I might not be old enough to give life advice, but I am 40 enough to underline and summarize all of the years of observing beautiful women, as well as watching and analyzing my own changes in the beauty department. This is not just my opinion—I’ve been told more than once that I am far from looking 40 years old. I would say that 25 (the age I was recently given) is an exaggeration, but I think I look at least like I’m in my early or mid-thirties, which is also great! Even though I’ve made a few mistakes that have caused irreversible damage to my look, based on what I’ve learned about myself and my study of others, I’ve prepared a list of suggestions to follow if you want to stay beautiful and looking young for as long as possible.
Start taking care of your beauty as early as possible – Before you become a teenager, your baby skin will most likely be fine. When hormonal changes hit, you may experience different changes in the way your skin behaves—it may become irritated, oily, break out, or dry out. Use appropriate skincare, and even while you’re still a teenager and your skin is naturally moist, start using light moisturizing. Make a habit of doing this every day. Don’t wait until you see wrinkles to start taking care of your skin. It’s much easier to prevent wrinkles than to treat them. You just need to start early, be consistent, and not skip a day.
Wear sunscreen before sunset if you go outside – Especially if you’re getting a sunbath. Apart from wrinkles, sunspots, and sun damage in general, are the things that make your face look older. You may not notice sunspots on your face right away, but over the years, they accumulate and create an uneven skin tone that can only be masked with heavy makeup. Give your future self a gift: make sure your face is always protected with sunblock that has both SPF and PA strength, based on your skin type. Reapply regularly, as no sunblocks last long. You’ll be rewarded later! It’s like an investment you can make in your beauty. Invest your 5 cents every day, and over the years, you’ll be a beauty millionaire!
No Soap – Regular soap wasn’t created to nourish your skin. Face skin gets dried out if you’re using soap constantly (unless, of course, it’s a special cleansing face soap). You may not notice your skin getting dryer right away, but in the long run, it will be one of the reasons for early wrinkles. If your skin is oily and you’re hoping that the slight drying effect will help, I have to disappoint you: when you remove all oil from your skin, it may produce extra oil.
Do not avoid skincare containing oils – Don’t get too excited about oil-free cosmetic products. Oils are a natural way to treat your skin. If you’re afraid that oil-containing skincare will make your skin oilier, it’s a big mistake. Well-selected products based on oils may actually help reduce your skin’s oil production and the amount of breakouts. It’s well-known that the best ways of facial cleansing include the use of cleansing oils. These oils don’t make your skin greasy; instead, they gently melt the layer of makeup and dirt, washing it away and leaving your skin nourished and very clean. The non-greasy effect is achieved because emulsifiers are added to the oils. Instead of grease, they turn into a soft, milky substance mixed with water that cleanses the skin thoroughly without harming it. The same applies to oil-containing face creams. They are, in my opinion, the best skincare because they bring you the power of nature!
Do not touch your face – Train yourself not to do this, just like you train yourself to wash your hands after using the bathroom, take your multivitamins, and turn on your turn signal. And of course, train yourself to do these things if you don’t already 😉. These are things that pay off all the time, no matter what. Just make sure you never touch your face when you’re not washing it. And if you must touch it, use a clean tissue. There’s always a city of bacteria dancing on our hands, asking for more space to enjoy life. Don’t offer them your face as a party hall. This way, you may prevent irritations, pimples, breakouts, unwanted stretching, and the removal of SPF you applied earlier.
