While skin aging is a natural process, there are several key factors that play a role in whether we look younger than our biological age or older. The inconvenient truth is, many of us look older than we are because we continue to engage in behaviors and habits that cause our skin to age faster. We also don’t always take the right anti-aging steps, such as finding and staying loyal to the right skincare regimen.
Knowledge is power – the more you know what your skin needs, the better you can maintain a healthier appearance and youthful fullness. Here are the five most important factors in premature skin aging and ways to prevent or reduce them.
Your attitude
We cannot emphasize enough the role your mind plays in whether you age faster or slower. Simply put, the happier and more content you are, the younger you’ll appear. The more you can hold optimism and joy in your heart, the more these will show in your skin, especially over time. When you’re perpetually stressed, angry, or sad, as years go by these emotions will leave substantial marks on your face in the form of fine lines, deep wrinkles, and frown lines.
Pro tips: Soften your face and facial expression as often as possible. When you notice that a certain line is making its first appearance or getting deeper, don’t wait too long before you treat it. Make sure to massage the area when you apply cleanser, serum, exfoliator, and moisturizer. Use massage tools as well such as a rose quartz massager.
Your environment
Whether it’s dry, oily, or combination, your skin needs a lot of oxygen – even more so with age. If you live in a polluted area, you’ll inevitably expose your skin to increased amounts of dust and chemicals, causing severely clogged pores and uneven skin tone. And it isn’t just about the level of pollution where you live. It’s also about the climate. Cold weather depletes skin’s natural oils and causes moisture loss while hot weather can lead to increased sweating, redness, and sunburns – all of which accelerate skin aging.
Pro tips: Moisturize morning and night. Use an SPF formula during the day even in a cold climate – the sun’s rays can still affect your skin. Off to summer vacation? Limit your tanning to twenty minutes max as sun damage is the number one cause of exacerbated wrinkles. If you live in a polluted city, use an extra strong cleanser and exfoliate at least once a week.
Your diet
Do you eat a diet heavy in processed sugars and fast foods? Are you one of these people who needs dessert every day while skipping green vegetables and fruits? You’re fast depleting your skin and hair of essential nutrients, as well as hindering your skin’s elastin and collagen production, actively causing premature aging.
Pro tips: If eating large amounts of veggies and fruits isn’t your thing, and if you’re not into cooking, try to find healthy snacks instead, such as baby carrots, nuts, and little treats made with dates and nuts. In terms of your skincare regimen, make sure the products you use are packed with vitamins.
Your habits
Have you noticed how people who smoke have more fine lines around their lips and deeper wrinkles on their foreheads? And how do people who are heavy drinkers have more skin discolorations as well as broken blood vessels and spider veins? You might have also noticed under-eye area problems in people who don’t get enough sleep.
Pro tips: If you want to continue to look young, your bad habits must simply go. Whether you quit smoking or drinking cold turkey or gradually, drink a lot of water. If you’re a smoker, massage your moisturizer around your lips to help offset some of the wrinklings. If your sleep is impaired, use potent eye treatments to help the delicate skin around your eyes.
Your skincare routine
Your skincare choices might be helping or hindering your skin’s aging process. Selecting products that work with your skin, rather than against it, can help reduce and prevent premature aging.
Pro tips: To turn back the clock, only use products that bring you Nature’s miracle ingredients. Be consistent in your application of these products – don’t skip days or weeks. It only takes a few minutes to apply the right cleanser, serum, and moisturizer. And regardless of the type of climate you live in, you must – simply must – moisturize every day.