Age Better with These 5 Tips

Forgive me for sounding like a beloved Cher song, but there’s a small part in all of us that wants to turn back time. We’re all searching for ways to age better, whether that’s with botox or strong anti-aging remedies. Our skin can change dramatically as time goes on. Wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots, oh my!

Keep in mind the aging process doesn’t happen all at once. It’s not like you go to bed one night and wake up in the morning covered in folds of skin and crows feet. But, there are ways to slow things down. If you want to age better, we don’t blame you! Why wouldn’t you want your skin to have a youthful glow for as long as possible? While we can’t turn back time for you, though we wish we could, we can give you our favorite tips to help you age better. From understanding the basics of aging skin to learning which ingredients work best for fighting fine lines and wrinkles, here’s your ticket to the fountain of youth.

Understand Exactly What’s Changing

The first step of combatting the aging process is learning everything there is to know about it! What changes does the skin go through and what can we do about it if we want to age better? Let’s break down all the ways your skin changes as you age.

Fine Lines & Wrinkles

When most people think of aging skin, they probably think of fine lines and wrinkles. Fine lines are small creases in the skin that usually form either directly on the area of facial movement or right next to it. However, fine lines can appear all over the face.

While the terms “fine lines” and “wrinkles” are often used interchangeably, there’s a slight difference between them. It all comes down to depth. Wrinkles are the deeper, more permanent version of fine lines. Also, wrinkles tend to form exclusively in the areas of facial movement. As you age, your skin isn’t able to bounce back as quickly when you make facial expressions. This repetitive motion allows the creases to set in over time.

Age Spots

Also known as liver spots, age spots are small, dark areas on the skin. Age spots vary in size and typically appear on areas that are most often exposed to the sun. You might see them pop up on your face, arms, shoulders, and chest. While they’re most common in adults over 50, younger people can get them too, especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors. You may also be more prone to developing liver spots if you’re red-haired and fair-skinned. Most age spots might look cancerous, but more often than not, they don’t require any medical care.

Dark Circles

We know, the bags under your eyes are designer, but that doesn’t mean you want them to stick around! Puffiness under eyes and dark circles seem to be a result of today’s reality. Constant stress, we’re looking at you!

Lack of sleep catches up to you eventually. Trust us, while it may be fun to party all night, your skin isn’t going to look as good as it once did. Dark circles may also be genetic; if your parents have super thin skin under their eyes, chances are you do too. It could also be a pigment issue. Your skin’s pigment can increase through consistent rubbing or sun exposure.

Loss of Collagen

This one goes hand in hand with hormonal aging. As we get older, our bodies’ hormones begin to change, which eventually leads to a decline in the production of collagen. Collagen is a tightly-packed protein that serves as the main support system of the deepest layer of skin, also known as the dermis. Collagen is also responsible for giving the skin its strength, firmness, and elasticity. With collagen playing such a vital role in the skin’s makeup, it’s easy to imagine the impact its loss can have.

As collagen production slows way down, the skin has less internal support. This leads to sagging, wrinkles, and stretch marks.

Free Radicals

Free radicals are kind of like that unpredictable relative who inevitably sits at the table every Thanksgiving.

They’re unstable atoms that can cause illness and damage to the body, as well as accelerate the aging process. We won’t venture too much into the world of chemistry, but essentially, free radicals are missing a few electrons. They try and fill the gaps by bonding with other atoms. In an effort to find missing pieces, free radicals react very quickly with other substances. Free radicals make their way into the body, usually through exposure to pollution or smoking, and wreak havoc on our cells.

Loss of Elasticity

Much like collagen is responsible for keeping the skin strong, a protein called elastin keeps our skin firm. Elastin allows the skin to bounce back into its original position after stretching or movement. As the body produces less of it, the skin becomes slack and appears as though it’s just hanging off our bones. Like other signs of aging, loss of elasticity can accelerate due to sun damage.  

Don’t Shy Away from Anti-Aging Products

You might be sitting here thinking, “Hey, I’m still young! I don’t see any wrinkles or fine lines when I look in the mirror! My skin’s nice and plump; no sagging here.” And that’s great! We envy you. But, hold on just a minute. Even if you don’t see anything on the surface, your skin’s still maturing because time is still passing. Just because you don’t see any wrinkles today doesn’t mean there won’t be any on your face tomorrow. Fair warning–I’m about to drop a bomb.

Anti-aging products are meant to treat wrinkles before they happen. Usually, they don’t have an impact on the ones you already have.

