With the market being full of creams and potions claiming to reverse the ageing process; and plastic surgery/botox rising in popularity so much over the last few years, it's clear that there is a huge demand for wanting to look younger, no matter the cost. Ageing is a natural, beautiful part of life and certainly isn't a bad thing, but there also isn't anything wrong with taking up some new measures to ensure that you age in the most graceful way!
For years youth has been associated with beauty and virility. Humans have a fundamental attraction set by biology that attracts us to the most likely mates for reproduction and survival.
Youth suggests strength, health and fertility, which is why a youthful appearance is yearned after by so many. Women especially are pressured to have a youthful appearance due to their fertility dropping significantly (compared to men) as they mature.
However, feeling younger is also yearned after by those who are a little less superficial. Aching joints, weakened senses and less energy are all common symptoms of the ageing process. But today we are asking ourselves if there are some ways to reduce these negative impacts, and allow us to age both gracefully and comfortably.
Whilst we all know it’s impossible to turn back the clock, there are certainly measures that you can take that will have you looking (and feeling!) 10 years younger. Let’s explore some of them together:
Habit 1: Staying well hydrated
Everybody knows how important it is to stay well hydrated, but did you know that doing so can help you look a lot younger as well? Dehydrated skin generally has a more wrinkled appearance, which can age people considerably, whereas when you drink more water your skin cells will plump up giving you a more youthful appearance. Drinking water also improves your skin’s elasticity, meaning that your skin will be less likely to crack or get blemishes.
So as well as aiding digestion, flushing out toxins and generally keeping our bodies functioning at their best level, drinking a few extra glasses of water a day can make you look a little little younger as well!
It is also important to make sure that your skin is hydrated in other ways, but that can be as simple as taking regular showers! We recommend using a gentle, alcohol free cleanser (excessive fragrance/alcohol will dehydrate your skin) , avoiding hot showers, and moisturising your entire body after washing in order to best maintain your skin’s integrity.
Habit 2: Swapping your coffee for green tea
We all love that morning cup of coffee, but drinking excessive amounts in order to burn the candle at both ends can be disastrous for our skin! Coffee dehydrates the body the more of it we drink (and we’ve already discussed the importance of hydration for that youthful glow!) and on top of that it can greatly affect our sleep quality, which is another essential factor for youthful looks!
Instead we recommend switching out coffee for green tea, which is high in antioxidants and enzymes that work to reduce wrinkles by protecting the skin against the breakdown of collagen and elastin, as well as reducing sun damage! Green tea is also a great swap as it allows you to hold onto more hydration than you would by drinking coffee, whilst also giving you a mini energy boost when you need it!
Habit 3: Packing in the fruits and veggies
You don’t need us to tell you that maintaining a healthy diet is essential if you want to feel your best! By that logic, if it has you feeling your best it only follows that it can help you look your best as well!
Vegetables are extremely nutrient dense compared to their relatively low calorie level, and many contain antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as cataracts (which your chance of developing naturally increases with age). Vegetables like pumpkins, carrots and sweet potatoes are high in a carotenoid called beta carotene, which protects us from free radicals and UV radiation from the sun, both of which cause our skin to age.
Berries are also an amazing age defying option according to studies, as they are rich in anthocyanins, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which can help to prevent collagen breakdown. They also improve the general health of gut bacteria, which can protect you against any age related bone loss!
We also recommend eating plenty of tomatoes in order to melt away the years, as they are rich in a red pigment called lycopene that is known to reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes.
However, lycopene is also popularly referred to as ‘nature’s sunscreen’ and gets to work inside our cells to protect them from UV (sun) damage and the wrinkles that come with it. Research has shown that when tomatoes are cooked they actually produce more lycopene, so cooking with tomato paste, tinned tomatoes or passata is the best way to get it into your diet.
Finally, going back to hydration, did you know that it is possible to get a large amount of your daily water requirement from eating fruits and vegetables alone? We already know how important hydration is for the health of our cells, so packing more in through eating produce with a high water content is always a great idea!
Foods like watermelon, cucumber and lettuce are all great sources of H2O, so we recommend trying to get as many into your diet as you can, and follow the rainbow diet wherever possible!
Habit 4: No Yoyo dieting!
Yo Yo dieting is one of the worst things that you can do to your body, it totally messes up your metabolism and can prevent your body from getting the nutrition it needs if you follow a routine of heavy restriction and then bingeing. Fast, extreme weight loss can also take a toll on your skin, as when you lose weight quickly your skin will naturally sag more, and any pre-existing wrinkles will become more defined.
