Skin Care Tips for Healthy Aging

Your skin changes over the years. With time, we all get visible lines on our face. Skin becomes thinner, loses fat, and can often look less moist and plump as it once did. 

The good news is, our genetics are only 20-30% responsible for our aging process. This is called intrinsic aging.

That means 70-80% of how we’ll age is in our control! Our environment and lifestyle choices have a bigger impact than our genes. This is called extrinsic aging. How we care for our skin outweighs our genetic predisposition! By living a healthy lifestyle, we can slow the effects aging has on our skin.

Here are some healthy habits we can do to avoid our skin aging more quickly than it naturally would:

1. Apply sunscreen every day, rain or shine. Some sun can be good for you, but to keep your skin healthy, be careful. Whether spending a day at the beach or running errands, sun protection is essential. 90% of dark spots and wrinkles result from sun exposure. As well as sunscreen, be sure to wear protective clothing such as a lightweight and long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses with UV protection.
2. Wash your face before bedtime. Falling asleep with makeup on clogs pores, prevents the skin’s natural renewal process and prematurely ages skin. 
3. Try to avoid repetitive facial expressions. When you make a facial expression, you contract the underlying muscles. If you repeatedly contract the same muscles for many years, these lines become permanent. Wearing sunglasses can help reduce lines caused by squinting and avoiding drinking thru a straw helps avoid upper lip lines. 
4. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables helps prevent damage that leads to premature skin aging. A diet containing lots of sugar or other refined carbohydrates can accelerate aging. Sugar molecules break down collagen and elastin proteins in the skin through a process called glycation. Instead, fill up on healthy fruits and vegetables, which are packed with skin-loving antioxidants.
5. Drink less alcohol, caffeine and avoid smoking. Alcohol and caffeine are very dehydrating to the skin leaving it dull and lackluster. Drink more water and herbal tea. Smoking robs the skin of oxygen causing premature aging and the constant puckering develops upper lip lines. 
6. Exfoliate. Regular exfoliation promotes healthy cell turnover and rejuvenates a dull complexion. Use a gentle exfoliator 2-3 times per week for smooth, radiant skin.
7. Use an eye cream. The first signs of aging on the face often appear in the eye area. Always apply eye cream with your ring finger in an outside-in direction to avoid tugging and pulling on the delicate skin.
8. Sleep on your back if possible. Sleeping in certain positions, especially on your sides, can lead to deep lines between the breasts, marionette lines around the mouth and wrinkles around the eyes. 

How you take care of yourself today affects your skin and health tomorrow. Living a balanced lifestyle, including eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated sleeping well, exercising and having a positive attitude all play a big part of looking and feeling good. Even if you’re only in your twenties, preventative care now will keep your skin healthy for years to come. Make caring for your skin a priority and you will be rewarded with more beautiful, healthy skin for the rest of your life.