Confused? Yes, it’s counterintuitive. Most anti-aging creams and serums on today’s market are meant to treat future signs of aging. Getting ahead of the aging process is important. While you can’t outrun time, you can stall a little here and there.

Make Simple Changes

The easiest way to slow the aging process? Small lifestyle changes! Though you may not immediately consider your skin while planning your day or living your life, everything you do can make an impact. Making certain choices might just put you on the path to premature aging. So, let us intervene. Here are a few changes we’ve implemented on our race against time.

Accessorize!

Not only does a big pair of sunglasses elevate your outfit and protect your eyes from sun damage! They can also help you age better. We discussed before that undereye circles can result from sun damage. Wearing sunglasses that keep your undereye area covered is a good way to prevent that. Plus, the skin under your eyes is incredibly thin. Sunglasses give that area the extra layer of protection it needs.

Embrace the Straw Ban

You may have heard that some cities and business are banning plastic straws. Ditching straws is a great way to help the environment and reduce your carbon footprint, but forgoing them also helps your skin stay youthful!

Think about it. Every time you use a straw, you’re pursing your lips and twisting your face around just to get the straw into your mouth. All that movement can’t be good for your skin, especially as elastin production slows down. Drinking directly from the glass or bottle whenever possible is better for both the world and you!  

Consider Your Neck

Raise your hand if you moisturized your neck this morning! The sad thing is that many of us don’t. The neck is often forgotten, which means it may end up looking like this later in life.

When you apply your favorite anti-aging moisturizer, don’t forget about your neck! It shows signs of aging just as easily as the face. We also recommend keeping tension out of that area. While exerting yourself for even just throughout the day, you might not realize that you’re clenching our neck. Constantly tightening your muscles isn’t the way to age better. In fact, tension in the neck pulls down your facial features, causing the skin to sag. It can also intensify the veins in your neck. No, thank you!

Say Goodbye to Bad Habits

For some of us, this might not be a small change. Drinking excessive alcohol, smoking, or stepping into the sun with no protection are tough habits to reverse. However, if you’re passionate about your health and truly want to age better, it’s worth putting down the cigarette and layering up on sunscreen.

Supplements, Supplements, Supplements

There are a lot of vitamins on today’s market that claim to support the skin. Some of them may boost collagen production, while others aim to eliminate free radicals in the body. Many people find these supplements helpful, you might find that they help you age better, too! We just recommend checking with your doctor before trying anything new.

Vitamin A

You’ll hear us mention antioxidants a bunch in this section, and Vitamin A is one. Antioxidants are substances that slow down oxidation in the body. They also counteract free radicals to slow aging. Vitamin A in particular maintains the integrity of your body’s cells as you age. It also helps with hair growth and fights fatigue.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is our pick for increasing collagen production. It’s also an antioxidant that reduces oxidation damage, which helps you age better on a cellular level. In fact, it’s one of the most effective antioxidants at fighting free radicals and the damage they cause. Vitamin C is not only an anti-aging rockstar; it also keeps your teeth and bones happy.

Vitamin D

Need to slow down the death of cells in your body? Vitamin D has you covered. It keeps your skin bright and youthful by aiding in the maintenance of cells. It also contributes to your skin’s metabolism and destroys free radicals in their tracks. While you can get Vitamin D through sun exposure, we recommend using supplements. They’re safer and shouldn’t cause premature aging.

Vitamin E

The antioxidant to end all antioxidants, Vitamin E protects fatty acids in your body. These fatty acids help keep your skin plump and youthful. Additionally, Vitamin E heals the skin and keeps your brain sharp, helping you age better physically and mentally.

Read Ingredients Carefully

We’ll never stop shouting this from the rooftops. Ingredients matter! Whether it’s brushing up on our list of banned ingredients or researching the hottest new extract or oil on the market, we love learning about what goes into skin care products.

Our current favorite ingredient? Co-enzyme Q10! Q10 occurs naturally in the body, and is (you guessed it!) an antioxidant. As with collagen and elastin, Q10 production slows greatly as we age. We love it so much that we dedicated an entire product line to it. When used together, our Q10 products can reduce the appearance of visible signs of aging in as little as 28 days. Plus, these products are suitable for all skin types and won’t aggravate skin conditions.

No matter how far along you are in the aging process, Sebamed give your skin that glow you’ve always wanted. Our wide range of cleansers, lotions, and face creams are suitable for all skin types. Sebamed’s dermatologist-tested, pH-balanced formulas support your skin barrier with each use, protecting you against skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. Check out our complete product lineup here.

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