When it comes to anti aging, it’s a fact that most women (and men) think in terms of physical appearance before they do longevity and health. That’s natural – but you can approach anti aging from a total well being perspective.
Some of the things that make your beauty shine through are actually health tips that work from the inside out. Others are topical in nature, or choices you have to make consciously to reflect a more youthful appearance.
No one wants to look and feel old. It’s okay to project a vibrant man or woman whose age doesn’t hold them back. You can improve your appearance just by making small changes, such as standing up straight so that your posture isn’t bent over like someone who is older.
But there are other things that keep you looking young – from skincare to good fashion sense – so let’s take a look at how you can shave years off of your appearance quickly and easily.
Pamper Your Skin from Head to Toe
Your skin is your largest organ – and unfortunately, it’s also usually one of the most neglected ones. In your youth, you may have exposed it to hours and hours of harsh sunlight, never imagining that someday, those rays would take a toll on your beauty.
Tanning does make you look great in your younger days, but it then makes you look leathery as you get older. Not to mention, it can contribute to skin cancer – not just wrinkles.
No matter what age you are, you should starts using a strong sunscreen whenever you’re out in the sun (even driving in the car where your arm might be exposed to it).
You can find makeup that has SPF built right in, but it probably isn’t enough – so add an extra layer of protection under your makeup to maximize your benefits. Moisturizing is another thing you want to implement into your daily and nightly skincare regimen.
Wrinkles appear because skin looks dried up – like a raisin. You have to hydrate it, but topical solutions aren’t enough. You need to drink plenty of water so that your skin is plumped up from the inside, too.
Topically, you’ll be using a variety of moisturizers on your skin. They include eyecare, facial moisturizers, and body moisturizers. Some even specify whether they’re for day or night.
So a sample routine would be for you to apply a serum, cream or lotion meant specifically for the fragile eye area first. Then you would apply your facial moisturizer to include your neck area, and then a body cream for the rest of your body – such as your elbows, legs, and feet.
Facial moisturizers usually have a day or night application. The daytime ones offer more protection from harmful rays and toxins (like pollutants) that you encounter during the day.
Nighttime moisturizers go in and repair the damage that’s been done by the free radicals floating around in the air that you encountered. You want to make sure you’ve thoroughly cleansed your face before you apply it so that it can work on a clean slate and penetrate deep into your cells. If you sleep in your makeup, this won’t be effective.
Keep Your Hair Looking Youthful
Hair is one area of the body that shows your age, sometimes very prematurely. There are men and women in their early 30s who start losing their locks – or they begin turning gray too young.
There are some supplements, such as Biotin, which strengthen your hair (and nails). This can help you keep the hair you still have. You can also use saw palmetto to naturally promote hair strength.
Stress is a leading cause of hair loss. It’s usual for people to shed up to 100 hairs per day, but when it gets to be more than that, it turns into a problem. So pinpoint your stress and work on alleviating it so that your follicles stay resilient.
You want to have your doctor do a complete vitamin panel so that you can see if your body is low on any certain vitamins. Sometimes this is what results in a loss of hair, and it’s easy to fix if you start taking supplements.
Your doctor may want to test you for various diseases or health issues to see if they’re at the root cause of your hair loss. Thyroid disease, for example, can cause you to lose your hair.
There are over the counter hair loss solutions that you can try, too – like Rogaine. Your doctor might also prescribe something stronger, but it’s always best to attempt natural and organic solutions first.
As for the hair turning gray, this is an issue that is caused by a lessening of melanin, which pigments your hair strands. Some people lose their pigmentation sooner than others.
There are cosmetic changes you can use to look more youthful – you don’t have to settle for gray hair when you’re too young for it! There are rinses or hair dyes that can change the color from gray or white to whatever color you want – blonde, brown, red or even black.
If you’ve never dyed your hair before, it’s best to go to a salon and have a professional do it for you. They can match your hair shade to the tone of your skin so that it looks perfect.
While you’re there, have a frank discussion with your stylist about whether or not your hair is in line with your age. You may have seen makeovers on TV where a 40 or 50 year old women with hair down to her waist gets a shorter, shoulder-length cut, and instantly shaves a decade off of her appearance!
Is Your Fashion Too Dated?
When we wake up one day feeling like we look old, our first instinct is to go back to doing the same things we did in our youth. For some, that means dressing like they did years earlier – or trying to dress like younger men and women today.
