“Wrinkled, sagging skin is not the inevitable result of growing older. It is a disease, and you can fight it.”

Nicholas Perricone, M.D.

People have been seeking a miracle wrinkle cure, the holy grail of beauty, since the Santa Maria Novella monks of Florence began mixing anti-aging potions seven hundred years ago. Indeed, the search for the fountain of youth is not a new quest, but thanks to targeted advertising, mass media, and consumption culture, the cosmetics industry has gradually evolved into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. These days, in one trip to Neiman Marcus, one can purchase ceramic jars of seaweed cream (developed by a former NASA scientist and worth its weight in gold), tubes of stretch mark emulsion (rumored to be better than Botox if applied to facial wrinkles) and pots of royal jelly balm (that may as well be squeezed out of the backs of queen bees for that price tag)—all promising to do one thing: take years off your look. Ultimately, the credibility of these claims is a matter of contestation, but undeniably “revolutionary” beauty treatments sell like Manolo Blahnik stilettos on sale.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of women who opt to go under the knife, inject muscle-atrophy fluids in frown lines, and fill out laugh creases with Restylyne is on a steady incline. Disillusioned with topical remedies, many try to win the war against time by taking aggressive measures. In certain cases, these procedures can produce results that are nothing short of spectacular, but possible side effects—a lá excruciating pain, frozen foreheads, drooping eyebrows, facial asymmetry and constant pocket book drainage—are major deterrents.

That said what if I was to claim that the conventional approaches to youth and vitality are completely wrong? In his ground-breaking book, The Wrinkle Cure, Doctor Nicholas Perricone of Yale University spells out healthy, non-invasive antidotes to sun damage, crowfeet, spider veins, sagging, laugh lines, discoloration, acne and many more skin afflictions that plague us. Sounds like a promise too good to be true? Well, that is exactly how I felt until I decided to put away the 1001 containers of various high-end concoctions I had in my possession and chose to try something new, simple, and based on scientific facts. The improvement I observed in my skin after only two weeks on the Perricone regimen was so impressive that I resolved to adopt the famed dermatologist’s recommendations as a lifestyle.

Here is my quick start guide to Doctor Perricone’s “all-natural approach to preventing the signs of aging by putting nature’s most powerful nutrients to work for your skin” so that you too can begin turning back the clock immediately.

Eat Right for a Picture-Perfect Complexion and Healthy Body

According to Perricone, “If you are the type of person who rushes over to the nearest department store to try the latest skin-smoothing miracle cream, then it’s time you started getting just as excited about your trips to the grocery store.” Remember, one need not be a nutritionist to make the right choices. Just follow these pointers…

• It is impossible to go wrong with fresh fruits and vegetables, easily located in the produce aisle.

• Forget about the old FDA nutrition pyramid based on a diet rich in carbohydrates and light on proteins. Carbohydrates increase insulin levels and trigger production of inflammatory chemicals. “The result is not only prematurely aged skin, but also degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other illnesses.”

• Make fresh fish (rich in Omega-3 fatty acids) and poultry a staple of your nutritional regime. “Protein is absolutely essential for repairing the damage done by free-radicals. A lack of adequate protein in your diet prevents cellular repair and puts you on a fast track to aging.”

• Minimize dairy consumption, with one exception: yogurt. Yogurt is a great detoxifying agent, which introduces healthy bacteria into the intestinal tract.

• Rule out all refined and processed foods.

• Compliment your diet with daily health supplements.

IDEAL MEAL PLAN: Every healthy meal should include a protein, a good source of carbohydrates (those low on the glycemic index such as asparagus, broccoli, blueberries, spinach and most nonstarchy vegetables), and a small amount of unsaturated fat. “Therefore, your typical meal should consist of a piece of chicken or fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, and a small source of mono-saturated fats such as olive oil or a few nuts such as almonds or macadamias.”

