Anyone who cares about beauty wants to keep their youthful appearance for as long as they can. Many people are even willing to have cosmetic surgery to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, tighten skin, and reduce its sagging. Instead of surgery, try these alternatives to looking younger.
Tips to Maintain a Youthful Appearance
Eat the Right Foods
Eating healthy will reflect in your skin because the antioxidants in fresh fruits and vegetables fight off free radicals that can damage it. Free radicals attract atoms in skin, which can damage the DNA of it. This process acts to accelerate aging.
Fortunately, antioxidants inhibit the production of free radicals (1), which can delay the aging process. Some of the high antioxidant foods to make sure you’re eating include:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Pecans
- Dark Chocolate
- Apples
These fruits are known as natural antioxidants because of their high antioxidant concentration, berry fruits are increasingly being studied as natural functional foods. It has been reported that tea polyphenols increase the antioxidant capacity of saliva by keeping green or black tea in the mouth for 2–5 minutes (2).
Create Face Cleansers
Instead of spreading $10 to $15 on face cleansers, create your own at home. One cleanser that can help exfoliate dead skin cells and make your face smoother is a rice milk cleanser. The Japanese often include rice in their skincare products due to its antioxidants and Vitamin E (3). Vitamin E is commonly listed as tocopherol or tocopheryl acetate on ingredient list of skincare products.
To make the cleanser mix 1/4 cup of brown rice flour or rice bran flour with two or three tablespoons of unsweetened rice milk, preferably organic.
Form a paste with the mixture and then apply it to your skin in a circular motion. After apply in git, rinse it off with tepid water, and moisturize your skin.
And if you would rather purchase a product there are many moisturizer products available. They work by putting moisture into the skin, as well as preventing water from leaving the skin — They can include a number of different products, including lotions, gels, creams, and ointments.
Use Cold Cream
As people age, their skin becomes duller and drier. However, you can counteract that effect by using a moisturizer, such as cold cream, to hydrate the skin. Make a good cold cream at home by mixing:
- 1/2 cup of an organic plain Greek yogurt.
- 1/4 cup of cucumber without the seeds and dice.
- 1/4 cup of fresh aloe, chop and peel it.
- Juice from half a lemon.
Puree all the ingredients in a food processor and strain it by pouring it into a cheese cloth-lined mesh strainer. Refrigerate the mixture overnight in a covered bowl, and then in the morning, discard the liquid.
Apply a thick layer of the cold cream on your face and leave it on for 30 minutes. Then,remove it with a damp washcloth and add toner to your skin.
Apply Face Patches
Face patches nicknamed “Frownies” can reduce the appearance of wrinkles by smoothing them out. The improvement may be temporary because the patches don’t change the skin according to plastic surgeons.
However, using the patches can take the place of injections like dermal fillers or Botox. If you do opt for injectables, make sure the aesthetician has had the proper training for Botox before visiting the spa or clinic where it is you’re getting it done.
Take Vitamin Supplements
An easy way to maintain your youthful appearance, is to take vitamin supplements to get the nutrients your skin needs to stay young looking. Vitamins D, C, E, and K are the best ones to take to hide the signs of aging. Eating a diet that includes five plus servings of fruit and vegetables (4) should meet your daily requirement of these key vitamins. If that is not possible they can be taken as individual supplements, or you can take a daily vitamin that includes them.
These vitamins can help fight:
- Excessive dryness
- Rough skin
- Wrinkles
- Redness
- Dark spots
And a bonus tip to maintain that youthful appearance
Don’t forget the sun protection! The sun and other types of light cause damage all year long. Protecting your skin from the sun by seeking shade when appropriate, wearing sun-protective clothing, and applying broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher should be a part of your daily routine, regardless of how dark or light your complexion. “Besides protecting against skin cancer, sunscreen is the No. 1 anti-aging treatment we know of,” says Dr. Rebecca Kazin, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Bethesda Maryland. “It shouldn’t be an extra step. It should be one of those steps that you already do.”
There are many alternative ways to prevent or reduce the signs of aging without resorting to surgical procedures or using injectables on your face. Pay attention to your diet, moisturize your skin, and protect it from the sun to maintain a youthful appearance throughout your life.
(2) Research uncovers secret behind flavonoids’ health benefits
(3) Vitamin E for Skin: What Does It Do?
(4) What Are Recommended Servings of Fruits and Vegetables?
by Cara Lucas
