5 Ways to Slow Down Your Skin’s Aging Process

We all know that time marches on, but does your skin really have to follow that same process? With so many new skincare trends, procedures, and cure-all products, it’s hard to figure out what actually works and what is just going to drain your wallet. Luckily, there are all-natural steps you can take to help slow down the aging process, and they don’t involve buying every product on the shelf! Put those wrinkles on standby once and for all with these five easy ways to slow down your skin’s aging process.

“Here are all-natural steps

you can take to help slow

down the aging process.”

Protect Your Skin from UV Damage

According to the CDC, sun damage is one of the largest factors that contributes to a faster aging process for the skin. Along with rapidly aging skin, the sun’s harmful rays can cause skin cancer, dark spots, fine lines, and countless other issues. To top it all off, sun damage is typically irreversible.

Even if you laid out in the sun covered in baby oil in your younger days, there are still some things you can do now to prevent the sun from aging your skin. Pay extra attention to moisturizing the areas of your skin you used to tan the most. Be gentle with your face, legs, arms, and any other places that may already have skin damage. Only use light exfoliants on these areas—if you exfoliate them at all.

You can still prevent more sun damage from occurring by taking actionable steps, like staying out of the sun and always protecting your skin with +30 SPF. If you have to be in the sun, make sure you cover up; a hat is a great way to protect your face and will always look fabulous. You should also make sure you apply sunscreen every day, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to be outside for the majority of the time or not, harmful UV rays can still affect your skin on everything from your walk at lunch to the sunshine you come in contact with during your daily commute—so lather up!

Organic sunscreens are best for your body and for the environment. One thing you might not realize about sunscreen is that its effectiveness wanes after a few hours of use. Check the bottle to find out how often you should reapply and always carry a bottle with you just in case you need a touch-up before you get home. If you have to have that bronzed look, there are many sunless tanning methods from airbrush tans to wipe-on tans that can help you achieve it without the UV damage!

Choose Ingredients That Are Good for Your Face

The right ingredients in your products can make a huge difference for your skin. Conventional skincare products are full of artificial fragrances, silicone particles, and harsh ingredients that can actually do more damage than good for your skin. To avoid this, make sure you use products that are natural, organic, and made to nourish your skin instead of damage it further. There are a few key ingredients you can look out for that might help slow down the aging process and reduce wrinkles:

Honey
Aloe
Collagen
Vitamin C
Vitamin E

These ingredients, or any combination of them, are filled with the right compounds to fight aging. While the jury may still be out on whether they can actually get rid of wrinkles, using them to prevent premature aging can help keep your skin looking youthful for longer.

Use Food and Drink for Youthful Skin

The food you eat and the things you drink can have a huge impact on your skin as well. Eating a poor diet and guzzling down gallons of sugary beverages each week can contribute to skin that is dull, dry, and ages very fast. If you use food and drinks to nourish your body instead of hampering it, your skin will reflect that.

Caffeine can have a huge impact on your skin and consuming a lot of it can accelerate the aging process. While a cup of coffee once or twice a day won’t affect your skin drastically, consider trying green tea if you still need a boost to wake you up. The powerful antioxidants and catechins found in green tea like matcha can help battle the effects of outside, environmental aggressors our skin comes into contact with every day like smog, dirt, and UV exposure.

When you’re not drinking green tea, you should be drinking water. Hydrated skin happens from the inside out, meaning that you need to hydrate your body internally to get that all-natural enviable glow. Plain water can get boring, so spice up your water with powerhouse fruits, like berries, to give it some flavor and an antioxidant boost.

The food you eat can also have a huge impact on your skin. Eating fresh and organic fruits and vegetables is a great way to nourish your skin from the inside out. Making small changes like adding at least one fruit and one vegetable to each meal every day can help your skin reap the benefits of all the extra vitamins and minerals added to your diet.

Pamper Your Skin

Taking good care of your skin also means pampering it. Getting facials regularly and having your face massaged can help increase blood flow and make your skin appear more youthful. There are also other benefits that come from regular facials, like increased collagen production, which helps fill out fine lines.

Just jumping in and getting any kind of facial might not be the best way to go about doing self-care, though. Instead, take the time to get a complete analysis of your skin, which will help tell you things like where you need moisture most and which areas of your face are damaged the worst. That way, there’s no doubt that your esthetician knows which type of facial is best for you!

Get the Right Amount of Sleep

Sleep is an important part of any self-care routine. It’s not surprising that many people don’t get enough sleep no matter how hard they try, but the more you sleep, the more time your skin has to heal and rebound from the stress it goes through during the day.

You can improve your sleep experience by creating a calming space to lay your head down at night. Make sure the room temperature is comfortable and use bedding that keeps you cool throughout the night. Make sure you change your bedding often, too, because that can contribute to blemishes which, in turn, can lead to skin that ages faster.

Come up with a good routine for night time to make sure you can get a good night’s sleep.

Consider going to be earlier, reading a book instead of looking at your phone, taking up nightly meditation, and finding a deeply nourishing night cream that will help your face heal throughout the night. Your bedroom should be a haven for sleep so you can get a good rest. The better you sleep at night, the better your skin will be.

Take on these five habits and your skin will be glowing, youthful, and overall “I woke up like this” in no time! What habits will you try out first?

About the Author:

Tess DiNapoli is an artist, freelance writer, and content strategist. She has a passion for yoga and often writes about health and wellness, but also enjoys covering the fashion industry, collaborating with industry insiders and designers, getting insight on the latest trends.

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