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Worried that your skin looks older than you feel? Here are 23 ways to reduce wrinkles – starting now!
How to Reduce Wrinkles: What You Can Do
1. Avoid the sun. It’s the No. 1 cause of wrinkles, with dozens of studies documenting the impact. In one study that looked at identical twins, New York plastic surgeon Darrick Antell, MD, found sun exposure was even more important than heredity. Siblings who limited sun time had fewer wrinkles and looked younger overall than their sun-worshiping twins.

2. Wear sunscreen. If you must go out in the sun, the American Academy of Dermatology says, wear sunscreen! It will protect you from skin cancer, and help prevent wrinkles at the same time.

3. Don’t smoke. Some of the research is still controversial, but more and more studies are confirming that cigarette smoke ages skin — mostly by releasing an enzyme that breaks down collagen and elastin, important components of the skin. Sibling studies done at the Twin Research Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in London found the brother or sister who smoked tended to have skin that was more wrinkled and up to 40% thinner than the non-smoker.

4. Get adequate sleep. Yale dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD, says that when you don’t get enough sleep, the body produces excess cortisol, a hormone that breaks down skin cells. Get enough rest, Perricone says, and you’ll produce more HGH (human growth hormone), which helps skin remain thick, more “elastic,” and less likely to wrinkle.

5. Sleep on your back. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) cautions that sleeping in certain positions night after night leads to “sleep lines — wrinkles that become etched into the surface of the skin and don’t disappear once you’re up. Sleeping on your side increases wrinkles on cheeks and chin, while sleeping face-down gives you a furrowed brow. To reduce wrinkle formation, the AAD says, sleep on your back.

6. Don’t squint — get reading glasses! The AAD says anyrepetitive facial movement — like squinting — overworks facial muscles, forming a groove beneath the skin’s surface. This groove eventually becomes a wrinkle. Also important: Wear sunglasses. It will protect skin around the eyes from sun damage — and further keep you from squinting.

7. Eat more fish – particularly salmon. Not only is salmon (along with other cold-water fish) a great source of protein — one of the building blocks of great skin — it’s also an awesome source of an essential fatty acid known as omega-3. Perricone tells WebMD that essential fatty acids help nourish skin and keep it plump and youthful, helping to reduce wrinkles.

8. Eat more soy — So far, most of the proof has come from animal studies, but research does show certain properties of soy may help protect or heal some of the sun’s photoaging damage. In one recent human study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers reported that a soy-based supplement (other ingredients included fish protein andextracts from white tea, grapeseed, and tomato, as well as several vitamins) improved skin’s structure and firmness after just six months of use.

9. Trade coffee for cocoa. In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2006, researchers found cocoa containing high levels of two dietary flavanols (epicatchin and catechin) protected skin from sun damage, improved circulation to skin cells, affected hydration, and made the skin look and feel smoother.

10. Eat more fruits and vegetables. The key, says Kraus, are their antioxidant compounds. These compounds fight damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage cells), which in turn helps skin look younger and more radiant, and protects against some effects of photoaging.

11. Use moisturizer. “Women, especially, are so concerned with antiaging products they often overlook the power of a simple moisturizer. Skin that is moist simply looks better, so lines and creases are far less noticeable,” says Ashinoff.

12. Don’t over-wash your face. According to dermatologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center, tap water strips skin of its natural barrier oils and moisture that protect against wrinkles. Wash them off too often, and you wash away protection. Moreover, unless your soap contains moisturizers, you should use a cleanser instead.

Topical Treatments That Reduce Wrinkles
Studies show the following ingredients can reduce wrinkles. Most are found in a variety of skin-care treatments, both prescription and over-the-counter.

13. Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). These natural fruit acids lift away the top layer of dead skin cells, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, particularly around the eyes. New evidence shows that in higher concentrations, AHAs may help stimulate collagen production.

14. Retinoids (including Retin A). The only FDA-approved topical treatment for wrinkles is tretinoin, known commercially as Retin A. Ashinoff says this prescription cream reduces fine lines and large wrinkles, and repairs sun damage. Retinol is a natural form of vitamin A found in many over-the-counter products. Studies show that in a stabilized formula, in high concentrations, it may be as effective as Retin A, without the side effects, such as skin burning and sensitivity.

15. Topical vitamin C. Studies at Tulane University, among others, havefound itcan increase collagen production, protect against damage from UVA and UVB rays, correct pigmentation problems, and improve inflammatory skin conditions. The key, however, may be the type of vitamin C used. To date, most of the research points to the L-ascorbic acid form as the most potent for wrinkle relief.

16. Idebenone. This chemical cousin to the nutrient coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)is a super-powerful antioxidant. In one study published recently in the Journal of Dermatology, doctors found that with just 6 weeks of topical use, there was a 26% reduction in skin roughness and dryness, a 37% increase in hydration, a 29% decrease in lines and wrinkles, and a 33% overall improvement in sun-damaged skin. Other studies have found similar results.

17. Growth factors. Part of the body’s natural wound-healing response, these compounds, when applied topically, may reduce sun damage and decrease lines and wrinkles, while rejuvenating collagen production, studies have shown.

