Aging is a natural process that happens to all of us, and we can take specific steps to slow it down. Our lifestyle habits play a significant role in how our skin ages and bad habits can lead to wrinkles and fine lines. In this post, we’ll share tips to turn back the clock on aging.
After losing my mom and sister, I made a promise to myself that I would never complain about aging. It’s easy to take our health and youth for granted, but the truth is that aging isn’t guaranteed to anyone. So, while a few wrinkles or signs of aging can be seen as a badge of honor, we still need to take good care of ourselves. After all, we only have one life to live.
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A Quick Recap
Aging and its effects on our skin and hair have been a recurring topic at Hello South Blog. It’s not just a myth; our bodies change as we age. Educating ourselves on these changes allows us to adapt and improve our routines to achieve better outcomes.
If you feel like something is not right with your body, one of the first things you should consider doing is seeing your doctor and having your hormone levels checked. I wish I hadn’t delayed doing this for so long. After getting tested, I found out that my body wasn’t producing any estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, which explained issues such as hair loss and insomnia.
As we get older and enter menopause, our bodies begin to produce less natural oil. This reduction in oil production can affect various bodily functions, such as skin and hair health. However, we can take steps to replenish the hydration and moisture that our bodies lack.
A popular post of ours that talks about this subject, “What Mature Skin Needs Most,” can be read here.
Get Your Beauty Sleep
I know it sounds easier said than done; get a good night’s sleep. Our bodies are busy while sleeping, even busier as we age. Oil production, cell regeneration, and collagen production slow down as we age. Sleep loss will speed up the aging process. Experts recommend getting between 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
In case you missed it, we discussed this subject a few weeks ago. You can read more about it here.
Important things happen as we sleep:
- Skin cell regeneration – skin cells regenerate faster at night than during the day. As we age, our skin cell regeneration process slows down, so we don’t want to worsen things by not getting sleep.
- Receptive to skincare products – If you cleanse your skin and remove your makeup before bed, you create the perfect base for your nighttime skincare routine. As we age, our body produces less oil naturally, so it’s important to replace it. While sleeping, our skin is more receptive to accepting skincare products.
- Anti-aging benefits – Our bodies produce collagen naturally while we sleep, which helps to prevent sagging skin and wrinkles. However, as we age, the production of collagen slows down. Sleep deprivation can accelerate the depletion of your skin’s elasticity and plumpness.
Stay Hydrated
Our body’s natural oil production decreases as we age, resulting in dryness. Proper hydration is important to improve aging skin. Drinking water regularly every day, regardless of age, is essential to avoid adverse effects on the skin.
It could indicate dehydration if you’re experiencing itchy, flaky, red, or inflamed skin. Dry skin can also exaggerate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Drinking more water can help alleviate these symptoms. While water alone won’t reverse the effects of aging on your skin, it does contribute to your overall health and the health of your hair and skin.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun
We can protect our skin from harmful UV rays in multiple ways. Society has told us that a suntan looks better than white skin. But did you know that a suntan is just damaged skin? Sun damage can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
Tips to protect your skin from the sun:
- Sunscreen – Dermatologists suggest using a minimum of SPF 30 for best protection. They also recommend wearing daily sunscreen to prevent skin cancer. If you are in the sun for long periods, remember to protect sensitive areas like your hair part, hairline, and the tops of your ears.
- Wide-brim sun hat – We recently wrote a blog post on “How to Pick the Perfect Sun Hat.” Experts recommend that your sun hat have a brim of at least 3 inches to effectively shield your face, neck, and shoulders from the sun. The wider the brim, the better the coverage.
- Sunglasses – Not only are sunglasses cute, but they serve an important job. They protect your eyes and the delicate skin around them from harmful UV rays. UV rays from the sun can damage the skin, cornea, lens, and other parts of the eye. The repeated “squinting” motion from not wearing sunglasses can cause wrinkles around the eyes, better known as “crow’s feet.”
Exfoliate
Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin. This helps generate new cells and gives you a more youthful look. If you’ve noticed signs of aging on your skin, then it’s time to start exfoliating regularly. Regular exfoliation aids in bringing back your skin’s natural glow by eliminating all the dull, dead skin cells that cling to the surface. Removing the dry debris from your face will unveil your smoother, softer skin underneath.
Some benefits of exfoliation:
- Unclogs pores.
- Helps skincare products to penetrate better.
- Helps even out skin texture and minimizes the appearance of discoloration.
- Stimulates skin cell renewal.
Remove Makeup Before Going to Bed
Removing our makeup every night eliminates dirt, oil, and makeup residue accumulating throughout the day. Not doing so can cause your pores to clog, resulting in blemishes, redness, and other skin issues. Our skin’s ability to regenerate cells and produce collagen decreases as we age. Leaving makeup overnight can accelerate the breakdown of collagen in your skin.
Do you need improvement with these tips to turn back the clock on aging? I have been working on all these, but sometimes it can be a struggle. Which one is the most difficult for you? Please share in the comments below.
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