Veggie Blog

Anti aging skin care products

Anti aging skin care products remind me of the refrain “18 till I die”. Indeed, anti aging skin care products are very popular today; and why not, who does not want to look young forever?

Talking of anti aging skin care products, the first thing that comes to mind is vitamin C based anti aging skin care products. These products work by enabling the synthesis of collagen (a structural protein that is found in skin). This category of anti aging skin care products is related to anti-oxidants. Anti aging skin care products that are based on vitamin C are, however, posed with the danger of getting oxidised themselves (as they come into contact with air during their usage). So some anti aging skin care products are based on the derivatives of vitamin C, which are more stable and less expensive. However, the effectiveness of such anti aging skin care is not as great as it is for vitamin C based anti aging skin care products.

Besides vitamin C, vitamin E and lipoic acid are anti-oxidants too. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble anti-oxidant that is found in the human body and plays a role in the immune system. Claims that vitamin E prevents cancer have not been confirmed by large studies. Lipoic acid is promoted for reducing the signs of aging, but the evidence that it reverses skin damage is limited.

Phytochemicals form another category of anti aging skin care products. Phytochemicals are certain chemicals that are extracted from plants. There are a variety of phytochemicals that are in use today. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables, which contain many phytochemicals, are associated with a lower risk of some cancers, but phytochemicals in skin creams have not been shown to prevent cancer. In skin care products they are mainly used for their anti-oxidant properties.

Some B-vitamins such as B5, B6 and B12 are also used in anti aging skin care products.

The work on anti aging skin care products is extensive and needs a lot of research. Some of the currently available products have modest, proven effects, but they still have challenges to overcome. Hopefully, these challenges will get resolved in due course and help produce better and cheaper anti aging skin care products.

However, anti aging skin care products should be used only as a supplement to the usual ways of skin and body care. So, drinking a lot of water, getting a good night’s sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping stress at bay are essential means of delaying the aging process. No anti aging skin care product can really replace them.

The old version of this post was titled simply “Equipment,” and it mixed beginners’ tips with a list of props. Some of it was useful, such as using a mat, strap and blocks. Other parts were vague or hard to follow. This rewrite puts the advice in order: what you actually need for your first weeks of yoga, what is optional, and how to set up a calm space at home.

What is the one thing you need?

A yoga mat. Cleveland Clinic points out that mats provide a non-slip surface that reduces the risk of slipping or falling as you move from one pose to the next, and many have some cushioning. The old post said the same: you want something to rest on so you do not slide around on the floor. A mat is especially useful on wood or tile. On carpet, a mat is still helpful because it gives you a clear space and a little extra grip. Look for one that does not slip under your hands in a pose such as downward dog.

Which props are worth buying?

Props are tools to make poses more accessible, not signs that you are doing something wrong. According to Cleveland Clinic, blocks and straps are the universal go-tos, while blankets and bolsters appear more often in restorative yoga. Blocks bring the floor closer to your hands in standing poses such as triangle pose. Straps extend your reach, for example in a seated forward fold, so that you can keep your back straight instead of rounding it to reach your feet. The old post described belts or ropes used to pull the legs into a better stretch, and blocks to prop yourself up, which is the same idea. Blankets give cushioning for your knees and can lift your hips when you sit cross-legged.

Can you use things from around the house?

Yes. Cleveland Clinic says a rolled-up towel can replace a blanket, and neckties or T-shirts can replace a strap. Stacked books can stand in for blocks, though a sturdy, non-slip one is safer. If you are unsure whether you will keep up the practice, borrow props from a studio class or buy only a mat at first. You can add more once you know what you use.

How do you set up a space at home?

The old post gave a good list, which I have kept in a shorter form. Choose a quiet spot and switch off your phone. Wear comfortable clothes that let you stretch; our post on choosing fitness apparel covers what to wear for yoga as well as other sports. Practice barefoot, which gives you more grip and helps you feel your balance. Pull long hair back so that it does not fall in your face. Keep the lights low or use daylight, and play soft music only if it helps you. Some people like a scent such as lavender or an essential oil, but that is personal preference. I could not find reliable research showing that aromatherapy clears the mind, so I have not repeated that claim.

Should you take a class?