18. Pentapeptides. According to Lauren Thaman Hodges, associate director of global skin science for Procter & Gamble, the results of a study supported by the National Institutes of Health suggested pentapeptides can increase collagen production in sun-damaged skin. Several subsequent studies (including one presented at a recent national dermatology conference) showed that when topically applied, pentapeptides stimulated collagen production and diminished lines and wrinkles.

Medical/Spa Treatments That Reduce Wrinkles
19. Botox. An injection of this purified version of the A-Botulinum toxin relaxes the muscle just underneath the wrinkle, allowing the skin on top to lie smooth and crease-free.

20. Wrinkle fillers. The putty and spackle of medicine,in this treatment, doctors fill wrinkles with a variety of substances, includingcollagen, hyaluronic acid, and other synthetic compounds. Popular treatments include Restylane, Juva, and ArteFill, among others.

21. Laser/light resurfacing. Here, energy from a light source — either a laser or a pulsed diode light — removes the top layer of skin, causing a slight but unnoticeable skin “wounding.” This kicks the skin’s natural collagen-production system into high gear, resulting in smoother, more wrinkle-free skin.

22. Chemical peels. In this treatment, one of a variety of different chemicals is used to “burn” away the top layer of skin, creating damage that causes the body to respond by making more collagen. You end up with younger-looking, smoother skin.

23. Dermabrasion. A vacuum suction device used in tandem with a mild chemical crystal, dermabrasion helps remove the top layer of skin cells and bring new, more evenly textured skin to the surface. In the process, fine lines and wrinkles seem to disappear.

Boca Breakfast Club
Royal Palm Place
101 Plaza Real South
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
Unit #18
Telephone : 561-362-0018
Hours of Operation : Mon - Sat: 7am - 3pm Sun: 7am - 2pm
Description : An excellent choice for traditional breakfast and lunch fare, with many egg and omelet specials, and a variety of pancake, toast and biscuit offerings as well. Lunch specials include large salads, sandwiches and burgers for a reasonable price. Price Range: Breakfast: $1.95 - $8.50 Lunch: $5.50 – $8.75

The French Bakery
Address : 100 Plaza Real South
Description : Downtown hot-spot “The French Bakery” is opening up a second location, this one in Royal Palm Place. Well known around Boca for their rich pastries, wonderful sandwiches, and assortment of imported foods from France, Royal Palm Place gladly welcomes its newest member of the family.
Coming Soon to Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton…

As old checking rules fall, so should bad checkbook habits.

BOSTON (MarketWatch) — It may be a good thing that more kids are using debit cards these days, because most parents couldn’t teach them about managing a checking account.
The problem is not so much that most adults fail to balance their checkbook — although they do. It’s that the rules involving checks keep changing. The latest change went into effect last week, and it pretty much ends the concept of “float” that many consumers grew up with. Technically speaking, float is the dollar value of cash balances created by the time lag in processing unpaid checks. For most consumers who grew up before the technological advances of the last decade, float was the time between when you could write a check, and when the debt would hit your account.

Yes, consumers are supposed to have the funds in hand so that their checks clear, but people living paycheck to paycheck, or simply trying to match the in-flows and out-flows, could be in a situation where checks clear much faster than they expect.

The last big change in this direction came in 2004, with a rule known as “Check 21″ for the Check Clearing Act for the 21st Century, and which was designed to make the check-payment system more efficient by making it easier for banks to process checks electronically. With more than 35 billion paper checks being written each year, Check 21 made it so that the physical checks did not have to be moved from one bank to the next.

For many banking customers, the real impact of Check 21 was felt in the statement, where they stopped getting canceled checks returned and instead received “substitute checks” that amount to a picture — usually smaller than an actual check — of the written document. The next step in the evolution towards a cashless society — or at least one without checks — came with the implementation of something called the “accounts receivable conversion.” This system made it so that if you pay a bill by check, the recipient can convert it into an electronic payment; the check does not necessarily show up in the next monthly statement, replaced by an entry showing the amount and the debit.

All of which leads to the latest change, one virtually ignored by the media, that retailers were able to start implementing Friday.

Today’s Avg. Checking Account Rate Type Current APR
Interest Checking 1.43% 1.45%
Checking Account Rate Provided by Bankrate.com
Compare Rates in Your AreaIt’s called “back office conversion,” and it’s similar to the accounts receivable method, except it now can apply to paying by check in person at a store. In the past, stores would accept checks, take them into the back office (hence the name) and make a daily trip to the bank (or use a courier service) to get them cleared. Now, the checks can be converted in the back office into electronic payments.

“It is not an instantaneous payment,” says Paul M. Connolly, first vice president and chief operating officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, “but your payment will reach the bank during the day or at day’s end, and certainly overnight.”

Translation: Goodbye float. No more making a purchase on Saturday by check, and expecting that the check will not clear before Monday or Tuesday at the earliest.

Patterns Changing

As with the previous changes to checks used to pay bills, consumers will get a record of the check on their bank statement and they can get a copy of the check that will have legal standing if it needs to be used for tax or other purposes.

