8 ways to keep your skin looking younger

About a third of the U.S. population today was born between 1946-1960. We’re known as the Baby Boomers, and today, many of us are over 50. We’re discovering that our skin isn’t what it was 20 or even 10 years ago. We’re finding wrinkles. Unless we take good care of ourselves, things are giving way to gravity. Is there a single woman alive who doesn’t want to stay younger-looking? But there is so much confusing information out there. It’s hard to find simple, concrete advice for what to do to make sure this happens. I’d like to share some proven techniques, easy things any woman can do in just a few minutes every day, to take better care of her skin. Even better, each one of these tips is absolutely free – except for one. That one costs about the same as a bottled water or a coffee at Starbucks.

1. Avoid the sun

Sun exposure is the #1 cause of skin aging. Experts attribute much of what we consider aging, not to passing years, but to ultraviolet UV radiation, which breaks down skins elastin and collagen. Retin A thins the skin, making your skin more susceptible to sun damage. More people die of skin cancer, melanoma, than any other cancer. So, what can you do to stop the sun from aging your skin? If you must be out in the sun, wear a hat, sunscreen, or makeup. Whenever possible, stay out of sun altogether.

2. Relax your face

What do we do when we smile, frown, cry and we scowl? We make faces. Well, making faces can cause lines and wrinkles. Stop making those funny faces! No, you don’t have to stop smiling. But be mindful of the facial expressions you make and how relaxing your face can help diminish lines. There are other things you can do as well. Wear sunglasses and your reading glasses, so you’ll squint less. Stop smoking – puffing causes puckering, lines wrinkles around mouth. Smoking causes our skin to age 10 years. Use cosmetic creams and skin firming creams to help reverse some of the damage that’s already been done.

3. Get enough sleep – and do it in the right position

Most of us sleep 6 hours a night if we’re lucky. Multiply that by 7 days, 42 hours, round to 50 (include naps) – that’s 200 hours in one month, or 2,400 hours per year. Now think about this. How many of us sleep on our face, on our stomachs? Think about what that does to the skin on your face – you’re basically smashing your face into a pillow for 2400 hrs a year. That’s a lot of face-smashing, and it causes lines and wrinkles. So consider changing your sleeping habits. The best sleeping position, all other things being equal, is on your back.

Besides sleeping position, sleep is also essential to a vibrant complexion. Your skin eliminates toxins, primarily at night while you sleep. Try to stick to a regular sleep schedule and give yourself 7-8 hours of sleep every night to give your skin enough time to perform all its vital elimination functions.

4. Exercise your face

Do you believe you can change the shape of you body, flatten and firm it, by exercising ? If you can do this for your body, why not your face? Exercising the body stimulates blood flow to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the skin. It also raises the skin’s temperature, which helps increase collagen production. You can learn simple exercises that will produce the same results for your face. I didn’t create any of these, but I’ve tried them and I recommend them. Information about facial exercises are readily available in books in your public library or on the Internet. Do chin-ups, chin lifts, eye lifts, and mouth strengtheners. I also recommend Carol Maggio’s faciacize beauty system. You can call 800-811-4455 to order a video or tapes, then learn the facial exercises right in your own home.

5. Stop stretching out your skin

How many of us overeat during the holidays, and then go on a diet? It’s called yo-yo dieting, and it definitely causes the skin to lose its elasticity. Major weight fluctuations stretches your skin out of shape, weaken its elasticity and causes it to look older faster. At a certain point, usually when we reach age 40, our skin loses its ability to bounce back. Our skin can still stretch out, but it loses its ability to spring back. Learn how to touch your skin correctly, in ways that minimizes stretching. Use your ring finger or pinky finger, and be gentle. Never use your thumb and forefinger.

6. Take vitamins

Most of us believe that taking vitamins can make a difference in our body’s overall wellbeing. It’s a simple fact that stress causes aging. We know that vitamins can help to calm our nerves and give us energy to do the things we need to do in our busy lives. So, taking vitamins helps us to reduce stress and to feel young again.

But what about vitamins and nutrients in your skin care creams? It is a well-known fact that using creams with vitamins in them to help you have a younger looking complexion. I work for a skin care company called Jafra that has fortified their creams with vitamins C & E. These are antioxidants that can make a difference in the aging of your skin. Our signature products contain royal jelly, which scientists have shown to slow the aging process. If you take it internally, or use it in a cream form and apply it to the body it becomes an effective tool in fighting the aging process. And you can also take it in vitamin form and it becomes a wonderful stability

7. Drink plenty of water

If you drink 8 glasses of water a day, you will not only be properly hydrated, but you will also be regularly eliminating toxins from your body. This has a direct benefit to your skin’s appearance. For example, you’ll notice reduced puffiness around the eyes.

8. Rethink the way you take care of your skin

Everyone was born with one face, and this face has to last a lifetime. It’s the face we show to the world every day. The skin on our face is exposed to sun, pollution and toxins every day. So we owe it to ourselves to take care of it properly. And that may mean rethinking how we care for our face and our skin. If you’re using soap and water on your face, know that you’re drying your skin, aging it. Soap and water strips the skin of moisture and leaves a residue, even after rinsing several times, so your skin begins to look dull and lifeless. Instead of soap and water, consider investing in the best skin care you can find. Your skin and your face are worth it.