Unlike the Fountain of Youth, aging gracefully isn’t necessarily a myth. But while you might wish for a magical cure-all, keeping your skin glowing and firm takes consistent work throughout your life. Many people think piling on serums and masks will be enough, but it’s important to remember to take care of your skin from the outside and the inside. Whether you’re in your 20’s and just starting to hone your skincare routine, or in your 60’s and looking to improve your approach, implementing these 8 steps can help put your skin on the right track.
1. Exfoliate
Out with the old and in with the new! To encourage cell regeneration and improve circulation, it’s important to get rid of dead skin cells from the surface. Underneath dull skin, you’ll find brighter, softer skin and a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, exfoliated skin is the ideal foundation to increase the absorption of serums and moisturizers.
Different ways to exfoliate:
- Facial scrubs
- Cleansing brushes
- Chemical exfoliants
For most skin types, we recommend exfoliating 1 to 2 times a week. Beware of over-exfoliating! You may be tempted to scrub extra hard to reach deep into your pores, but that can do more harm than good. If you experience redness, dryness, or irritation after exfoliating, let your skin heal and return to its normal texture before exfoliating again.
2. Approach Skincare as Self-Care
Your daily skincare routine sets the tone for the pace at which your skin will age. When you’re shopping for products, look for these ingredients:
- Retinoid: Encourages cell turnover, boosts collagen, and improves skin color.
- Hyaluronic Acid: Helps retain moisture and elasticity of the skin.
- Vitamin C: Brightens skin, provides antioxidant support, and promotes overall cellular support for healthy skin after damaging sun exposure.
- Vitamin E: Supports healthy inflammation responses.
- Peptides: Encourage skin's collagen synthesis.
- Ceramides: Retain moisture and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier.
3. Wear SPF
Sun damage is one of the most common reasons the skin starts to show signs of premature aging. If you’re going to be in the sun, it’s essential to wear sunscreen or sunscreen-containing product with an SPF of 30 or greater on your face to discourage the formation of wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots. Plus, wearing SPF decreases your risk of developing skin cancer.
Gone are the days of slathering on smelly sunscreen and waking up with clogged pores the next day. Skincare and makeup brands offer products that make it very easy to protect your face while maintaining clear skin! And you can eliminate the need for a separate sunscreen product if you choose a brand of everyday moisturizer or foundation that includes SPF in the formula.
4. Add Collagen to Your Routine
While we wholeheartedly advocate for skincare products, they only address surface-level skin concerns. The body’s natural production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid starts to slow at an age as early as 20! Eventually, without supplementation, the skin can become dull, wrinkled, and saggy.
Adding collagen to your diet provides nourishment for the skin from the inside out. For collagen to be easily absorbed by the body it needs to be broken down into peptides, which is why collagen peptide powders are so popular.
Smarter Skin Collagen is formulated with Type 1 marine collagen, the same type that makes up most of the collagen in your skin. It also contains natural support ingredients to encourage collagen protection and retention.* With a delicious natural blueberry flavor, Smarter Skin Collagen is easy to incorporate into your daily life—just add two scoops to a glass of water or your favorite smoothie each day.
5. Get Your Beauty Sleep
If you wake up with puffy eyes and dark circles, you probably aren’t getting your beauty sleep. Yes, “beauty sleep” is a real thing. When you’re in dreamland, your body sends signals to the skin to restore and repair itself, encouraging the retention of natural elasticity.
If you’re skimping on sleep, you’re missing out on these crucial benefits:
- Collagen synthesis: The body produces collagen when cells regenerate. The immune system also functions at its highest capacity at night.
- Recovery: When you’re asleep, the body pumps more blood to the skin to deliver the vital nutrients it needs to recuperate from the environments you encounter throughout the day.
- Targeted support: Applying moisturizer and retinol before bed can be more beneficial than during the day because when the body is in renewal mode, it can utilize anti-aging ingredients more efficiently.
We recommend getting a solid 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. For people with busy schedules, this may seem impossible, but prioritizing rest will allow you to reap the benefits during the day—for your skin and your overall health.
6. Eat Skin-Supporting Foods
Your diet can directly influence the condition of your skin. To repair and regenerate, skin needs to be fed the correct nutrients to support those processes.
Eat more:
- Fatty fish
- Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, like carrots
- Green leafy vegetables
- Tomatoes
- Berries
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes
- Walnuts
Eat less:
- Processed meat
- Sugary food and drinks
- Fast food
- Dairy
- Whey protein
You might also consider limiting your alcohol intake, due to the dehydrating effect of alcohol on skin.
7. Drink Water
Drinking water is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to promote skin health, it’s drink water. Each day, it's recommended that you drink at least six glasses of water—even more if you exercise. It’s a simple beverage that provides a wide range of benefits for your body and skin.
- Decrease wrinkles: Water is essential for maintaining skin’s elasticity. Keeping yourself hydrated decreases the likelihood of wrinkles settling into skin.
- Eliminate toxins: Urinating is one of the ways the body rids itself of toxins. The more water you drink, the more trips you’ll take to the restroom. Drinking water allows you to literally flush the toxins out of your skin.
- Maintain moisture: Your skin is mostly made up of water, but your body naturally loses large amounts of it every day. It’s necessary to drink enough water to replenish what you lose so that your skin doesn’t become dry and susceptible to premature aging.
8. Steer Clear of Smoke
Smoking has long been a problem, but the novelty of vaping has created another obstacle to youthful-looking skin. One of the reasons smoking is so bad for your skin is because it decreases the oxygen supply to your face; a similar effect happens when you use a vape. Smoking literally sucks the life out of your skin, causing the development of fine lines, wrinkles, and undesirable texture. When it comes to nicotine, it's best not to do it!
It’s never too late to put your best face forward! And following these steps won’t just enhance your skin health—it will encourage overall health and vitality too!
