Wrinkles are a natural part of ageing, but one many of us over 50s would like to avoid. While the skin’s ageing process is inevitable, it’s also affected by various aspects of your lifestyle. There are things you can do and anti-ageing skincare tips you can follow, in combination with a good skincare regime which will help to keep the visible signs of ageing to a minimum.
Living healthily will have a significant positive impact on your skin, limiting the kind of damage that would only make you look older than you are. Make sure you’re following these simple anti-ageing skincare tips:
Anti-Ageing Skincare Tips
Avoid Sunbathing and Sunbeds
While you may like the look of sun-kissed skin, dermatologists say there’s no such thing as a healthy tan. Over-exposure to UV rays will only increase your risk of skin cancer, as well as making your skin age faster. It can cause extra wrinkles, age spots and generally blotchy complexions.
Wear Sunscreen Religiously
When you do go outside, always wear sunscreen to prevent such damage. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen which will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Remember to do this even if it’s not sunny – UV rays can penetrate clouds and harm your skin even on dull days.
Treat Dryness
While older skin is naturally drier, there’s plenty you can do to combat this. Use a good moisturiser and avoid harsh skincare products that strip the skin of its natural oils. Adequately moisturising your skin will help it to retain some youthful plumpness. You could even use a humidifier to add a little moisture to the air in your home.
Using an exfoliating scrub or cream will remove dead skin from the skin’s surface and help make you look much younger. Exfoliating your skin with a muslin cloth wrung-out in warm water, before rinsing in cool water, is also a good technique, as the different temperatures will open and close the pores. It is best to avoid large extremes in temperatures as this can lead to broken veins.
Achieving younger looking skin is no longer a desire for women alone. Many men are now more skin-care conscious. Using an exfoliating cream once or twice a week can help shave years off a man’s appearance. Exfoliators can help prevent blemishes from developing by removing the top dead top layer of skin and preventing new hairs from becoming trapped by dead skin debris.
There are many products on the market, but try to choose one that is based on natural ingredients. A good quality aftershave balm can also makes a big difference to the feel and look of men’s skin. One with a high aloe vera content is best as it heals blemishes and is particularly good for soothing inflamed skin.
Eat Healthily
A healthy diet keeps your body functioning at its best on the inside, which can have a noticeable impact on your skin. Good nutrition helps the body to repair the skin, keeping it looking a little younger. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, are particularly helpful for boosting cell turnover in the skin, reducing the amount of wrinkles you get.
Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is vital to looking young, according to one health expert. In her bestselling book, The Hormone Diet, Naturopathic doctor Natasha Turner, says, the key to anti-ageing is maintaining a healthy blood sugar and insulin balance. To do this, she says we have to become aware of the amount of carbohydrates we are eating and how well our body tolerates them.
“Excess insulin literally causes the slow destruction of bodily tissues and organs, including our bones, muscles, skin, blood vessels, brain, liver and more,” Turner says. This “far-reaching, devastating imbalance” is spurred by one basic factor. “The frequency, amount and type of carbohydrates [sugars] we consistently consume over time, and our body’s individual ability to process them,” she says.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can make your skin look drier and more wrinkled, so drink plenty of water to prevent this. Staying properly hydrated helps to lock moisture into your skin and plump it up a little, reducing that dry appearance that older skin can often have. Dehydration can also make your skin look dull, so drinking enough will help you to maintain a more youthful glow.
Water is key for a younger looking you. According to reports, good old H20 has been known to take ten years off a person’s appearance. Drinking at least a litre of water each day is one of the fastest dietary boosts to help with clear skin. Plenty of fresh water will also flush away trapped cellular fluid and toxins from your body. Why not keep some bottled water with you when out and about and make a habit of sipping regularly through the day.
Choose the Right Anti-Ageing Products
There are plenty of anti-ageing skincare products on the market so it can be difficult to determine which are most likely to give you the wrinkle-reducing benefits you’re looking for. There are certain ingredients that are known to have great results, so make sure you know what they are so you can look out for them. Read our article on wrinkle-busting ingredients you may find helpful.
A healthy head of hair can help you look younger. It is a good idea to use shampoos and conditioners which do not contain detergents. If your hair is silver or grey, you might like to try an optical brightening shampoos. These take away the slight yellow tinge caused by environmental factors, such as air pollution and central heating. The shampoo is a shade of violet but when rinsed out, leaves hair with a silvery sparkle.
Don’t Smoke
If you are a smoker, try to give up the habit. Research has shown that smoking prematurely ages the skin because it deprives it of oxygen and nutrients. Smoking will reduce the skin’s strength and elasticity, making it wrinkle and sag more than it should.
Finally…..
Many turn to drastic methods of making their skin look younger, such as cosmetic surgery, but remember that practising simple skincare basics and following these anti-ageing skincare tips, can have a real, noticeable effect. Little habits that you may not think have a dramatic impact on your appearance will actually do a lot to enhance your natural beauty and keep the years from taking too much of a toll on your skin.
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