Aging might be everyone’s fear, but since it is such a natural process, theres not much we can do to stop it. However, we sure can slow this process down and ensure that we age gracefully.
Now the first question here might be, what are the signs of aging?
Signs of aging are pretty simple, from age 25-30 onwards signs of aging will start to become apparent on your skin. Signs such as fine lines, wrinkle buildup, loss of elasticity of your skin and plumpness become visible. Now before you freak out, you need to know the reasons for aging may vary and are a combination of internal and external factors.
Internal factors may be hormonal imbalances, genetics, blood supply and dehydration. However, external factors are things like smoking, exposure to the sun, inappropriate skin care regime, etc.
As mentioned above the three key signs of aging are saggy skin, wrinkles and fine lines. To fight these the initial step is to make sure you and your skin are hydrated. Yes, there is a difference and its essential that you know the difference. By you staying hydrated, we mean that you must drink at least 2 litres of water a day and by keeping your skin hydrated we mean that you must moisturize it, twice daily.
Moving on to lifestyle changes, stress is another key factor causing those early signs of aging. Stress makes us frown, frowning leaves stress lines and fines lines on our forehead making us look a lot older than our actual age! So stop stressing so much! Now if that doesn’t convince you enough, let us throw in some science. Stress makes oxidative stress kick in. Simple oxidation occurs when our body processes the oxygen we breathe in. This process forms free radicals which stimulates the repairing of cells. However, they also damage the molecules of the surrounding cells. When this damage supersedes the repairing process, oxidative stress starts.
Furthermore, when your body is under stress, the capillaries under yours eye start to break, leaving you with dark circles which inherently make you look older.
Correct nutrition is also very important as what we eat decides how we look. A diet rich in anti-oxidants can help limit the damaging effects of free radicals on our skin. Some foods are known to be particularly rich in anti-oxidants. Food items such as carrots, blueberries, bell peppers, avocado, nuts and salmon etc. So be sure to include them in your diet.
Your skin care routine is another essential to fighting signs of aging as confusing your skin with too many products will only make the situation worse. So here’s what you should do. Cleanse, Care and Protect.
Cleanse; Remove make-up, wash away the dirt and get rid of the pollutants invading your pores.
Care; Hydrate your skin with products that address your primary aging concerns and suit your skin type.
Protect; Protect your skin from the sun’s rays and make sure you use a sunscreen or a day cream with SPF.
