Are you on a quest for younger looking skin? If you’ve begun to develop the fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and other imperfections that come with aging, you aren’t alone. But finding the right product to help your skin look its best can be confusing. With so many options, how do you know which really work and which are a waste of money—and time. Read on to learn about ten ways to keep your skin looking younger. These remedies work both for prevention and for improving the look of your skin if you’ve already begun to notice the marks of aging.
1. Remove Makeup and Wash Your Face Every Night Before Bed
No matter how tired you are, making sure your face is completely clean before you lay your head on the pillow can make a huge difference in the look and feel of your skin. Not only can dirt left on your skin trigger breakouts and clog your pores, but if you use anti-aging cream, it will penetrate much more easily on clean skin. Use mild soap, warm (not hot) water, and plenty of moisturizer to prevent damage from harsh cleansers and keep your skin looking supple.
2. Stay Out of the Sun
According to scientific research, many of the changes seen in aging skin come from the damage of a lifetime of sun exposure. To slow these changes, make sure to protect your skin whenever you’re outside, even on cloudy days. Use an SPF of at least 30, and wear a wide-brimmed hat. Don’t forget to reapply every two hours, especially when you’re out between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (the sun’s peak hours.
3. Quit Your Vices
Many dermatologists say that drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes can take a toll on the skin. Smoking reduces the amount of collagen, a protein that helps your skin looking healthy, that your skin is able to produce; it also keeps oxygen from reaching the skin, which causes aging. And drinking alcohol leads to dehydration, which leaves your skin looking old and tired.
4. Exfoliate Weekly
When you’re young, your skin rejuvenates itself every 28 days. As you pass 35, this process slows down, so your skin may begins to look dull and lifeless. To remove this old layer of skin and let the fresh skin shine through, gently exfoliate with a product containing alpha hydroxy acid approximately once a week.
5. Banish Stress
Excessive stress is bad for all the systems of your body—including your skin. If you find that you’re under extra stress, look for ways to relax. You may want to try exercise, meditation, or just taking a few hours to do something for yourself each week. It’s also important to get enough sleep, so strive for eight hours a night to keep your skin looking its best.
6. Get 30 Minutes of Exercise at Least Three Days a Week
Exercise helps you lose weight and keep your heart and organs healthy, but did you know it’s also great for your skin? That’s because it increases the amount of oxygen to your skin, keeping it looking firm and healthy. Exercise can also help increase collagen production.
7. Consume Plenty of Omega-3 Acids
A nutritious diet is critical to keep your skin looking great. But one nutrient is particularly important to focus on. Omega-3 acids, which can be found in almonds, flaxseed, and fatty fish like salmon, do wonders for your skin by helping it look subtle and firm.
8. Try a Collagen Cream
As mentioned in #3, collagen is a protein that helps keep your skin, hair, and nails looking healthy. These creams help fill in fine lines and wrinkles that have already formed on your face, as well as increase collagen production to keep your skin looking young, fresh, and healthy. Check our Anne Hathaway Beauty Tips for more info about collagen.
9. Go Under the Needle
If you’re serious about erasing the effects of aging, there are several procedures that can help. One of these is injectable fillers, such as Restalyne, which doctors can inject in your skin to replace the lost collagen and make your skin look smoother and younger. You can also opt for Botox, an injected toxin that paralyzes the muscle below wrinkles, reducing their appearance. Both procedures last about six months. Beware, however—they can be costly, and should only be done by a licensed professional.
10. Drink Plenty of Water
You’ve possibly heard that you should drink at least 8 [large] glasses of water a day. There’s a lot of benefit to this pastime. Some benefits are:
- Maintain balance of body fluids which are used in bodily functions such as creation of saliva, digestion, transportation of nutrients, absorption, circulation and maintaining body temperature
- Control calories – excellent for weight loss
- Energize muscles – particularly important when exercising
- Kidney function – too little water can result in kidney stones due to too much urea in the system
- Maintain bowel function – helps prevent constipation
- Keeps skin looking good – dehydration makes the skin look dry and wrinkled so by drinking plenty of water we’re facilitating a better, healthier looking skin.
Though there are many products on the market that can help you get healthier skin, remember that lifestyle changes are the most important part of looking younger.
