10 Ways to Look Years Younger

Looking good isn’t everything. But the way you look does have an impact on the way you feel emotionally, and this in turn can have an impact on our health. But what are your options? Plastic surgery is expensive, and so are minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. I’m all for using high-quality skin care products, but these can be costly too – and some of them contain chemicals that you might not want to put onto your skin. The great news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to bolster your self-esteem. Here are ten inexpensive, natural ways to put your best face forward. Try just one or give them all a go!

1. Protect Your Skin from the Sun

I know – you’ve seen this advice everywhere, but it bears repeating. Sun damage speeds the rate at which skin ages, so be sure to protect yourself even when you aren’t spending a lot of time outdoors. Use a good sunscreen, preferably one with an SPF of 30 or higher. Wear sunglasses to protect the skin around your eyes and prevent yourself from squinting, too. You can also wear a brimmed hat, which will do a great job of minimizing the amount of sun that makes its way onto the face. If you prefer to show off a little bit of a tan, use a good self-tanner instead of exposing your skin to too much sun.

2. Hydrate and Moisturize

When skin cells are dehydrated, they’re not as full and plump as they should be. This means that you look a bit older! Drink plenty of hydrating beverages, i.e. water and caffeine-free herbal teas. Be sure to moisturize your skin, too, using products that you enjoy. If you’re looking for an all-natural solution, consider trying just a dab of coconut oil. Be sure to choose the virgin, unrefined type. Aloe vera gel is a nice moisturizer for those who are prone to oily skin.

Be sure to get enough healthy fat in your diet, too, as fat does wonders for keeping skin properly balanced from the inside out. Avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil are a few great sources.

3. Get Plenty of Sleep

Are you getting enough sleep? If not, it’s time to start. Getting adequate sleep (6 to 8 hours of good quality rest) does a few things for your appearance.

• There’s less risk of developing puffy eyes and dark circles under the eyes when you make sleep a priority.
• Lack of sleep leads to fatigue and stress, which in turn increases cortisol production. When your body releases too much cortisol, you age faster, and you may gain weight easier, too.
• Adequate sleep allows the body to rejuvenate and produce more HGH. These growth hormones contribute to supple skin and can help keep premature age lines at bay.

4. Exfoliate

Exfoliating removes dead skin cells, which contribute mightily to the appearance of age. Additionally, it increases collagen production while making it easier for your skin to absorb the products you choose to use.

You don’t have to be rough – nor should you, since you don’t want to harm delicate skin. Instead, you can simply treat your skin to a quick steam and then use a natural muslin cloth to lightly scrub. Stick to this routine nightly, using warm water rather than hot, and your skin will look more radiant.

5. Get Lots of Omega-3 Fatty Acid

The same fats that are great for your heart’s health are good for your skin, too. Fatty fish such as salmon are a great source. So is flax oil, which you can take in supplement form, and so are walnuts and chia seeds. Omega-3 fatty acids help keep cell membranes healthy, so that they can remain hydrated and supple longer.

6. Try a Facial Fitness Routine

Just like the muscles on the rest of your body keep skin looking firm and toned, the muscles in your face can help keep your facial skin firm and toned. There are many videos that you can watch for free on YouTube and similar services, and there are several good books on the topic.

You may also wish to train your face to hold a pleasant look. Smiling uses fewer muscles than frowning, and any lines that do develop will be the “happy” kind. It takes time to change a habit of frowning or holding a look of concentration on your face most of the time, but as you teach yourself to wear a slight smile and remind yourself to do so each time that you notice yourself frowning or scowling, it’ll get easier.

7. Address Stress

Chronic stress is so common these days that it seems like an accepted part of daily life. The unfortunate truth is that stress ages you. In an interview with Medical Daily, Dr. Sanam Hafeez of Columbia University says that “When someone is under stress, they can appear up to 5 years older, 10 years if they don’t manage stress or make changes to their lives. I have seen patients end relationships or get new jobs and look 10 years younger within days. People are spending money on creams, facials, and cosmetic procedures but if the stress is still there it will still show in their face.”

Some ways stress shows:

• Inflammation
• Under-eye bags
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Wrinkles, particularly around the eyes, forehead and mouth areas
• Adult acne

Take time to relax. See a therapist if you have underlying life issues that you’re having difficulty dealing with and consider making meditation part of your routine as well. This doesn’t have to be religious or even spiritual in nature. instead, it simply means focusing on pure relaxation for a short amount of time each day (or even several times per week). As you relax your mind, your facial muscles will relax too and those lines that tend to develop as the result of worry and tension will relax as well.

8. Cut Sugar

You probably know that cutting sugar from your diet is one of the fastest, easiest ways to get stubborn body fat to melt. There’s more to ditching the sweet stuff than “just” a better body, though! When you eat processed sugar, a process called glycation occurs. This accelerates the rate at which skin ages. Treat yourself to fruit and small amounts of dark chocolate instead of junk, ad you’ll be boosting your intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants – all very important players in premature age prevention.

9. Drink Less Alcohol

While it’s perfectly fine to celebrate now and then, cutting your alcohol intake is a great way to ease the aging process that’s going on in your body while helping your face look a bit younger too. Not only will you sleep better when you skip those evening cocktails, you will have less risk of developing the ruddy look that comes from distended capillaries that result from drinking. And, if you need a little more convincing, you should be aware that drinking dehydrates the skin and makes existing lines look worse than they are.

10. Exercise

There are many reasons to exercise, but you might not be aware that looking younger is among them! There are a few ways that exercise helps you look more youthful:

• Increased circulation ensures that skin is oxygenated and well-nourished
• Exercise improves your posture, so your whole body gets a lift
• Exercise encourages the body to increase collagen production so that skin regenerates faster
• Exercise reduces stress
• Exercise helps prevent damage caused by free radicals
• Exercise boosts HGH (human growth hormones) naturally

It’s worth noting that exercise also helps maintain lean muscle mass and promote weight loss. If you need to lose weight and you drop even 10 pounds, you’ll look years younger since weight is lost from the face first!

Bonus: Update Your Hairstyle

Has it been a while since you updated your look? Consider having bangs added to your hairstyle if you have deep wrinkles on your forehead and consider showing off a few light-colored strands of hair around your face. Both of these tactics call for a little help from your hairstylist, but they offer huge payoffs.

While you’re at it, consider shaping and defining your brows to open up the eye area, and invest in an eyelash curler if you haven’t already done so. Neither of these anti-aging tricks is expensive, and both do a great job of highlighting your eyes without much effort.

Remember that everything from the way you eat to the amount of exercise you get (or not) can play important contributing roles in your appearance as well as in the way you feel and be sure to take a balanced approach to present a more youthful face to the world around you. It’s important to enjoy this process – not only is fun important, feeling good is one more thing that shows on your face!