How To Age Gracefully With These Four Skincare Hacks

Last updated on : June 14 2021

Anti-Aging Skin Care Hacks

While we will all experience some downsides of aging as we get older— body aches and pains, fine lines and wrinkles, unexplainable tiredness. How soon we get them can vary depending on certain factors such as age, gender, genetics, and of course, our typical lifestyle habits.

Of the many lifestyle habits that play a part in the aging process, the way we take care of our skin is arguably one of the most important. Your skin can be very telling of your age and the way you take care of your body.

Ever notice that when you overeat junk food, you tend to experience more breakouts? Or when you don't get enough sleep, your eyes become darker or puffier? These symptoms are not a coincidence!

So, whether you're in your mid-twenties or early forties, listen up. It's time to take control of your aging process by perfecting your skincare routine and revamping your products. 

Lucky for you, you don't have to take on this journey alone. To help guide you through, follow these four skincare hacks to aging gracefully.

1. Introduce Anti-Aging Cream to Your Daily Skincare Regimen

Even if you have already done the research on your skin type and are adamant about following your daily skincare regimen, you may be forgetting about one fundamental element to restorative skincare: that being an anti-aging cream.

No matter what age you may be, introducing yourself to anti-aging cream can be a game-changer for your complexion and overall appearance, especially as you get older. 

For those of you who have yet to develop any fine lines or wrinkles or don't find it necessary to include this product in your current regime, think again. 

Applying an anti-aging treatment in your younger years is a great way to plump your skin and combat the signs of premature aging before they occur, making it a must-have product for your regime.

If you're older and still haven't incorporated an anti-aging cream in your daily skincare regimen, don't panic. You still have time. 

The right anti-aging product will work to boost the thickness and elasticity of the skin as well as alleviate the appearance of wrinkles—regardless if they've already developed or not. 

Some anti-aging treatments may work more effectively than others, so you must evaluate your chosen products' formula to ensure it's best for your skin. 

Using an over-the-counter retinol anti-aging cream, for example, may be better equipped for someone who is in their twenties or is just starting on their skincare journey. 

In contrast, a person who is a bit older may benefit more from using a product with a more potent formula. A prescription anti-aging cream containing tretinoin (or Retin-A), for instance, will be more than sufficient for treating mature skin and provide faster results. 

Be sure to evaluate what anti-aging route you'd like to take before adding any topical creams to your routine.

2. Be Rigorous with the Sunscreen & SPF Application

Did you know that the sun and its ultraviolet (UV) radiation are among the leading causes of premature aging? 

Not only can sun-damaged skin lead to the early development of fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and saggy skin, it can also lead to other severe health conditions like skin cancer. 

It's time for you to ditch the tanning beds and excessive sunbathing days to keep your skin safe, long term.

However, for those who enjoy laying out on a warm summer's day, it is essential to remain mindful of your sunscreen and SPF application. These will protect your skin from two specific types of UV radiation: ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). 

UVA is what penetrates the dermis, or the thickest layer of your skin. Simultaneously, ultraviolet B (UVB) is responsible for burning down the superficial layers of the skin and skin cancer development.

The damage that comes from UVA radiation is no less severe than UVB radiation, meaning it's vital to keep your skin shielded from both throughout your lifetime.

The UV radiation from sunlight isn't the only thing sunscreen with SPF will protect you from - it'll also protect you from high energy visible light (HEV) that comes from blue light.

By now, you're probably familiar with the term "blue light" as it relates to the light that comes from the screen of your electronic devices.

When we live in an era of digital technology, it's almost impossible to avoid exposing ourselves and our skin to this ray of energy, so it's essential to do what you can to lessen the damage that can come from over-exposure. 

Unlike UVA and UVB rays, blue light can reach deeper into the layers of our skin, therefore speeding up the development of photoaging (or wrinkling).

Next time you plan to spend some time outdoors or on your tablet at home, don't forget to be rigorous with the sunscreen and SPF application.

Adding SPF should be the last step of your daily skincare regimen, as this will help create the best barrier between your skin and any harmful light. You can use any sunscreen — whether it be a traditional sunscreen or mineral-based SPF product is entirely up to you.