The old post said that some people prefer a class so that they are guided properly, and that this is fine. That is good advice. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that yoga is generally safe when done properly under the guidance of a qualified instructor, and that most injuries are sprains and strains. It advises beginners to avoid extreme practices such as headstands and forceful breathing. A teacher can also show you how to use props correctly, which saves you guesswork. If you prefer to learn at home, read the basic yoga postures and their variations and our warm-up guide before you start: before you start yoga.

Will you always need props?

No, and the old post made that point as well. As flexibility and strength improve, many people use fewer props, or use them only on tight days. Just remember that the goal is not to reach a perfect shape. Tension in a stretch is normal, but sharp pain is not. Never push into discomfort to match a picture in a book. Yoga also includes the mind and the breath, so a pose done calmly with a block is worth more than a pose forced without one. When you are ready for a short routine to use your new equipment, try a gentle morning routine for beginners.

Many people think of yoga as postures, but the oldest surviving textbook on yoga hardly mentions them. The Yoga Sutras, attributed to a teacher named Patanjali, is a short text about the mind and how to still it. The old version of this post summarized the eight “limbs” of yoga, but the English was badly garbled. Here is a clearer overview of what the text says and why it matters for anyone who practices yoga today.

What are the Yoga Sutras?

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Yoga Sutras is a foundational text in Hindu philosophy, attributed to Patanjali and dating to around the 2nd century BCE or the 5th century CE. It is the earliest surviving textbook on yoga. Scholars disagree about the date, and many now place the text, together with its early commentary, at around 400 CE. The text is traditionally counted as 196 short sayings, or sutras, grouped into four chapters. The best-known line, early in the first chapter, defines yoga as the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind. The old post put it as focusing attention on one object to the exclusion of all others, which captures part of the idea.

What are the eight limbs?

The second chapter describes an eight-limbed path, called ashtanga, which means “eight limbs.” They are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Britannica summarizes them as ethical restraints, disciplines, physical postures, breath control, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and a state of profound contemplation. The limbs are usually taught in that order, from outer conduct toward inner stillness, but they are not a strict ladder, and a person can work on several at once.

What do the first two limbs, yama and niyama, mean?

Yamas are ethical restraints in how we treat others and the world. The traditional list, in the standard modern translations, includes non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, moderation and not being greedy, which matches the old post’s mention of avoiding lying, stealing and greed. Niyamas are personal observances: cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline, self-study and devotion or surrender to a higher principle. The old post described the niyamas as attitudes toward ourselves, which is a fair summary. These lists come from the tradition itself, not from a study, and different teachers translate them in slightly different ways.

Where do postures and breathing come in?

Fewer places than you might expect. In the Sutras, asana is described only briefly, as a posture that is steady and comfortable. There are no lists of poses. The detailed pose sequences of a modern class are not in the Sutras; they developed later. Pranayama, the extension and control of breath, is the fourth limb. The old post said it helps concentration and balances body and mind, which is how the tradition describes it. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that classical yoga includes other elements, while yoga as practiced in the United States typically emphasizes physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation. So the Sutras describe a broader path than the exercise classes most Americans attend.

What about the last four limbs?

Pratyahara is the turning of attention away from outside distractions. Dharana is concentration, the ability to hold the mind on a chosen point. Dhyana is meditation, a steady flow of attention toward the chosen object. Samadhi, the last limb, is described as a state of complete absorption, which the tradition calls self-realization or union with the source. The old post presented that last claim as a fact. It is better understood as the spiritual goal of the path, one that people hold as a belief, not something that can be tested.

How can you use the Yoga Sutras today?

You do not need to follow all eight limbs to benefit from yoga, and you do not need to share the tradition’s beliefs to find parts of it useful. Many modern classes use only postures and breathing. Others add a few minutes of meditation or a short talk about one of the yamas. If you want to start with the practical side, our guide to what yoga is and the post on yoga postures and styles show how the physical practice looks today. If you are curious about the history and the variety of the tradition, our guide to the seven chakras looks at another part of it. A good teacher will tell you which parts of a class come from the tradition and which are modern additions.

Yoga postures: an introduction

Yoga can build strength and flexibility, help reduce tension and stress, and has a lower risk of injury than many high-impact activities. It does not need any expensive equipment either. So why do more people not try it?

Why do people hesitate?

Some people see yoga as slow, passive or too spiritual to fit into a busy life. Yet many of those who feel worn out by constant outward activity are discovering the appeal of turning inward and getting to know themselves better. Yoga is no longer a niche practice. According to a national survey cited by the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 15.8% of American adults practiced yoga in 2022, up from 5.0% in 2002.

