Your skin is held together by two proteins: collagen and elastin. These proteins allow your skin to return to its original shape after moving. However, as we age, the body starts to produce less of these proteins, and the result is wrinkles. Some of the places most affected by this decrease are your forehead and the corners of your mouth leading to your chin. These are called frown lines, or expression lines. While the lines are an inevitable side effect of age and sun exposure, natural remedies can lessen their appearance.
Wear Sunglasses
Sunlight is a major cause of frown lines. When you're out in this sun without shades, you generally pull your eyebrows down to limit the amount of sun reaching your eyes. This causes the forehead to wrinkle temporarily. However, constant repetition of this movement can cause forehead frown lines. Wearing sunglasses when in direct sunlight can limit the severity of these lines by decreasing your urge to furrow your brows. Wearing sunglasses can also help ward against crow's feet, as it reduces your urge to squint.
Use Cold Water
Many think washing the skin in hot water with strong soaps keeps skin at its cleanest, but they only dissolves the natural oils that nourish your skin. Instead, try using cold or lukewarm water and a mild soap when you wash. Also exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells and encourage new cell growth, which will help reduce wrinkles. Exfoliate twice a week using a mild scrub or a washcloth.
Stop Smoking
Smoking encourages a constant repetition of movement around the mouth and lips, which encourages the creation of frown lines. In addition, smoking encourages wrinkles because it constricts the blood vessels on the top layers of skin. This deprives the skin of the oxygen it needs to remove waste and dead cells in that region and grow new cells. Try to limit your smoking habits if you can't eliminate them.
Control Facial Movements
Frowning is a natural reaction, but for some people frowning is a default facial expression. While it's impossible to stop frowning completely, you can control how often you frown and how long the expression lasts. Try placing a thin piece of tape on your forehead to reduce frowning. Also, don't perform facial exercises that claim to rid your skin of frown lines and wrinkles, as facial distortion only aggravates the skin, suggests the Doctor's Book of Home Remedies.
Eat Vitamin-Packed Foods
While they don't directly reduce wrinkles, B-complex vitamins help to promote healthier looking skin. B vitamins can be found in eggs, whole wheat products, beef and chicken. Vitamins A, C and E also encourage healthy, fresh skin and are found in carrots, leafy greens and fruit.
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