Congratulations, you picked a great time to be born. At your
tender young age, you still have time to prevent premature aging. The
actions you take now will save you countless wrinkles in the future, and
best of all, it can be done cheaply.
The majority of women who
buy anti-aging products today did NOT take care of their skin when they
were younger. Part of it isn't their fault; the dangers of UV light
were simply not mainstream news 20 years ago. Even if they were, the
skin care products available back then were nowhere near the caliber
they are now.
In other words, technology and time are on your
side. Just as saving for retirement pays off if you start in your 20s,
so does skin care. The actions you take now will dictate how young your
face looks at 35, 45, 55, and beyond.
Your strategy at this point
is to prevent sun damage. That's it. You can do some other things
that will help (see below), but your primary concern right now, by far,
is blocking and avoiding UV rays.
In order of importance, here are
the steps you need to take right now to ensure a youthful face for as
long as gravity will let you.
1. Wear sunblock. I repeat, wear
sun block. Unfortunately, not all sun blocks are the same. In fact,
some mainstream sunblocks will do nothing for you.
#1, it must
block both UVA rays (the ones that age you) and UVB rays (the ones that
burn you). But this is tricky, because even bottles that say they block
both rays sometimes don't do so. They mostly block UVB rays, which
means the UVA rays will still come through.
Make sure the bottle
you is a "broad spectrum" UVA/UVB blocker. Ingredients to look for are
zinc oxide, titanium oxide, avobenzone, Mexoryl, or Helioplex.
#2,
it must have an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. A higher
SPF doesn't necessarily mean you're getting more protection. Remember,
SPF refers to UVB protection, so a high SPF means nothing unless the
sunscreen blocks UVA rays.
#3, wear it all the time. Just because
you are in the shade, or indoors, does not mean you are safe from the
sun. Rays deflect, and that umbrella you use to shield the sun is only
partially effective. When you're indoors, the windows allow UVA rays to
come in the house and age you when you least expect it. Cover up at
all times, and re-apply a few times a day if you're going to be outdoors
a lot.
#4, the weather doesn't matter. Clouds block some UVB
rays, but UVA rays still come through. No matter the weather, wear
sunscreen. Besides, wind also damages your skin, so you need as much
protection as possible at all times.
#5, don't just protect your
face. Don't forget your ears, hands, arms, legs, shoulders, etc. Even
your lips need protection (from an SPF lip balm, not sunscreen).
#6,
apply sun block correctly. This is extremely important. Sun block
does you no good unless there is absolutely nothing between your skin
and the sun block cream. That is, sun block must be the first thing you
apply after washing your face in the morning. You must then wait at
least 10 minutes before applying anything else or going outside, since
the sun block needs time to sink in.
2. Stop smoking and
drinking. Even if you don't smoke, you might be around someone who
does. Both smoke and second-hand smoke badly damage your skin. Smoking
can also kill you in other ways, so the benefits go far beyond skin
care.
My aunt has smoked for years, and I could stick nickels in
the deep wrinkles all around her mouth and face. Smoking has made her
look 20 years older than she is. Stop smoking now, and don't hang out
with people who do, because they're badly aging your skin for you.
3. Hands off the face! Try not to let anything, whether it's your hands or rough towels, touch your face.
Whenever
you rest your face on your hand, you're wrinkling your skin. If you
rub towels over your face in rough fashion, you're wrinkling your skin.
And when you sleep face down on a pillow, you're wrinkling your skin
all night long.
Hands off the face, for one. Secondly, never
scrub your face with anything. Instead of drying your face with a
towel, pat it down gently. And when you sleep, lie on your back. The
effects of gravity will be minimized, and you won't be pressing your
face into a pillow for 8 consecutive hours. Speaking of 8 hours...
4.
Get some sleep. Lack of sleep is one of the #1 causes of premature
aging, and not just for your skin. Aim for at least 7 hours, and
ideally 8 or 9. "Beauty sleep" really is beauty sleep. So hit the
sack.
5. Keep a poker face. People with straight, emotionless
facial expressions are considered to be boring. But they also age well.
Here's why.
Excessive facial expressions such as laughing,
smiling, frowning, and other silly clown faces, wrinkle your face. They
bend, twist, and churn your skin into a wrinkled mess. There's a
reason clowns wear make-up.
I don't suggest you give up laughing,
because that's impossible unless you watch the lifeless sit-coms on
network TV these days. I do suggest you minimize the width of your
smiles and laughs, and frowning is absolutely out of the question.
Also, get a good pair of UV-protecting sunglasses. They'll cut down on
your squinting in the sun, and squinting causes that annoying wrinkle in
your furrow.
Your face is not an Etch-a-Sketch, so treat it well. And crack a smile (but just a little).
6.
Eat right. You know you need to eat right, but many of you don't.
And when you do, it's usually a fad diet like Atkins, South Beach, or
the Zone.
Bottom line: eating right is simple. The hard part is
having the discipline to do it, but since you are interested in aging
well, you're going to learn discipline.
1) Drink lots of water. Water is good for every organ in your body, including your skin.
2)
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. They are filled with nothing but
goodness, including the vitamins and nutrients your body (and skin)
needs.
3) Minimize your portions. Find out what a serving size
is, and eat just that. You'd be surprised what a serving size of meat
really is (about the size of a deck of cards).
4) Eat lean
protein. Fish, lean beef and poultry, egg whites, low-fat dairy
products, beans, lentils, and nuts are all good sources of protein.
5)
Choose your carbs. Forget about simple carbs like white bread, white
pasta, and baked goods and desserts. Your carbs need to come from whole
grain sources like flourless (or 100% whole wheat) bread, high-fiber
cereal, wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, fruits, and
vegetables.
Summary
A lifetime of these habits will ensure
youthful skin for as long as it is able to do so. Everyone ages, and
wrinkles are inevitable... BUT you can delay those wrinkles for a long
time by following the strategy outlined above. Look good, feel good,
and lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy aging.