Do not avoid cold and contrasting showers – I mean face showers. We all know that cold preserves. That doesn’t mean it will help to be outside in the cold; staying outside in cold weather may actually cause dehydration. I’m talking about using cold water while you do your cleansing routine. Aside from the time when I’m taking a shower, I’ve never used water other than cold to wash my face since I was 18—that’s when I found out that it’s very good for the skin. I think it’s actually one of the big reasons my skin barely has any wrinkles and looks young. The only time when it’s good to wash your face with slightly warm water is when you’re washing off a cleansing oil. Other than that, cold cleansing is my personal choice. “Contrasting showers” are what I do when I’m taking a shower: it’s a fast change of warm and cold water that makes your skin very elastic, which will help with wrinkles in the long run as well. There is another way to use cold to your advantage: frozen herbal massage. Russia has used herbs as remedies and cosmetics for centuries. I know it’s not easy to find just herbs in the U.S., but you can find a lot in European (and Russian, of course) groceries, online, or use herbal tea bags. Read about herbal power and use it for your wellness. For example, chamomile helps reduce irritation, and mint has a refreshing effect. Make strong tea, pour it in a plastic cup, and put it in the freezer overnight. In the morning (or in the evening, if you prefer), take out the frozen cube (or ball) and gently massage your face with it. You’ll feel amazing, and so will your skin.
Exercise – I’m not really talking about toning your body, although staying in shape will definitely make you feel and look younger. Regular body exercise will also help with good blood circulation and faster skin regeneration, which will lead to the creation of new cells and, in the end, help you stay young. I’m also talking about facial fitness. It’s a fun activity and is appropriate to start when you begin to feel the loss of your face skin elasticity.
More fresh air, less strong wind – Have you noticed that sailors very often have old-looking skin? That’s not only because they’re exposed to the sun for a long time, but also because of the wind. Wind dehydrates your skin, stealing the youthful moisture, which leads to wrinkles appearing sooner. The same goes for heated air inside your house. Stuffy air, as well as strong wind, also causes your pores to get clogged with dust. Ventilate your space well, and try to keep your skin moisturized when you’re out in the wind or in a heated space.
Eat fresh – Nutrition plays a crucial part in how our skin looks and feels. A huge part of skin nutrition comes from the food we eat. No matter how much money you spend on the most amazing skincare products in the world, if you don’t nourish your skin from the inside by eating natural products such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts, you won’t have the best success. Unfortunately, just taking multivitamins won’t be enough for your skin. There’s pure botanical (alive) energy in produce that can’t be replaced with chemicals. Produce contains antioxidants that fight free radicals, and you can seriously save money on expensive skincare if you just eat enough veggies, fruits, and berries. Try to stay away from sugars and bad fats – the parents of free radicals. However, welcome good fats like Omega-3. Omega-3 actually delays aging by helping protect your skin from the sun and aiding blood circulation. I’ve created a habit of taking it every single day, and the best way I discovered, thanks to KlutchClub, is Coromega shots! Try them; they’re awesome.
Hydrate – Not just your skin from the outside. Hydrate your body from the inside. Help your skincare hydration by drinking at least 8 glasses of pure, non-carbonated water per day. Tea, coffee, juices, and soups should not be counted as water. They’re not. On top of everything you drink, add 8 more glasses of water. I make sure I always have water available around me.
Do not smoke – Smoking is especially bad when it comes to wrinkles. It slows down blood circulation and the regeneration process. If you absolutely cannot stop smoking, make sure you consume enough vitamins, especially A, E, and C, and beta-carotene.
Stay away from alcohol – Because, you know why. Yeah, apart from destroying your brain cells, it will dehydrate your skin and wash away minerals. Besides, it affects your liver, which will eventually show on your face. It’s OK to have a glass of wine now and then, but if you want to look younger in your 40s, just don’t get wasted. Do not.
Sleep well – Good sleep is great for skin regeneration. And if you get enough sleep, it will prevent stress. It’s hard to keep looking young when you’re unhappy.
Be happy! – Not only does unhappiness create unwanted wrinkles in areas where we want them the least – between your eyebrows, on your forehead, around your mouth, under your eyes – but stress and unhappiness can also cause a loss of radiance. Your skin may turn greyish, and breakouts may appear! Don’t cry! Not only because salty water mixed with makeup and dirt will make your skin a breeding ground for bacteria (producing even more bacteria), but also because if you cry in the sun, you may get bad sun damage under your eyes and on your cheeks. Tears will act like a lens, magnifying the sun’s strength and basically burning your skin. Of course, cry if you really need to release pain, but make sure you wash your face first, don’t go outside to cry, and when you’re not crying, keep smiling. That will actually make you happier and look younger!