No one likes seeing wrinkles appear on their skin. Whether you are 25 or 65, we wage an ongoing war with aging. Similar to your risk of medical conditions due to family history, skin and the way it ages also has to do with genetics. But the same way that exercising and eating right can lower your risk for heart disease, even with a predisposition, so too can good skin care habits help you control the way your skin ages. There is a wide breadth of tips and tricks out there. This post is a round-up of the most helpful advice I have found. No one likes seeing wrinkles appear on their skin. Whether you are 25 or 65, we wage an ongoing war with aging. Similar to your risk of medical conditions due to family history, skin and the way it ages also has to do with genetics. But the same way that exercising and eating right can lower your risk for heart disease, even with a predisposition, so too can good skin care habits help you control the way your skin ages. There is a wide breadth of tips and tricks out there. This post is a round-up of the most helpful advice I have found. Avoid the Sun and Wear Sunscreen We all know this one. It is the No. 1 cause of wrinkles. Fortunately, modern health science has highlighted the importance of avoiding catching some rays. It wasn’t too long ago where sunbathing was considered healthy. I know – I still like to lay poolside or on a beach too. If you are lucky enough to be on a beach, bring a hat, and apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every 2 hours. Don’t Smoke We all know that smoking is bad for you, but it is important to understand how much it can affect your looks. A lack of sleep can cause bags under your eyes. Smokers are 4x more likely to feel unrested after a night’s sleep. Likely because of the nicotine withdrawal when you are sleeping. Smoking hampers the blood supply that keeps the facial skin tissue looking supple and healthy. Speaking of Sleeping… Make sure you get your beauty rest. A study showed that out of 60 women, those who only slept 5 hours a night for a month had twice as many wrinkles and spots compared to those who slept 7 hours. Sleep helps recovery and repair of cells including skin cells, reduce the time for those repairs – wrinkles. Drink a Lot of Water When you are dehydrated, your skin cells lose moisture and shrivel up, making wrinkles appear more prominent. Always keep a bottle of water handy, and start the day off with a big glass of it to help flush your system. Use a Simple Moisturizer It doesn’t take a fleet of creams, serums, and balms to keep wrinkles at bay, and frankly, no topical cream can cure wrinkles. Wrinkles occur when the collagen fibers in the skin have broken down. A cream simply cannot penetrate deeply enough to repair the collagen. Instead, get a nice over the counter product you personally like the feel of, and that falls in line with your budget. They do help to plump your skin, and can reduce the appearance of fine lines, which can help prevent but not repair environmental aging. We are at the mercy of our genetic make-up for the most part. I would love to tell you that science has found the fountain of youth, and that for a reasonable price we could all take a drink, but sadly we can’t. Fortunately for us, the best practices to prevent the environmental effects of aging are neither complicated nor are they expensive. It is no myth or mystery. The key is just a small mental checklist of things we can do each day.