The New Face of Skin Care

Vitamins

Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules, produced by cells (burning oxygen to produce energy), sunlight, toxins, cigarette smoke, and pollution. Free radicals attack their environment in a “quest to ‘heal’ themselves”. Antioxidants, “a sort of cellular rescue team,” band with free radicals to establish the body’s natural balance. However, in the absence of anti-oxidants, these rogue agents wreak havoc on the body.

Unfortunately, the body is constantly bombarded with external forces --such as sunlight exposure and second hand cigarette smoke-- that activate free radicals. A healthy diet can help fight these ‘assaults’ but according to Doctor Perricone good eating habits must go together with the daily ingestion of the following vitamins, minerals, and supplements:

• Vitamin A (5,000 International units), E (400 international units), and C (1,000 milligrams, twice daily).

• Grape seed extract, a powerful antioxidant.

• Alpha Lipoic Acid (50 milligrams)

• Calcium (1,000 milligrams)

• Magnesium (500 milligrams)

• Zinc (15 milligrams)

• Acetyl L-carnitine (1,000 milligrams)

• Coenzyme Q10 (100 milligrams)

• B1 (20 milligrams), B2 (10 milligrams), B3 (20 milligrams), B5 (250 milligrams, twice daily), B6 (25 milligrams), B12 (500 micrograms daily)

• Folic Acid (500 micrograms daily)

• Chromium (100 micrograms)

• Ginkgo biloba (80 milligrams)

Fashionlines Tip: Assembling this extensive mélange of pills can be a daunting task, especially for women on the go. That is why; Dr. Perricone offers “Nutritional Support System Dietary Supplements”, designed to improve the appearance of problem skin, through his namesake cosmeceuticals company. Each box contains 30 packets, a 1 month supply.

Cosmeceuticals: Where Cosmetics Meets Pharmaceuticals

Vitamin C Ester

Vitamin C is an amazing anti-oxidant that bolsters the immune system, increases energy, and protects the nervous system. Vitamin C ester is basic vitamin C, combined with a fatty acid derived from palm oil. Vitamin C ester is fat-soluble, meaning it is easily absorbed into the skin. In other words, Vitamin C ester can penetrate the cell-membrane, offering maximum protection against free-radicals.

Fashionlines Tip: Vitamin C creams sold in department stores are water-soluble. Because of this, these products cannot penetrate the cell membrane to work at the cellular level, where aging begins. To stop free-radical damage and to realize the revitalizing effects of Vitamin C, apply Doctor Perricone’s Vitamin C Ester products.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a natural molecule that naturally exists in our cells. This miracle iota is a universal anti-oxidant that doubles as a protective shield for vitamins like C and E, so that they may do a better job of obliterating free-radicals.

To Perricone, the topical application of alpha lipoic acid has “outstanding effects” on lines, wrinkles, under-eye bags, enlarged pores, acne scars and dull skin. In The Wrinkle Cure the good doctor writes, “In addition to making your skin look fabulous, alpha lipoic acid is natural and nontoxic. It is perfect for people allergic to reactions to other types of skin products.” Hence, if you have sensitive skin, plagued by unsightly imperfections, the Perricone alpha lipoic acid serum is the key to reinventing your complexion.

DMAE

“Mixed in a cocktail with other nutrients, combined with an antioxidant base, and applied topically, DMAE can quickly and dramatically improve the appearance of sagging skin.” In fact, DMAE is the quickest fix one can get in a bottle. If you are tired of seeing your face traveling south, DMAE is the way to go!

Overall, Perricone’s main message is loud and clear: If you are genuinely determined to revolutionize your skin, it is time to start rethinking your life style. As the Doc so appropriately asks, “Have you ever seen an unhealthy person with a flawless complexion and a radiant glow?”

Perricone Cosmeceuticals are available on Doctor Nicholas Perricone’s official website, www.nvperriconemd.com, as well as select Sephora, Nordstrom, and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. For more information log onto www.sephora.com or call the Nordstrom Beauty hotline at (800) 7BEAUTY.

Please note that all of the quotes contained in this article are from Doctor Nicholas Perricone’s book, The Wrinkle Cure.