Save Your Skin With Antioxidants

Antioxidants are very important in achieving healthy skin. They work by turning free radicals into benign compounds and stop them from causing inflammation, DNA mutation, and loss of collagen. They can help to prevent wrinkles, spots, and possibly skin cancer. Green Tea, Vitamin C, Idebenone, Pomegranate, and CoffeeBerry are all rich in antioxidants.

Green tea is made from the steaming and drying of fresh leaves. The antioxidant properties in it are preserved very well. It is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at neutralizing free radicals. It also protects against DNA damage that is caused by the sun.

Vitamin C is an effective antioxidant source. Increasing the amount of vitamin C in the diet can repair some signs of aging on the skin. It does this because it plays apart in the metabolism of collagen. Vitamin C can also produce free radicals by itself.

Idebenone is an antioxidant that is a little different than others because instead of canceling out one free radical per molecule, it can cancel out multiple free radicals or stop them from forming. This would cause the skin to be protected longer and decrease fine lines and wrinkles.

Pomegranate is a fruit that is high in polyphenol, which makes the cell membrane stronger and less prone to damage and loss of moisture. This would help the skin stay hydrated and moist longer and help to prevent premature wrinkles. It can also help to prevent skin cancer because there is an extract in it that has been proved to prevent skin tumors and increases the effectiveness of sunscreen.

CoffeeBerry is the extract of the cherries of the coffee plant. It is considered to have the most potent mixture of natural antioxidants and is able to neutralize a wide variety of free radicals. It can also reverse some signs of UV damage and is good at decreasing fine lines and wrinkles. Dermatologists say that it can help with skin pigmentation problems, such as dark spots, red spots, and rosacea.

Cities Encouraging Residents to Go Green

Some cities are starting to offer incentives to get people to go green by offering free hybrid car parking, cash rebates for installing solar panels, low-interest loans for energy-saving home renovations, and offering money to tear up desert lawns and replace them with drought-resistant landscaping.

The city of Parkland is giving cash rebates to its residents for being more environmentally friendly by offering residents that install low-flow toilets or shower heads a $150 check. They pay a person replacing an old air conditioner with an energy-efficient one $100. They are paying people who buy a hybrid car $200.

Some states are offering rebates and incentives through tax breaks, loans, and letting hybrid car users to use car pool lanes. The federal government is also offering tax incentives for purchasing many of the hybrid cars on the market and buying energy-saving products.

Next year, San Francisco will offer homeowners rebates of up to $5,000 for installing solar panels if they choose to use a local contractor. The city will cover up to 90 percent of the costs of making apartment buildings more energy-efficient and will pay residents $150 to replace old appliances they have in their household. In Arizona, many cities will pay residents to replace grass with artificial turf or plants that would use less water.

Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency: http://www.dsireusa.org

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: http://www.aceee.org