I’ve researched all the established — and even experimental — procedures, treatments, and formulas for preventing and erasing fine lines and wrinkles. But they all come down to one thing — moisture.
Especially the wrinkles under your eyes.
Let me explain.
Loss of moisture is the real culprit behind deep lines and wrinkles that make you look old before your time. As a young girl, your skin’s dermis layer was full of a powerful, natural moisturizer called hyaluronic acid (HA). Like a sponge, HA attracts water to your skin and holds onto it. In fact, HA absorbs about 1,000 times its weight in water.
HA draws moisture into the deep dermis layer and plumps up your skin. That’s what makes young skin so smooth, firm and soft.
But as you get older, your body makes less hyaluronic acid. Your face loses volume. Skin starts to sag. And lines and wrinkles set in.
For many years, I’ve been helping women replace their HA to reverse that look of aging.
But now I’ve found something even better. It’s a plant root called konjac (Amorphophallus konjac).
When I was in Indonesia, I saw konjac growing in the rainforest. It also grows in the monsoon areas of Southwest China and in parts of Japan. Traditional Chinese doctors have used konjac as medicine for more than 2,000 years.
And the Japanese have been eating konjac root for more than 1,500 years. They call itkonnyaku. It helps stabilize blood sugar, support weight loss, and regulate bowel movements.
But what we’ve just discovered is the amazing anti-aging power of konjac root for your skin. You see, this root has serious “hygroscopic” muscle. In other words, it soaks up and holds onto moisture in your skin just like HA does.
Konjac root is a powerful moisturizer because it contains about 40% glucomannan. When it comes into contact with water, glucomannan can expand up to 17 times in size.
When you apply konjac root to your skin, it penetrates the upper layer of the epidermis. There it captures water that pushes up from the deeper dermis layer.
As it soaks up water in the epidermis, glucomannan increases in volume. That extra moisture plumps up skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It leaves you a smoothed surface with long-lasting hydration.
In laboratory tests, konjac glucomannan was shown to absorb and retain water weight and volume. It also increased the thickness of the protective stratum corneum layer of the skin.1
In other words, konjac root works by plumping the skin from the inside out, smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines on the surface of the skin. In fact, it acts on the same principle as the injectable fillers a dermatologist might use on your skin to smooth wrinkles. But you don’t need any needles.
You can use konjac root two ways to get anti-aging benefits for your skin.
First, konjac root can help cleanse your skin from the inside out. The powdered root is high in fiber. Traditional Chinese medicine uses it this way to detoxify the body.2
In this country, you can find “shirataki noodles” made from konjac root in Asian markets or online. Their fiber fills you up to suppress your appetite and prevent overeating. The extra fiber can also help reduce constipation and regulate blood sugar.
The noodles are thin, translucent, and have a gel-like texture. And they also have zero net carbohydrates. That’s really helpful if you’re following a Paleo-type diet.
You can also take konjac supplements. Look for supplements standardized to 95% glucomannan.
But make sure you buy capsules — not tablets. The tablets may start dissolving in your throat and cause swelling and choking. The capsules stay intact until they reach your intestines so they go down smoothly.
Take one gram of konjac glucomannan three times a day before meals with 8 to 10 ounces of water. You can also add konjac powder to your morning smoothie or green drink.
Konjac root can also be used topically and I’ve used the powder to create a see-through gel that has a soft and pleasant feel on your skin. And I’ve added it to my new eye-lift gel. It provides a natural way to create a gel without using chemical thickeners.
But I haven’t stopped there.
I’ve combined konjac root with hyaluronic acid for maximum hydration. Because they both swell up, your skin becomes plumper and smoother from the inside out.
Together konjac root and hyaluronic acid act like a natural wrinkle filler. They dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And that leaves you with younger-looking eyes.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
You can get results that mirror Botox and Hyaluronic Acid fillers… without a single injection.
My groundbreaking new dermal filler gives you a safe, effective and natural way to instantly hydrate, lift and firm your skin.
Just smooth on Restore morning and night for gorgeous, flawless-looking skin.
1. Katie Schaefer. “Konjac Root Wrinkle-filling-Spheres.” Cosmetics & Toiletries.
2. Chua M et al. “Traditional uses and potential health benefits of Amorphophallus konjac K. Koch ex N.E.Br.” J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;128(2):268-78.