3. Take Advantage of Antioxidant Skincare Products & Supplements

You may have heard of antioxidants before, but what exactly does this term mean? 

Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures. 

Frequently referred to as the "free-radical scavengers," antioxidants serve as an antidote for a healthy immune system and long-lasting youth. They work to eliminate any cell-damaging free radicals in the body and your skin and encourage the natural production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in the body. 

Fortunately, antioxidants can be easily accessible as they can come from certain food groups like vegetables, fruits, spices, etc., making it all the more effortless to reap their anti-aging benefits. 

However, it's still a good idea to take advantage of antioxidant skincare products and supplements for an extra boost and to further impede aging signs.

Antioxidant skin care products are a tried-and-true method for anti-aging as they work to penetrate the skin more deeply than other products and promote hydration and elasticity of the skin— both of which are pivotal for aging gracefully. 

By incorporating them into your daily skincare routine using a targeted solution product like vitamin C or vitamin E, you'll be able to ensure your skin remains firm, plump, and youthful-looking overtime. 

This skincare hack, combined with using other daily supplements containing antioxidants such as prebiotics or probiotics, for example, can be a powerhouse for your skin. 

You don't have to take prebiotics and probiotics together, but when paired together, they work well in creating a healthy gut microbiome, which is imperative for aging gracefully. 

A healthy gut microbiome not only helps to prevent weight gain, but it also helps to combat wrinkles by protecting your skin from the toxins and oxidative stress that come from free-radicals. Thus, promoting healthy aging.

Read more: 12 Home Made Remedies to Naturally Rejuvenate Your Skin

4. Moisturize Your Skin Morning & Night

Besides your skincare cleanser and SPF, your moisturizer is an essential part of your daily regimen. 

Even if you have acne or oily skin, moisturizer is necessary for you to incorporate into both your morning and nightly routine as it serves to rejuvenate your skin and preserve its lifelong radiance. 

Specifically, moisturizers improve your complexion by temporarily plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Moisturizers with active ingredients such as hydroxy acids, peptides, ascorbic acids, and niacinamide offer additional anti-aging benefits. They target fine lines and wrinkles while improving your skin tone and texture.

Using these types of active ingredients can counteract the aging process, but their effectiveness will be dependent on your particular skin type and areas of concern. 

Be sure to properly evaluate your skin before choosing which moisturizer is right for you. Perform a patch test on a small area of your skin to determine its effects before full coverage application.

Before you jump the gun, remember that just like other skin care products, active ingredient treatments require consistent use before visible results will start to appear. 

For example, a moisturizer formulated with niacinamide— an active antioxidant ingredient that reduces water loss and improves skin elasticity— can take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks before visible results will begin to appear. 

That said, don't forget to read the product label of your moisturizer and consider how this will affect your anti-aging timeline. For more information on different active ingredients and when you can expect to see results, check out the infographic below.

Apart from applying a moisturizer on your skin morning and night, it would help if you also used face masks weekly. Hydrating face masks are easy to make with only a few ingredients in your kitchen— such as honey, avocado, or coconut oil. They can provide your skin with that extra boost of nourishment it needs to keep your skin radiant now and in the future. 

So, even if you can't afford the luxurious, pricey face masks, you can still reap the anti-aging benefits they offer with an at-home DIY mask.

Conclusion

Aging is inevitable, so it's crucial to take advantage of the things you can control— like your skincare routine— to help you slow down the process and embrace the reality of getting older.  

As your body's largest organ, the skin requires your constant love and affection to help maintain a healthy state and preserve its youthful glow.  

That's why treating it with the correct skin care products and staying consistent with a regular AM/PM routine is critical for protecting your skin to age gracefully over time.  

No matter what age you are or what type of skin you have, anti-aging skincare is for everyone. Do not wait for the aging process to affect your skin's appearance to start introducing new steps and anti-aging products in your daily routine. 

Instead, age gracefully by following these skin care hacks and watch as your complexion remains tight, fresh, and supple-looking in your forties and beyond.

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