The more we get to know about the harmful ingredients in cosmetic products, the more we want to avoid them. A lot of people these days are trying to live a more “chemical free” lifestyle. This includes cosmetic products as well as other toxic substances used in and around the home. The question is this: can we address beauty in a more natural way? The answer is yes, and your solution lies within one of the products of bees, Royal Jelly.
My Notes On Royal Jelly as a Skincare Solutions:
The four main areas where royal jelly is most effective for skincare include:
- Anti-aging and wrinkle reducer
- Skin and wound healing properties (heals acne, scars, cuts, and wounds)
- Protects from sun aging
- Helps with hormonal balancing
Aging is one of those unfortunate experiences that none of us can avoid. Even so, too many of us age far too quickly. Premature aging can be attributed to many factors. The biggest culprits are the usual ones, namely lifestyle choices and poor diet.
The Visible Signs of Aging
- Forehead lines
- Temples
- Changes in malar (cheek) area
- Fat loss in cheeks
- Hollowing of mid-face
- Permanent nasolabial folds (smile lines)
- Vertical wrinkles
- Jaw contours
- Chin wrinkles
- Marionette lines
Why We Age
As we grow older, the renewal process of our skin's cells becomes a lot less efficient. The direct effect of this is that tissue repair and cell regeneration slows right down. In young healthy skin, there is plenty of “natural” moisture present. In older skin, the reverse is true, and the older we get, the drier the skin becomes. Also with aging, the skin gets thinner and loses its flexibility. The reason this happens is because collagen production is less. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It is the very stuff that holds the entire body together. Needless to say, by boosting collagen production we should be able to slow down the aging process somewhat. This is where royal jelly (RJ) comes in.
Royal Jelly to the Rescue
Royal Jelly contains minerals that help fight against aging. One of these is silicon that can lead to an increase in collagen production within the body. RJ also contains certain antioxidants and nutrients that also support skin renewal. These antioxidants and nutrients include enzymes, flavonoids, decanoic acid, nucleic acid and hormones. It doesn't end there either.
Royal jelly comprises many vitamins and minerals too. These include B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, acetyl-choline and zinc. Again, these can also contribute toward healthier, more radiant skin. Studies show that the acids in RJ play a part in both its collagen production and promotion.
How many of us reach a point in time where we complain about our skin being dull and lifeless. We often just put this down to the inevitable consequence of aging. To some degree this is true, but it's not the full picture. In fact, a lot older people have beautiful skin for their age. Likewise, some younger people can have awful skin for their age. What a lot of people don't realize is that those with poor skin, or skin that is aging fast, can do something about it. At least in the majority of cases they can.
Overworked and Stressed
We can age prematurely because of physical and emotional conditions. Too much work can lead to stress, both of which contribute to aging. If someone is always worried and deep in negative thoughts, this too can play havoc with the health of their skin.
When the adrenal glands and kidneys work overtime they need a rest so that they can regenerate and recover. When the kidneys become weakened, skin tends to sag and the body retains water. The good news is that royal jelly is beneficial for the kidneys, a tonic some would say. The secret to healthy, more youthful looking skin is not hard to fathom. All you have to do is supply your body with what it needs and your skin will change for the better. Making sure you stay well hydrated at all times is a good start. However, hydration alone, though crucial, is not enough. The modern lifestyle makes many demands on us, both physical and emotional. This is why many of us could use a little help from our friend, Royal Jelly.
Sun Aging
Despite the dangers caused by too much exposure to the sun, a lot of people still like to tan. Royal jelly is thought to protect the skin cells from photo-aging (aging caused by the sun).
Skin Health and Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal imbalance can occur for all kinds of reasons; far too many to mention here. During menopause, however, a decrease in hormones is often inevitable. When this happens, skin problems usually follow. Low estrogen in particular can create significant changes in a woman's skin. A lot of women experience drier skin and more visible signs of fine lines and wrinkles. Skin becomes more fragile too, and starts to lose its elasticity, quite fast in some cases. Older skin will often appear paler as well. The reason for this is because the falling levels of estrogen reduce the number of blood vessels in the skin. This is the bad news associated with menopause and aging.
The good news is that royal jelly is a powerful hormonal tonic for women going through menopause. Hormonal imbalances can be complex issues at the best of times, but particularly during menopause. Because of this, it may take RJ three months or more before the full benefits can come into effect.
A scientific study performed on rats reported that RJ may protect against skin aging. It does this by enhancing collagen production in rats with ovariectomy-induced estrogen deficiency. You can read an extract from this study by following the link below:
J Med Food. 2012 Jun;15(6):568-75. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2011.1888. Epub 2012 Apr 2.
Royal jelly increases collagen production in rat skin after ovariectomy.
Park HM, Cho MH, Cho Y, Kim SY.
How to Take RJ as a Beauty Treatment
There are three basic products that contain the amounts of royal jelly needed for skincare. These are:
- Capsules (looking after you from the inside out)
- Skin cream (use to replace current moisturizer)
- Soaps (use to replace current chemical soaps)
Summary
Royal jelly has been, and continues to be, studied for a plethora of human health benefits. Some of this research is conclusive and other areas are yet to be confirmed. When it comes to skincare, the results are in with regards to testimonials from those who have used it. Anyone who is looking to take better care of their skin the natural way, will definitely want to look into nature's own remedy.