Checking Account Basics
Whether you are shopping for a traditional checking account or an online checking account, here’s everything you need to know about fees, account types and more.

Types of Checking Accounts
ABCs of ATM Fees
Will ‘Free Checking’ Cost You?
Online Banking Basics
Anatomy of a Bank Statement
What FDIC Covers
Overdraft Protection Plans
Beware: Don’t ‘Float’ Checks
Avoid Being Reported to ChexSystems
More Money Basics
The original check is likely to be destroyed after 30 or 60 days. (Many checks already are incinerated or shredded in this fashion, but there is no change in the rules that financial institutions must keep a clear representation of your check for seven years.)

Connolly believes consumers aren’t hearing much about back-office conversion because it doesn’t alter consumer behavior; it simply impacts their ever-shrinking ability to play the float. Moreover, retailers will decide just how widespread the change is; given the cost and time savings most retailers would expect from the change, Connolly figures that many retailers, especially the big ones, will make the move.

The good news for consumers is that no one expects them to pay additional fees for writing checks, at least not yet. If anything, by reducing the cost and effort for a retailer it may encourage more of them to accept checks; all of the previous reduction in float times have been shown to reduce the number of checks written against insufficient funds, a very real benefit to both sides of any transaction.

Check-writing patterns have been changing in recent years, with consumers becoming much more accepting of debit and credit cards, online payment systems, electronic bank access and more. Connolly thinks that trend may be helped along by back-office conversion.

“If I go into the same store once a week every week of my life and I start to notice that those checks never come back to me, and that they clear almost as soon as I write them, maybe after some months or years I will say ‘Why am I writing this check,’” Connolly says. “Maybe this will bring some consumers to the conclusion that a lot of people have already reached, that their debit or credit card does the job just as well — or better — than their traditional check.” Anyone who has used the float as a form of short-term financing should instead be looking for overdraft protection or should curtail spending and step away from the edge of a financial precipice to avoid the heavy fees banks now charge for rubber checks.

“Float has definitely been in retreat, and this will push that process along a little further,” says Connolly. “It was always risky, but now people should know that they just can’t count on any real float time at all.”

Chuck Jaffe is a senior MarketWatch columnist.

Channel your second-grade teacher and playfully give out gold-star stickers to all the people in your life — young and old — who somehow make your day a little easier.

If you know someone is going out to dinner to celebrate a special occasion, call the restaurant in advance and say you’ll pick up the cost of her wine or dessert.

When someone is moving to a new city, supply friends and family members with stamped, preaddressed postcards. (Hand them out at the going-away party.) By the time the family pulls into the new driveway, there will be warm wishes awaiting them.

When you run across a newspaper or magazine article you think someone you know would find interesting, take a moment to clip it out. Attach a Post-it note that reads “Thought you’d enjoy” and drop it in the mail. This takes less time than writing a letter, but the gesture still shows the other person you’re thinking about her. Laura Noss, who owns a public-relations firm for nonprofits in San Francisco, says her father, who lives in Cleveland, does just that. “It means so much that when he’s reading something, he’ll rip it out, fold it, attach a message, put the postage on it, and send it to me,” she says. “I save almost all of them.”

Similarly, when a young person in your hometown does something to merit a mention in the newspaper (the high school quarterback saves the big game in overtime or your neighbor gets elected student-body president), clip out the photo and article and send it to the person’s family. Chances are, they’ll want to collect every copy they can. (One notable exception: the police blotter.)

If you travel a lot on business, record yourself reading your children’s favorite bedtime stories; they can listen to your voice as they flip through the book. Finish each night’s reading with a countdown of the days until you’re back home with them.

Every day for a year, jot down one thing you love about your child/husband/friend (he has a crooked smile; she snorts when she laughs). At the end of the year, give the person your one-of-a-kind, 365-item list.

When you develop photos from a vacation or a major life event that an elderly relative missed, get an extra set of prints and send them to her.

When guests are leaving, escort them to their car, not just to the front door. If you’re driving someone home, wait until she’s inside the house before you pull away.

Hide messages for your family to find throughout the day, like “Thanks for doing a load!” in the dryer, or a silly joke in your child’s lunch box.

If someone you know is going through a difficult time, call to let her know that you’re thinking about her, but make sure your message doesn’t leave her with a sense of obligation: “Just wanted you to know I’m thinking about you, but don’t worry about calling me back.” When a friend was being treated for breast cancer in a hospital outside her home state, Sandy Donaldson, a community-relations coordinator in Newport News, Virginia, rented her friend a beeper and entered the names of the woman’s friends in its contact list. Whenever her friend got beeped, she could look and see who was sending kind thoughts her way. “The only rule was that she was not allowed to call anyone back,” says Donaldson, who didn’t want her friend to feel any more burdened during her illness.

When a neighbor is grieving, leave a basket on her front porch, filled with blank thank-you cards she can send to people who have brought flowers or made donations.

When stocking up on school supplies, pick up a few extras and give them to your child’s teacher to pass on to students whose families might not be able to afford them.

Donate two tickets to a major sporting or theatrical event to an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters. That way, a Big Sis can take her Little Sis to something out of the ordinary that she otherwise might not be able to afford.