If you want to lose weight, we recommend doing so in a slow, healthy way by following a balanced diet in a slight deficit. Not only are these results healthier to achieve, but they are also more likely to stick with you for the long term as you will naturally form healthier habits over time.
Habit 5: Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the essential nutrients for getting that natural glow that usually comes hand in hand with youthful looks. It allows your skin to produce collagen, which we’ve already mentioned a couple of times in this article, and is an essential structural protein that ensures your skin stays strong, supple and healthy. Vitamin C also has antioxidant effects, and is amazing at protecting your skin from sun/environment damage, which as mentioned can be a big factor in looking younger.
Although it is rare, Vitamin C deficiency can include many ageing symptoms, such as dry/rough skin, and being prone to bruising, so to avoid this we suggest either taking a Vitamin C supplement or trying to consume it naturally through foods like citrus fruits, peppers, potatoes and berries.
Habit 6: Plenty of sunscreen (not just the face!)
We’ve already mentioned the damaging effects of too much sun, so it makes sense to use sunscreen as well as consuming antioxidants. We recommend applying sunscreen every day as a part of your regular skincare routine as even on days that aren’t warm, the sun (and its radiation!) is still out and doing damage.
Many people already do apply sunscreen to their faces as a part of their daily routine, however we also suggest applying it to areas that are exposed to the sun a lot of the time which tend to show signs of ageing as well. The neck and hands are two common culprits for showing the effects of ageing, so by protecting them as well as your face, you’ll find your skin showing you its thanks in the long run!
Habit 7: Sleeping on your back
Getting a good night’s sleep is vitally important for looking (and feeling!) your best, however your sleep position could be doing untold harm to your appearance during the night. This is because sleeping on your front/side causes you to push your face into the pillow more, and over time if you usually sleep in the same position, you will find yourself developing ‘sleep lines’ which are wrinkles that can’t really be reversed.
That’s why we recommend that you try to get to sleep in a position that doesn't allow for your face to be squished all night, and sleeping on your back is the best way to ensure that.
Habit 8: Reduce salt/sugar intake
I think a lot of us can agree that we’re probably consuming too much salt and sugar in our day to day lives. Doctors have a bunch of reasons as to why we should cut our intake of sugar, but one of the main reasons that doing so can make us look younger is because of a process called glycation that sugar causes. Glycation essentially causes us to lose skin elasticity and reduces the effectiveness of collagen and other proteins that help to maintain our skin’s youthful appearance.
Too much salt can have disastrous effects as well, due to it naturally dehydrating our cells as we consume more and more of it. As we already explained, when our skin cells become dehydrated they cause our skin to appear more wrinkled and dull, therefore ageing us. We recommend reducing your intake of both salt and sugar and seeing the results for yourself!
Habit 9: Oxytocin
Oxytocin is commonly referred to as the ‘feel good hormone’ that gets released when we spend time with loved ones or receive physical touch, but as well as making us feel great, science tells us that it can also have some amazing anti ageing effects! Oxytocin promotes skin healing and boosts our overall immunity, which aids in reducing inflammation as well. By reducing inflammation and our stress levels, it can also reduce skin issues such as acne, as well as prevent extreme stress lines on the face!
One study found that individuals with higher oxytocin levels looked considerably younger than those with lower levels, and also looked healthier overall. Therefore we recommend trying to hug your loved ones whenever you can, or snuggling up with a pet in order to combat the effects of ageing, as well as to feel amazing!
Habit 10: Keeping fit
Exercising has been proven to make us feel great through the release of endorphins as well as other feel good chemicals both during and afterwards, but it is also a great way to look and feel youthful as well! Because it increases the blood flow, it allows our cells to be nourished more effectively as oxygen is pumped through faster, which also causes toxins to be pushed out as waste and carried away.
In addition to this, we sweat during exercise and this causes our pores to open, therefore releasing any nasties that can build up. By getting rid of these toxins, skin imperfections are wildly reduced, including blackheads, dryness and other blemishes.
We also strengthen our joints and muscles through exercise, which both naturally degrade with age, therefore resulting in those that exercise frequently to feel considerably younger than their peers who are less physically active.
Don’t forget that oftentimes, when we feel better within ourselves physically, these effects become evident externally as well, meaning that the better you feel, the better you’re going to look!
We hope that you found these tips both helpful and interesting, but please remember that ageing is a natural, amazing part of life. As we mature we become wiser, more experienced and develop decidedly as individuals, and this is something we believe should be worn with pride.
Today we simply emphasised the fact that you are as young as you feel, and by taking the best care of yourself, you will be able to reap the benefits that come alongside living a healthy lifestyle.