Our skin is often one of the first areas where we notice signs of aging. Sun damage takes a lot of the blame, of course, but so do lifestyle choices and our own skincare routines. The good news is that there are ways to promote the healthy aging of skin. It takes some effort, but if you think of it as a part of your self-care regimen, it can be so satisfying…and worth every minute you devote to it. If you have mature, aging skin, follow these 10 tips to promote good skin health.
Apply Sunscreen Religiously
We’re putting this at number one because it’s the most important thing you can do for your skin, mature or otherwise. The majority of skin aging occurs due to sun damage.[1] By preventing sun exposure as much as possible, you will be able to prevent sun damage that causes wrinkles and dark spots. For aging skin, sun protection is especially important to prevent the further breakdown of collagen and elastin. Rain or shine – use sunscreen!
Maintain Your Skincare Routine
Maintain your skincare routine – it’s important in giving you good habits. By always cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and applying serums and masks, like the AGELESS+ retinol overnight mask, you will be more successful at having and maintaining a radiant, healthy complexion. Your skincare regimen doesn’t have to be very complicated. In fact, if you make it fun and enjoyable for you, you’ll be more likely to do it on a daily basis. Remember to at least do the top 3: cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. And always remember to thoroughly remove makeup at the end of the day.
Make Lifestyle Changes
If you’re a smoker, it’s in your best interest to quit. Smoking can have a negative impact on skin, increasing free radical damage and promoting the formation of fine lines around the mouth and eye area.[2] Other lifestyle habits, like tanning, should also be stopped. Tanning can be fun, but it does an incredible amount of damage to your skin to be under the sun for hours. Even just 15 minutes can be too much if you are not wearing enough sunscreen. In the long run, these lifestyle changes will prove worth it, even if they are difficult to do at first.
Get Plenty Of Sleep
At least 7-8 hours a night is ideal for helping your skin heal itself. They don’t call it beauty rest for nothing! While we sleep, our immune system and other aspects of our health begin to repair themselves.[3] This allows your skin to get to work making more collagen and elastin while you’re catching z’s. It’s also kind of an easy way to help your skin repair itself.
Drink Lots Of Water
Water is nourishing in many ways. Of course, we need it literally to live. However, it is also so helpful in maintaining good skin. If you can drink at least 8 glasses a day, you can help your skin be at its best. If you’re dehydrated, for example, skin can end up looking and feeling rough.[4]
Use A Retinoid
A retinoid can work wonders in helping to reduce signs of aging.[5] Derivatives of vitamin A, retinoids like retinol can help soften the appearance of wrinkles, reduce acne lesions, and even help reduce discoloration and hyperpigmentation. Retinol works by accelerating cell turnover to help remove dead skin cells and promote new cells to rise to the surface. It can be quite a powerful tool against signs of aging, whether they are newly emerging or have been visible for quite some time. Try the AGELESS+ retinol repair crème and the IMAGE MD restoring retinol crème as two great options for introducing retinol into your skincare routine.
Invest In Your Skin
This means not hesitating to get the occasional facial or peel. A regular facial can do wonders for keeping skin radiant and glowing while also helping to reduce issues like acne, discoloration, and signs of aging. A peel is a little more potent than a facial and should be done less often. However, a peel can also give you better results in a shorter amount of time. Think of a peel as a as-needed investment while you can get facials monthly.
Watch Your Diet
What we put inside our bodies is as important as all the lotions and serums we put on our skin. A balanced, nutritious diet is important in helping you maintain good overall health, which will be reflected in your skin health as well. Our skin is our largest organ and a lot of what happens inside our bodies can end up showing up on our skin. You can still eat your favorite foods, but try to eat 80% healthy and nutritious, while 20% can be a little more indulgent.
Keep Calm And Meditate
…Or do anything else that helps you relax. It’s been shown that stress can exacerbate acne and conditions like eczema and psoriasis.[6] Developing and maintaining a meditative practice, or any type of routine that helps you relax (like taking a daily bath or listening to soothing music), can help reduce stress-related skin conditions.
Use Tools To Help
A gua sha tool can go a long way in helping to restore radiance to aging skin. It’s important to know how to use them properly, but introducing them into your skincare routine can make a big difference. Regular gua sha use has shown to help with lymphatic draining and reduce puffiness. If you wake up in the mornings with a puffy face, you can use gua sha techniques to promote a more refined look.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3790843/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230126/
[3] https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/beauty-sleep#1
[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hydrated-skin/faq-20058067
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/
[6] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/stress-may-be-getting-to-your-skin-but-its-not-a-one-way-street-2021041422334#:~:text=Are%20you%20stressed%20out%3F,%2C%20acne%2C%20and%20hair%20loss.