Do you worry about aging gracefully? Do you spend time frowning at the mirror, wondering if this spot or that wrinkle looks the same as it did last week?
While the passage of time isn’t something any of us can stop, there are a lot of ways you can protect your body from appearing old before its time.
Find ways to incorporate these seven tips into your daily routine, and you’ll be looking and feeling younger in no time.
Prevent and Protect
Like many things in life, when it comes to skincare, the best offense is a good defense. It’s much easier to prevent damage than repair damage after it’s already occurred.
Most of the damage done to our skin is preventable and results from exposure to the sun. The sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate our skin and damage its natural elasticity, leading to wrinkles.
You can protect your skin from unwanted wrinkles by always wearing sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses outdoors. You should also completely avoid tanning beds.
Protecting your skin from UV rays’ damaging effects will prevent premature aging more than any other treatment.
Hydrate
Some estimates indicate up to 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated, meaning they rarely drink the recommended daily water allowance.
Like many other cells in your body, skin cells are composed primarily of water. When your body becomes dehydrated, all of the cells in your body begin to function at less-than-optimal rates.
When your skin is dry, it appears dull and drab. When your body is well-hydrated, your skin appears plump and healthy. The more you hydrate your body, the younger your skin will look.
As you age, your skin cells begin to lose the ability to retain moisture efficiently, so it becomes even more important to ensure you drink the right amount of water for your body’s needs. Drinking plenty of water is one of the easiest, yet most overlooked, ways to keep yourself looking and feeling young.
One more effective way of boosting the hydration levels of your body and restoring your body and skin cells is NAD iv therapy. But first of all, you should consult a doctor to know which types of NAD are the best ones for your needs.
Drop Unhealthy Habits
If you want to stop your body from aging prematurely, you must treat it right. That means eliminating damaging habits, such as smoking, drinking and eating junk foods.
In addition to the damage it does inside your body, cigarette smoke contains toxic chemicals that cause wrinkles and other skin damage. Alcohol consumption increases dehydration and makes it difficult for your body to process nutrients properly.
Cutting these harmful habits from your routine will make you look and feel better. Try incorporating more and more healthy food and drinks into your everyday life.
Exercise
It seems as though exercise is touted as the solution for everything from weight loss to depression. The reality is our bodies are made to move, and the sedentary lifestyle many of us lead due to technological advancement is damaging in many ways.
In addition to giving you more energy and helping to relieve stress, exercise also helps to improve your circulation. Better circulation helps to remove waste more quickly and efficiently from your body and relieves strain on your entire system. The increased blood flow also carries more vital nutrients to your skin, giving it a healthy glow.
Remember, exercise doesn’t require a huge investment of time or money. Thousands of excellent fitness channels are free on YouTube; you can access them from anywhere. Find one or two you love and subscribe to the channels so you get alerts whenever the owner posts new videos.
If you’re having trouble accessing your favorite channel, you might be experiencing a content restriction based on your location or other factors. Difficulties accessing content is especially common if you’re trying to access the content to work out while traveling. You can try using a Virtual Private Network to subvert the filters and tune into your favorite fitness channel, so you never miss a workout.
Take Your Vitamins
There is a wide range of vitamins that contribute to healthy skin. Vitamins C, D and E are the most important contributors to good skin health. Adequate amounts of the right vitamins can naturally reduce redness, dark spots, wrinkles and dry skin.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that plays an essential role in the production of collagen, which helps your skin retain elasticity. Your skin can benefit from increased vitamin C in two ways. You can take it orally or apply it directly to your skin. Proper vitamin C is a great way to repair and prevent dry skin and wrinkles.
Our most abundant source of vitamin D is the sun. Our bodies produce vitamin D when we expose our skin to sunlight. It is essential in creating healthy new cells, including skin cells. You can get enough vitamin D by spending 10 to 15 minutes outside daily. Be sure to remember your sunscreen, though.
Another important antioxidant, vitamin E, protects your skin from sun damage. Vitamin E is an additive in many skin care products. Unfortunately, even that might not be enough. You can take vitamin E supplements to help protect your skin. You can also find it in nuts and seeds, such as almonds and sunflower seeds.
Getting enough of the proper vitamins is an easy way to help your skin look better now and protect it for years to come.
Moisturize
Moisturizers don’t add moisture to your skin as you might think. They help your skin retain the moisture that is already there. Skin is 30 percent water, and ensuring your skin is properly hydrated and moisturized will help eliminate and prevent many skin conditions contributing to premature aging.
There are thousands of moisturizing products on the market, making it difficult to determine which is best for you. Look for products made with as many natural ingredients as possible. Using moisturizers with many chemicals can have adverse effects on your skin.
Sleep
You know that sleep is important for your health and well-being. But did you know it’s also critical in fighting the effects of premature aging?
While we sleep, our bodies are busy repairing and restoring damage in our bodies. Sleep triggers new cell growth; damaged cells are cleared away, and your skin produces more collagen.
Getting the rest your body requires will encourage increased blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow. It will also lead to fewer wrinkles due to increased collagen production and brighter eyes without dark circles.
In short, beauty sleep isn’t another old wives’ tale. It’s very real, and you might be surprised how fast your skin can transform after a few nights of great sleep.
While constant advancements in science and healthcare make it necessary to keep abreast of any new developments in healthy living advice, you can rest assured these seven principles for avoiding premature aging will serve you well.
Try starting with one or two small changes and continue making adjustments until you’ve incorporated all of these habits into your routine. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much better you look and feel.
Remember, no matter your age, it’s never too late to take excellent care of yourself. You can begin to reverse the adverse effects of aging at any time. Why not begin today?
About the Guest Author:
Caroline is a health and wellness professional who knows how hard it can be to maintain a healthy lifestyle in today’s busy world. She loves using her knowledge and experience to help others improve their lives.
Follow Sifa’s Corner on,