As much as we would all love to freeze time in our early to mid-twenties, it keeps moving forward with or without our permission. Seeing new wrinkles form across our face as the years go by can be disheartening, to say the least.
Prevention is the best way to maintain your glowing complexion, and diet and daily treatments are the two easiest ways to restore skin to its youthful state. Whether you’re looking for a wrinkle-free face into your thirties, or ready to turn back the clock, here are some tips as to how it can be done.
Don’t Stress
Your gut reaction to discovering a new wrinkle might be immediate stress, but that won’t do your skin any favors. Wrinkles are often caused by stress from work, relationships, and finances; cortisol, the stress hormone, degrades collagen (the main structural protein found it skin). If anxiety is keeping you up at night, try to find a positive outlet for the sake of both your sanity and your skin.
Revitalizing Creams
While no miracle cream can completely remove wrinkles, many can dramatically reduce their size and appearance. Moisturizing and revitalizing facial creams are a great way to maintain healthy skin. In particular, arnica cream with vitamin K is especially useful for increasing your skin’s ability to retain moisture and elasticity.
When it comes to buying facial creams, look for ones that contain natural ingredients and plenty of helpful vitamins. Retinol creams—a derivative of vitamin A—are especially helpful at whittling down those fine lines.
Exercise
Exercise is important for your overall health, but it also has a direct impact on your skin's vitality as well. Improving your cardiovascular system through exercise will allow your immune system to carry toxins, dead skin cells, and bacteria away from your skin more efficiently resulting in a more radiant complexion.
In addition to improving your skin health directly, exercise may also reduce your stress levels and help you get better rest at night.
Diet
As the adage goes, “You are what you eat.” Similar to exercise, diet also has an indirect role on your complexion. If you aren’t providing your body with the essential vitamins and nutrients it needs, it won’t be able to maintain fresh, healthy skin. Here is a list of foods you should introduce to your diet if you want to delay the signs of aging or restore your youthful appearance:
- Salmon: Salmon is rich in essential fatty acids like omega-3, 6, and 9. These fatty acids aid in your skin’s ability to retain moisture and reduce inflammation.
- Fruit: Fruits rich in vitamins like A and C are great for your skin. Papaya is fantastic for it also contains folate and minerals such as copper, potassium, and magnesium.
- Leafy Greens: Green vegetables are rich in lutein, a powerful antioxidant that boosts hydration levels in your skin and improves elasticity. Many green vegetables also contain healthy doses of vitamin C, which helps your skin produce collagen.
- Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios are a few items you should add to your diet to improve your skin’s overall health and appearance thanks to their rich supply of omega-3.
- Seeds: Pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds are all loaded with healthy natural fats, which assist in your body’s collagen production—an essential protein for maintaining supple skin.
Sleep
Every night when our head hits the pillow and we go to sleep, our body continues to work. While you’re sleeping, your body repairs damaged cells and runs general maintenance on your organs—including your skin! If you don’t get enough sleep, your body won’t be able to repair and replace damaged skin cells. Consider using natural remedies like melatonin and chamomile tea if you’re having trouble falling asleep at night.
Exfoliate
Exfoliation is an essential step in warding off the signs of age. Using a loofah or scrubbing brush allows for dead skin to be scrubbed away so that new skin can take its place.
However, it’s vital that you don’t over exfoliate and damage or irritate your skin. Loofahs can often collect a significant amount of bacteria if left unclean; unless you want to buy a new loofah each week, you should clean it with some rubbing alcohol after every few uses.
Healthy, youthful skin doesn’t have to be a distant or fading memory. Use these helpful tips and the beautiful complexion you’ve always wanted can be restored before you know it.