Where does the word yoga come from?

Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means to join, to yoke or to unite. Through its techniques of posture, breathing and meditation, a person is said to arrive at mental and physical balance, better health and inner peace. It has been described as providing a “work-in” rather than a workout.

What are the main styles?

Yoga has several branches, or paths, and many offshoots. Only some of them center on physical exercise, and the two best known are hatha yoga and kundalini yoga.

Hatha is the most common form in the Western world. It is a slow-paced style that emphasizes controlled breathing and holding different physical poses. Many of the yoga classes you will find in a gym or studio are based on hatha, so it is a good place for beginners to start. You can read more in our post on hatha yoga.

Kundalini yoga was brought to the West in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan. It is more active and combines different kinds of breathing, movement and meditation. It is based on the belief that energy coiled at the base of the spine can be awakened so that it travels upward through different energy centers, known as chakras, until it reaches the head.

What is an asana?

The physical poses of yoga are called asanas. Classical sources describe 84 basic asanas, each coordinated with a particular way of breathing. They range from simple bends and twists to pretzel-like positions that only the most advanced practitioners can do. Together they stretch the muscles and build flexibility, and the breathing helps release tension. Static holds isolate and strengthen particular muscles.

Over the centuries asanas were developed to work the whole body. The aim is a physique that is strong and flexible without being muscle-bound, and a body that feels less tired and a mind that feels calmer. Many teachers say the real value of the postures lies in how they train attention and discipline the mind, even more than in what they do for the muscles.

How do you begin?

The best way is to join a beginner class with a qualified teacher, who can correct your posture and show you how to adapt each pose. Wear comfortable clothes, go slowly and listen to your body. Yoga is generally considered safe for healthy people when it is done properly, but injuries can happen, most often sprains and strains. If you are pregnant, have an injury or a medical condition, or are older, ask your doctor before you start.

To go further, read our posts on what yoga is, basic yoga postures and their variations and the origins of yoga.

Detox home kits: what to know before you buy

There are many detox products on the market today. Home kits are also available; they usually consist of diet plans with extra pills and tonics, or herbal pills said to be good for different organs.

However, you should know that there is no scientific evidence that detox products work. Even the manufacturers cannot show test results. Only glowing customer testimonials support the products. So be careful before you choose a detox home kit.

What the kits promise

The kits are sold as a way to clear accumulated toxins from your body and relieve you of heavy burdens, so that your immune system can recover energy and work better. In reality, your liver and kidneys already remove waste continuously, and there is no evidence that a kit improves on this. What does support your body’s natural detox system is limiting harmful substances in the first place: not smoking, drinking less alcohol and eating well.

The marketing often claims that toxins stored in the body for many years cause degenerative diseases, much like emotional traumas buried for years can surface in midlife. There is no evidence that a kit prevents disease. The comparison does carry one useful message, though: pay attention to changes in your behaviour and to physical symptoms, and get proper care. Ignoring symptoms that need attention can be dangerous, and pain that you deny does not go away.

Exposure to some pollutants cannot be avoided in today’s environment. A healthy body is well equipped to deal with them, and kits have not been shown to help it regain any ‘natural balance’. If you feel unwell, a doctor is a better first step than a kit.

Some people buy detox kits as a treat or to feel they are doing something good for themselves. That is a personal choice, but it is worth knowing that any lift in energy is more likely to come from the healthier eating that comes with the kit than from the pills.

Kits for specific purposes

Detox home kits come in many varieties, mostly made from selected herbs and other ingredients described as purifying. For example, some are sold to heavy drinkers to remove the traces of alcohol from the body. No kit does this; your liver breaks down alcohol, and the only way to help it is to drink less. If you are a regular heavy drinker, talk to a doctor, because stopping suddenly can be dangerous. What a kit cannot give you, you can still build: the discipline to change habits.

Other kits claim to reduce stretch marks, tone skin, ease eczema and psoriasis, and break down cellulite. These claims are not supported by evidence; eczema and psoriasis are best treated with a doctor’s help.

Detox kits are sold as a way to remove toxic substances and bring your body back into balance. If you still want to buy one, read the ingredient list, check for side effects and interactions with medicines you take, and ask your doctor or pharmacist first. After all, you are spending your money and putting your health on it.