Look Younger Than Your Years by Taking Care of Your Skin

You can’t stop the clock, but you can remove the signs of time passing as they show on your face. As you age, your skin slowly loses some the nutrients it needs to stay firm and smooth. As a result, your skin may sag, and wrinkles may form.

While signs of aging, such as wrinkles and loose skin, are a natural part of life, preserving a youthful look has become a goal of many people. This is why according to forecasts, the anti-aging beauty industry is still thriving and is set to gross over $331 billion across the world by 2021.

So, how do you prevent premature skin aging? Apart from relying on topically-applied creams, serums, and oils as a part of your anti-aging face care, you should also consider caring for your skin in other equally effective ways.

Exfoliate your skin regularly

If you do not exfoliate for weeks on end, dead cells accumulate on your skin. These dead skin cells clog your pores and dull your appearance. Exfoliating strips away dirt and dead skin cells that make your skin look dull and old. Regular exfoliation is an anti-aging remedy for your face which helps increase skin cell production and renewal, so you end up with a more radiant and glowing complexion.

Be mindful about exfoliating, though. “Regular” doesn’t mean you need to do it every night. Most dermatological experts recommend exfoliating two to three times a week, even less than that if you have sensitive skin. This frequency is enough to scrub away the grime that accumulates on your face between exfoliations. Keep in mind that excessive exfoliation can lead to dryness, flakiness, and irritation.

Keep your skin moisturized

Sebum is an oily secretion that, in excess, may cause acne formation. If your body produces just the right amount of sebum, though, the substance is a natural moisturizer as it prevents water from completely evaporating from your skin.

Unfortunately, your skin produces less sebum as you age, meaning your skin will dry out more easily. Counter this by always keeping your face moisturized, no matter if you have dry, oily, or combination skin.

Look for moisturizers with water-binding humectants like hyaluronic acid. These types of substances prevent water from totally drying up from your skin. Just make sure your face is freshly cleansed before applying moisturizer so that dirt and bacteria are not trapped in your pores.

Minimize your exposure to the sun

If there’s one thing you should avoid doing, it’s exposing unprotected skin under the sun’s harsh UV rays. Repeated and prolonged exposure to the sun is one of the primary causes of premature skin aging and, worse, skin cancer.

If you have activities that require you to be under the sun, remember to wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and hats. Additionally, no matter the weather, make sure to slather on sunscreen. The daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of more than 30 can protect your skin against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, which cause photoaging.

Avoid smoking

Health experts have a mile-long list of reasons for quitting smoking or avoiding it altogether. This list includes the possibility of developing diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, and lung cancer. Now, you can add premature skin aging to the side effects of smoking.

Smoking changes your appearance and makes you look older by yellowing your teeth and making your complexion uneven. According to the Mayo Clinic, the nicotine in cigarettes causes blood cells in the outermost layers of your skin to constrict. This results in impaired blood flow, meaning oxygen and other important skin nutrients are not evenly distributed.

In addition, smoking contorts your face and causes repetitive motions that result in creases. When you smoke, you pucker your lips around the cigarette and squint your eyes against the smoke. Doing this repeatedly may contribute to the formation of fine lines around your eyes and mouth.

Knowing this, you should also avoid drinking liquid using straws. It does not matter if you’re using plastic or the more sustainable metal ones. The skin around your lips and mouth pucker the same way, whether you are being environmentally friendly or not. The act of sipping involves repeatedly puckering your lips, which will only heighten the possibility of fine lines appearing around your mouth area.

Do not sleep with your makeup on

After a long day at work, you may not feel like doing anything aside from climbing into bed and sleeping. However, your skin can age prematurely if don’t remove your makeup before bedtime. Makeup clogs your pores and increases the risk of breakouts.

What’s more, it’s not just makeup that’s on your face but also dirt and grime that accumulated throughout the day. If you sleep without washing your face, you’re letting all those skin-damaging substances soak into your skin and transfer to your pillows and bedsheets. If you don’t want to expose your skin to the ill-effects of grime, wash your face thoroughly at night so your facial pores can enjoy a good night’s rest.

Catch enough sleep

Speaking of sleep, the amount of shuteye you get every day also affects how fast your skin ages. When you lack sleep, your skin’s pH level and natural moisture decrease, dark circles develop under your eyes, and collagen production decreases, leading to more wrinkles. These are the problems that people try to address with the concept of “beauty sleep.” With enough rest, you can combat these issues and you’ll wake up radiant and refreshed.

You may also add quality to your sleep by using silk sheets and pillowcases, or any other comfortable, soft material. Cotton and polyester tug at the delicate skin on your face. On the other hand, silk or satin pillowcases slide against your skin more gently. With less friction, you may keep fine lines at bay. Another bonus of sleeping on silk sheets is that it prevents frizzy hair.

Make time to de-stress

Stress and skin aging affect each other in a vicious cycle. When you’re stressed, your skin may suffer, which can, in turn, stress you out even further. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, has been known to break down your skin’s collagen. Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein responsible for keeping your skin smooth and supple.

If you get too stressed, your body is eventually unable to produce collagen in the amounts that your skin needs. This results in saggy and wrinkly skin. Stress may also cause you to lose sleep and eat unhealthy foods, both of which are contributors to premature skin aging. So, make time every day to de-stress so you and your skin can breathe easy.

Everyone is largely bound by time and the environment they move in, so aging and its effects are a natural part of life. What’s not normal, though, is premature skin aging. So, you need to take care of your skin by observing the best practices listed above on top of your regular anti-aging skincare.

If you want to learn more about other skin problems and how to solve them, Vita Max Prime has you covered. You may check out Linovera Oil here.