When I reached almost 42 I started to notice more wrinkles on my face. Of course, the wrinkles were there even before 42, but I did not look so close in the mirror! :-)
I decided to look for natural ways to slow-down and even sometimes reverse the signs of 'aging'. I came across Tonya Zavasta, who promotes a raw food diet and she looks AMAZING for her age, or really any age, so I purchased her e-book: Guide to an Ageless Face: The Smartest Skin Training. She had all kinds of great suggestions. I especially like Chapter 10: Know Your Cosmetics! She warns her readers how cosmetic companies get away with adding in synthetic ingredients under natural sounding names. In general, her book is useful, except I took issue with one of her suggestions - using synthetic tape on your face.
Why I recommend against using plastic or first aid tape as an anti-wrinkle solution.
The only suggestion that I found in her book that did not seem so 'natural' was applying first aid tape to the face. She said when she first used the tape it caused "redness" and that was a BIG red flag for me, since it meant that her skin reacted. I wondered why would her skin react, so I went searching for the answer. The problems seems to clearly be the isooctyl acrylate which is a synthetic chemical found in almost all medical/first aid tapes and bandages. "the presence of one of the most common acrylates (isooctyl acrylate) used in 3M's adhesive bandages and tapes was discovered by accessing online US patent records" http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/572962_4
Here are the toxicity warnings listed on the USA National Institute of Health website: isooctyl acrylate
"Inhalation Symptoms: Cough.
Skin Symptoms: Redness.
Eye Symptoms: Redness.
Ingestion Symptoms: Vomiting. Aspiration hazard!
Ecological Information: ICSC Environmental Data
The substance is very toxic to aquatic organisms. It is strongly advised not to let the chemical enter into the environment."
Since medical science has proven that our skin is permeable, what we put on our skin can and often is absorbed and thus will end up in our blood stream, which is why I think it is wise that we consider things we put on our skin similar to something we would eat.
Thinly sliced fresh cucumbers work as a great substitute for tapes with toxic chemicals.
Does cucumber work as an anti-wrinkle remedy?
"In 2013, a study published in “Fitoterapia,” a journal dedicated to medicinal plant research, took a closer look at the bioactive compounds that make cucumber juice beneficial for skin care. The report identifies a variety of compounds that make cucumber juice “nourishing” for the skin. The authors conclude that these elements lend cucumber juice a skin-soothing effect that eases irritation, reduces swelling and even alleviates sunburns. Cucumber also offers antioxidants, which combat skin-damaging free radicals." http://www.livestrong.com/article/179024-what-are-the-benefits-of-using-cucumber-juice-on-facial-skin
Cucumber will do the same ironing effect as anti-wrinkle patches or tape and also naturally hydrate your skin with all the goodies from the cucumber juice!
I am confident that cucumbers are a safe and beneficial and better alternative to anti-wrinkle patches/tape and even botox.