That’s not a good look on a grown-up who is getting older. At the same time, you don’t want to look like your grandfather because you’re not p-to-date with current fashion trends for your appropriate age group.
Frumpy, comfortable clothes are something most people enjoy during relaxing moments at home – and we even develop our favorites that we don’t get rid of (even when we should).
But it will help you look and feel younger if you get some help updating your wardrobe so that you knock off several years and start dressing to impress. This doesn’t mean you need deep pockets to go buy dozens of outfits.
Start with the color of most of your clothes. You want to go with earth tones – but not head to toe beige. That leaves you looking frumpy. Use warm earth tones, and accent with a bit more color.
As you age, you don’t want to try competing with the 20-year olds who are wearing neon pinks and yellows. Just make sure it looks elegant and warm, not too drab and not too flashy.
Update your accessories. If you’re still wearing clunky plastic jewelry from the 80s, it’s time to invest in an updated look. Again, you don’t want to start wearing rubberband bracelets like all the kids do, but something attractive and timeless is perfect.
How long are your skirts? Do they all come down to your ankles? Or have you gone to the other extreme and are barely covering your butt with a too-short miniskirt? Find a skirt that comes right below your knees so that your legs are showing, but it’s in a tasteful manner.
Protect Your Dental Health as You Age
Your teeth are something you should never neglect. Not only do they worsen with age, but they can cause all sorts of other health issues if you don’t take care of them properly.
It’s not all about whitening, although that’s one of the first things that come to mind when they think in terms of anti aging. You’re worried about coffee stains, and that’s relevant – but it goes deeper than that!
There’s recently been evidence that poor dental care can cause memory problems as well as heart issues if you’re not careful, so it pays to give your teeth a little TLC.
The best thing you can do is keep your dentist appointments. Every 6 months, you should go in for a cleaning and have your doctor look for any signs of decay that he can repair where the enamel has worn down.
As for a self care routine, make sure you take good care of your teeth at home. You should always brush your teeth after eating. Sugary foods are notorious for leaving residue on your teeth that eats away at your tooth enamel.
When you brush, do it for 2 full minutes – and make sure you add flossing to your regular routine of tooth care. Flossing is what will help protect your heart because it removes harmful bacteria from entering your bloodstream from bleeding gums.
As we age, our teeth become more brittle due to ways that we’ve lacked attention to them (like decay). So if you notice things like grinding during the night, go to your doctor for a device that can help prevent that. The last thing you want is to have chipped teeth.
If you want to whiten your teeth, you can certainly do that safely using an over the counter remedy. Watch out for online mixtures that people tout as a way to get white teeth instantly through bleaching.
This can put your teeth at risk, so you want to go with a formula that’s been professionally prepared. Your dentist can also whiten your teeth for you, but this can get expensive if you’re on a tight budget.
Adjust Your Makeup for a Youthful Glow
If you’re a woman who wears makeup, you’ll need to adjust it as you grow older. Even in your 30s and 40s, it’s time to start making changes from your 20s. It’s weird, but the way makeup looks best on you almost comes in a complete circle.
As a very young woman, minimal is best. A little lip gloss, a dash of light blush… But over time we start getting more daring with bold, red lips and darker eyeliner with eye shadow that pops.
This is usually where we stay until one day we realize we have started to look harsh. There’s no other way to put it – makeup that’s too much, or too bold makes you look older.
So just as you did when you first started wearing makeup, you go back to a more natural look – something that brings your youthful glow to the surface. Part of the reason makeup starts to look different is because your skin changes.
In your earlier years, your skin might have been oily, so you used foundation for oily skin – paired with powder that concealed the oil from your face throughout the day.
But if your skin has become more and more dehydrated and wrinkles are beginning to show around your eyes and mouth, it’s time to ditch the powder and go with a foundation that has a dewy appearance.
Of course, moisturizer with SPF should be applied even before your foundation. After your base coat of foundation, sans the powder, apply your makeup in natural tones.
Now is not the time for bright blue eye shadow and hot pink or red lipstick. Peachy or light neutral, warm tones are perfect for grown women who want to capture their youthful look.
Watch the tones, but also watch how much makeup you apply. Caking on a thick layer of blush, even in a peach tone, will look bad if you lay it on too thick. Go back to your natural roots. It will take some time to get used to, but it will knock years off your appearance.
Beauty and skincare is something that evolves over time. From the moment we begin taking care of ourselves and styling our own hair, picking out our own clothes, and apply make-up to the day when it’s time to recognize we need a makeover – it can be a fun process if you let it!
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