Ageless Skin Smoothie Recipe

Add Paeonia lactiflora (White Peony Root) extract, along with Cistus and Tulsi, to an ageless skin smoothie.

Stress Is Wreaking Havoc on Your Skin

Stress acne – the bane of our youth – has left many of us with the wrong impression about how stress can affect our skin health. The effects of stress on skin health are not exclusive to the young. It’s common knowledge that stress, particularly prolonged stress, can have adverse effects on our physical and emotional health, but many of us don’t recognize the ways in which psychological stress can actually age our skin.

Thanks to modern research, we know that psychological stress has its share of physical effects. Hormones that are released in response to stress can activate inflammatory pathways in the skin, resulting in redness, extracellular matrix degradation, and loss of skin elasticity and firmness. This inflammatory response can accelerate skin aging and wrinkles. Scientists call this neurogenic aging.

In fact, aging skin is a natural process characterized by several changes in its appearance and structure. Over time, the production of collagen and elastin, which are essential proteins for skin elasticity and firmness, decreases. This results in the formation of wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin. The skin also becomes thinner and more prone to dryness, leading to a dull and rough texture.

Age spots, pigmentation irregularities, and a loss of facial volume may also occur. Factors such as sun exposure, smoking, and genetics can accelerate the aging process. Proper skincare, including sun protection, hydration, and the use of all-natural anti-aging products, along with a healthy, low-stress lifestyle, can help slow down the signs of aging and maintain a youthful complexion.

Aging Skin vs. Ageless Skin

What can you do about this neurogenic aging? The team at Linden Botanicals has scoured ancient herbal practices to identify three herbal extracts that are likely to help with the root cause of stress-related skin damage. From ancient Greece, we have Rock Rose (Cistus incanus). From Ayurvedic practice, we find Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum). And from Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is the Paeonia lactiflora (White Peony Root).

Each of these all-natural herbals has thousands of years of traditional use for enhancing the beauty and health of skin. Now we know why. Cistus incanus herbal extract has been shown to inhibit inflammatory cytokines and block a key inflammation signaling receptor. Tulsi is well known to moderate the stress hormone cortisol. (You can view cortisol as an alarm system in the body, as it’s the main stress hormone that coordinates with the brain to control fear, motivation, and mood.)

Paeonia includes paeoniflorin, which presents a third path to deliver significant anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects. In vitro studies have revealed that paeoniflorin, an ingredient from the root of Paeonia, can protect cells from ultraviolet-induced DNA damage and reduce facial wrinkles.

Taken together, these three natural herbal extracts can be a powerful way to help counter neurogenic inflammation and skin aging.

So how can you try this powerful combination for yourself? Head over to our DIY Health and Wellness Kits and order a 20 gram (20 serving) packet of each. You can then blend them up into an “ageless skin” smoothie of your own design.

Ageless Skin Smoothie Recipe

For starters, here is one smoothie recipe that we really like.

Ingredients:

1 cup of spinach or broccoli sprouts
1/2 banana
2 cups of frozen pineapple
2 cups of frozen blueberries (optional)
2 cups of liquid [flaxseed milk or unsweetened (vanilla) almond milk]
¼ t Paeonia lactiflora extract
¼ t Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum, Holy Basil) extract
¼ t Cistus incanus extract
2 T hemp seeds (optional)
1 cup of Greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions: Toss greens and fruits into a blender. Chop and then puree the ingredients until they are broken down. Add supplements and extracts into a blender. Add liquid and blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency to your liking. For example, you can add ice or more banana to thicken it, or you can add more liquid to thin it out. Pour your healthy ageless skin smoothies into two glasses and enjoy!

More about Paeonia

Paeonia lactiflora is an excellent example of an herb that has been used for over 2,000 years to help reduce and prevent inflammation and provide other medicinal benefits. We call it the Beautiful Healer.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology concludes that total glucosides of paeony (TGP), the main active ingredient of the root of the Paeonia lactiflora plant, may help to regulate anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology notes that Paeonia lactiflora, also called Chinese Peony and White Peony Root, may contribute to novel drug development for Parkinson’s disease. Essentially, Paeonia may provide support for common neurodegenerative diseases by slowing neurodegeneration and reducing neuroinflammation. It may also improve motor and non-motor symptoms by regulating neurotransmitter levels.

Linden Botanicals Sells Healthy Herbal Extracts

Paeonia lactiflora, Tulsi, and Cistus incanus interact with the immune, circulatory, digestive, nervous, and renal body systems. Today, it’s generally recognized that all three all-natural herbals support a whole healthy lifestyle approach related to issues with inflammation, common neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, psychological stress, and neurocognition.

There is good reason to believe that a lifestyle approach to optimal health can benefit from support with Paeonia lactiflora as a health supplement.

We sell Paeonia, Cistus, and Tulsi herbal extracts in 100 gram sizes (50 servings). We also sell Paeonia, Cistus, and Tulsi in larger 200 gram to 1,000 gram sizes. To learn more about Paeonia, Cistus, and Tulsi, a good place to start is with our FAQs and our free Reducing Inflammation E-Book.

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