops are used, organic, preservative free anti-aging plant oil. When applied to the skin, plant derived Delta-5 is easily absorbed and goes to work immediately to help you look younger and stay more beautiful.
