There is no better compliment than the one which says ‘wow, you are glowing today'. This means that you are perfectly relaxed, that you had enough sleep and that your skin is perfect so that is glows all over the place. Even in your late thirties, forties and later on, whenever you get this compliment you cannot help but feel like a schoolgirl again. Even though we are entirely covered with skin, it seems that the one on our faces grows old faster. Many people have tried to find the ‘cure' for staying young and keeping facial skin plump for as long as they can, and this is what they found.
Everyday skincare
If you happen to know people with great skin you probably thought that Mother Nature just gave it to them as a present. Well, you are wrong. Great skin is not only a matter of good genes; rather, it actually has a lot to do with daily care. If you want your skin to stay young and beautiful for a long time, you have to establish a perfect daily routine. Test your skin and see which type it belongs to so that you know which kind of cosmetic products you should use. For example, if you have dry skin, you should not use products which will dry it out even more, or if you have combination skin you can make it worse by using normal skin products. It is very important to clean your skin with a mild cleanser and warm water every night before bedtime, and wash your face with cold water each morning. After removing the oil and sweat, you should always use moisturiser, so as to hydrate your skin before going to bed. This way, you will re-establish balance and keep your skin in a great shape.
Vitamins and antioxidants
After making a regular routine, another step in making your face skin look young should come from the inside. It turns out that what you eat will manifest in your face, so you have to take good care of your food. What you should add to your diet are vitamin C (which can be found in lemons, limes, red peppers, kiwi, oranges, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables), because it seems to be crucial in the production of collagen. Collagen is a protein which is responsible for linking amino acids in your skin cells. Antioxidants can also be found in vegetables, especially dark green ones, such as spinach. Antioxidants help ageing skin fight off free radicals, by neutralising them and nurturing healthy skin cells. When oestrogen levels drop, in the menopause for instance, this can cause the creation of wrinkles, so our skin needs a lot of proteins in order to make collagen. Food which contains oestrogen includes nuts, soy, hummus and beans.
Healthy life
Another thing that helps skin stay young is healthy living. If you happen to take in a lot of alcohol, stop right now. Alcohol ‘drinks' water from your cells, leaving them dry and makes your skin saggy. Smoking is another cause of early ageing, so cut down on it or try to stop immediately. Physical exercise contributes greatly to muscle tone and skin elasticity, so try to incorporate occasional jogging or going to the gym to your skincare regime. And what is maybe the most important of all: stay away from the sun. Always apply sunscreen, even during winter months. Cover your skin as much as you can and avoid direct sun exposure between 11 am and 5 pm. Stress is another factor that can cause early skin ageing, so try to keep a stress-free life as much as you can.
And finally, remember that you will probably have to change your entire life if you want to look younger for years to come. A cousin of mine recently did face fat transfer, a modern technique which made her face look younger, and she was surprised by the advice the doctor gave her: even after the surgery, she had to turn her life upside down and apply all these tips if she wanted her skin to stay that way. This actually made her think about how she treated her skin before surgery and made a positive change, so she is telling about her experience to everyone in hope of making a bigger impact. Take her advice and treat your skin with love and care.
