I’ve been using expensive wrinkle creams for the last 20 years with no visible results. It was frustrating to spend so much money month after month while fine lines developed and I just had to have faith that it would look worse if I wasn’t using the expensive cream.

Then I discovered an important fact about aging skin while I was researching skin herbs: collagen is the key to keeping skin smooth and resilient. Collagen is a major structural component of skin that decreases as we age, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin. To slow aging skin and stimulate the production of collagen, we need foods and herbs high in antioxidants as well as vitamins A and C. Antioxidants combat oxidation in our skin while vitamins A and C boost collagen. The most exciting news is that you can apply all of these directly to your skin as well as consuming them internally.

Vitamin A contributes to collagen creation, prevents cell damage, wards off skin diseases, and protects skin from environmental factors such as pollution and UV radiation. Calendula is the herb highest in vitamin A, having more betacarotene ounce per ounce than a sweet potato. Other herbs with vitamin A include basil, bee balm, coriander, dandelion flowers, dill, lavender, lemon balm, parsley, oregano, roman chamomile, sage, thyme, white clover, and yarrow.

Vitamin C induces the production of collagen and reduces the appearance of dark spots. Rose hips have more vitamin C per ounce than any other natural source, and thyme has three times more vitamin C than an orange. Other vitamin C herbs include bee balm, comfrey, dandelion flowers, lavender, lemon balm, rose petals, white clover, and yarrow.

All of the above herbs have antioxidant properties as well.

Interestingly, topicals that contain collagen do not help prevent wrinkles because the collagen molecule is too big to be absorbed by the skin. The only external oils and creams that work are the ones that stimulate the production of collagen, not ones that contain it.

It’s easy to infuse skin-healthy herbs into an oil that can be used as a daily moisturizer. I like to use jojoba oil because its molecular structure most closely resembles our own skin’s sebum and because it also acts as a cleanser, but olive and sunflower oils are also good choices. See my blog on how to create an herb-infused oil.

I infuse antioxidant-rich herbs high in vitamins A and C into jojoba oil to create my Wrinkle Reducer which comes in one- or two-ounce dropper bottles. I spread a dropperful onto my face and neck morning and night.

Aging is inevitable, and I know that my appearance will change, but staying as healthy and active as possible as I grow older will contribute to my happiness and well-being. Building and maintaining collagen in my skin is part of that process.