HOLISTIC TRENDS IN AGING

As the saying goes, “aging isn’t for the faint of heart,” which is why many of us are willing to put on a brave face and make the effort to explore ways to combat the effects of getting old.

“None of us want to go down without a fight,” said Cindy Boyer, a naturopathic doctor and coowner with Susanne Fiori of Nature’s Garden Natural Foods and Shoes in Exeter Township. “You do whatever you can to stay as healthy and functional as possible.”

Their business is 45 years old, so many of their customers have aged with the store, which has given Boyer an inside glimpse at the trends in aging from the perspective of natural remedies and what people are asking for.

Acceptance of graying

Covering up gray hair is often a top priority for those on the lower end of the active aging category. Boyer has seen a shift in the acceptance of graying more recently.

“I think that people are starting to move away a little bit from hair color,” she said. “I feel like I’m seeing more and more going au natural and letting it gray.”

Since there are still some who feel younger when they color their hair, Boyer suggested hennabased products as a wonderful solution when it comes to overthe-counter dyes.

“It’s a natural, non-chemicalbased hair color solution,” she said, adding that the brand that has the best results among their customers is Light Mountain Natural. “It’s also a great moisturizer for the hair.”

Another kind of hair dye Boyer recommends that uses natural substances is by Naturtint.

“That’s more of a permanent hair color versus the henna that is going to wash out faster,” she said. “It’s ammonia free and a safer product to go with, but not as pure as henna.”

Age-related hair loss

Age-related hair loss can be experienced by both men and women. Boyer offered some solutions that she sees as the safest and healthiest ways to help the body naturally grow more hair.

“A product called Hair Renew by Terry Naturally has biotin, a B complex and millet seed oil,” she said of the dietary supplement that comes in a soft gel. “These are the key ingredients that provide maximum nutrients to support healthy hair growth.”

Younger and plumper skin

Collagen has been the latest buzz word when it comes to rejuvenating aging skin, but Boyer said it’s not the only answer.