If you’ve looked in the mirror lately, you may have wondered: How can I slow the aging process?
You notice the sagging, the wrinkles, and the dullness, and think that your skin doesn’t match how you feel inside.
In a recent poll, over half of Americans stated they felt younger than their age. It can be particularly disappointing, then, to notice flaws in your skin that make you look older.
You deserve to look as good as you feel, so in this post, we gathered 20 tips to help you slow down the aging process in your skin.
How to Slow Down the Aging Process—20 Tips
1. Eat a healthy diet.
The more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins you can get into your diet, the more tools your skin will have to fight off the effects of aging. Leafy greens, like spinach, kale, and lettuce, are packed with antioxidants that protect DNA and limit damage from pollution. Fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that nourish skin and help it bounce back from irritation.
2. Moisturize.
Keeping your skin from getting dry is one of the best ways you can delay the appearance of aging. Hydrated skin is healthy skin. If the skin gets dry, it’s a sign that the outer barrier has been damaged. This leads to more visible fine lines and wrinkles and increased skin damage.
Moisturizers reduce the look of wrinkles while also keeping skin plump and youthful. Choose one like our Calming Moisture that can help calm inflammation and restore radiance.
If your skin is suffering from extra dryness, flakiness, eczema flare-ups, or other similar stresses, consider using our Restorative Skin Balm. It contains immune-boosting and skin-regenerating ingredients that allow the skin to heal naturally.
3. Protect the skin.
Sun exposure ages the skin, plain and simple. It damages the cells via oxidation and can lead to scarring, wrinkles, and sagging. You need some sun for optimal vitamin D levels, but it’s best to always protect your face with safe sunscreen.
Choose an SPF of at least 15 and one that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Avoid chemical sunscreens that can accelerate aging even more. Then use hats, clothing, and umbrellas to further protect your skin on bright, sunny days.
4. If you smoke, stop.
Smoking is terrible for the skin. It damages the cells and fibers, causing a breakdown in the skin’s structure and resulting in a multitude of wrinkles. It also robs the skin of its youthful radiance and makes it appear dull and sallow.
5. Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
You’ve heard the phrase, “get your beauty rest.” Just one night of sleep deficiency can make you look older. Skin performs most of its repair while you’re sleeping. If you don’t get enough, you not only rob the skin of that repair time, but you also increase stress, which leads to inflammation and aging.
6. Reduce stress.
Speaking of stress, reducing and shedding it is another good way to delay the appearance of aging. When you suffer from chronic stress, your body releases hormones like cortisol that over time, can damage skin and exacerbate wrinkles and fine lines.
Incorporate some sort of stress-relieving activity into your schedule every day. Good options include exercise, journaling, meditation, pet therapy, art therapy, time with friends, and time spent on enjoyable hobbies.
7. Drink less alcohol.
Alcohol is drying. It saps moisture from your cells, including your skin cells. It can also increase inflammation, which can create more damage and increase your risk of acne breakouts. Limit your consumption to no more than one alcoholic drink per day or less.
8. Wear sunglasses.
Typically, fine lines show up around the eyes first. You can help protect your eyes by regularly wearing sunglasses, even on cloudy days. Choose those with broad-spectrum protection that are large enough to protect the entire eye area.
9. Exercise regularly.
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to feel younger overall, and it also helps promote youthful-looking skin. When you exercise, you encourage better circulation, getting the nutrients to the skin that it needs. You also boost the immune system, and since the skin has its own immune system, that means you’re protecting it with exercise as well.
10. Cleanse gently and smartly.
If you’re still cleansing your skin with bar soap, stop! Cleansing is the first step to youthful skin if you do it right. Make sure that your cleanser doesn’t leave your skin dry and tight. If it does, it’s too drying and you need to find a more moisturizing alternative.
If you start your day with dry skin, you’re starting from behind and your skin may never recover. Choose a creamy, gentle cleanser that will wash away impurities and leave behind soft, smooth skin.
11. Cut back on sugar.
If you have a sweet tooth, try to cut back a bit for the sake of your skin. Eating too many sugary treats or too many simple carbohydrates (like white bread and pasta) can damage the collagen and elastin in the skin, causing it to break down faster. This leads to sagging and bagging.
12. Drink more water.
Skin needs moisture from the inside and the outside. If you’re not drinking enough water, you could be dehydrated, which will encourage your body to pull water from the cells in the skin. You’ll be left looking dry and dull. So keep water with you and sip throughout the day.
13. Stop using damaging products.
Many skin conditions including premature aging are associated with inflammation. This inflammation generates reactive molecules called free radicals that overwhelm the skin’s defenses and damage DNA. Thus it’s important as you get older to keep that inflammation at bay.
Products with alcohols, sulfates, harsh preservatives, petrolatum, and other harmful ingredients can cause your skin to age faster than normal. Choose safe, non-toxic formulas that nourish and care for the skin.
We recommend our CV Skinlabs products, which are chock full of ingredients to help reduce inflammation while infusing important nutrients the skin needs to look its best.
14. Exfoliate as needed.
Exfoliation creates numerous benefits for the skin, including removing dead skin cells, improving circulation, and preparing your skin to take advantage of your anti-aging products. Avoid harsh scrubbing techniques and use gentle exfoliating acids instead, and use them 1-3 times a week, depending on what your skin needs.
15. Be consistent with your skincare.
Cleanse, tone, moisturize, and treat every morning and night. Being consistent with your skincare routine is the best way to delay the appearance of aging. This gives your skin a constant supply of what it needs to maintain its optimal health condition.
16. Consider retinoids, peptides, and vitamin C.
Recent research has shown the power of retinoids and peptides when it comes to anti-aging skincare. Retinoids, derived from vitamin A, can increase collagen production, which helps plump up the skin. They also encourage skin regeneration, improving overall texture.
Peptides are amino acids that help build proteins the skin needs, like collagen and elastin. Using products that contain them can help lead to firmer, younger-looking skin.
Finally, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that also helps promote collagen production, while fading hyperpigmentation.
17. Drink more tea.
Tea is full of powerful antioxidants that help protect your cells from free radical damage. Drink more green, black, and oolong teas for the highest protection levels.
18. Consider an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
Your skin needs fatty acids to stay moisturized and plump. As it ages, it can lose its volume and become dry. Essential fatty acids such as those in fatty fish like salmon can help replenish that lost moisture.
Fish oil, castor oil, and other similar fatty-acid supplements are often recommended for those with psoriasis, eczema, and other similar skin conditions to help fight off dryness and inflammation.
19. Avoid highly polluted areas.
Exposure to too much pollution can damage your skin, causing it to age more quickly. It can also increase dryness, and trigger psoriasis and eczema flare-ups. Check the air quality in your area, and try to avoid going out when pollution levels are high. Read more about how to protect your skin from the damaging effects of pollution.
20. Stay positive!
Having a positive attitude makes you more attractive.
In a study of 2,500 women, researchers found that 80 percent of skin aging is determined by factors we can control, including the amount of time spent in the sun (the less the better for your skin), daily SPF use, and having a positive mental attitude.
Those who strongly agreed with the statement, “I have a positive attitude toward myself” were more likely to be “exceptional agers” — those who looked and acted younger than their age.
How do you slow down the aging process?
Featured image by Matthias Cooper from Pexels.
