Trying to find the best anti-aging secrets and anti-aging hacks can feel like a rabbit hole maze of do’s and don’ts.
Over the years we have learned that aging can be beautiful and it’s not heralded as the kiss of death like it used to be. But instead more of a journey of steps to add to your daily routine to achieve your optimal goal. Yet still, there are definetly some things that are DONT’S that if you do not stop doing now, can cause you to age prematurely!
Today, I want to cover the DONT’S!
So if you want to find some of the best anti-aging secrets that no one is talking about then let’s dive in!
#1
Anti-Aging Tip: Stop Squinting
The American Academy of Dermatology specifically states that repetitive facial expressions such as squinting can lead to wrinkles. If you are squinting make sure to reverse engineer the cause so you can stop it. If its due to poor vision make sure to get that checked out. Another common reason for squinting is due to the sun. To help counteract the automatic squinting that comes when you are blazed with the suns rays is to keep a pair of sunglasses and make that a part of your daily routine. Also, sunglasses are always good to keep on hand for those times when you want to dodge someone in Wal-Mart that you don’t feel like talking too!
#2
Anti-Aging Tip: Make Sure To Put Sunscreen On Your Hands
Don’t forget to protect your hands. They are exposed to sunscreen through the day. Just think about the sunlight they get everyday.
You know the old crude joke that “you can tell a woman’s real age by her hands?”
Well that is because hands are harder to cover up and are the forgotten part of your anti-aging and skin care routine. So even when people can defy gravity with genetics and proper skin care, the hands are typically neglected. In actuality, there is scientific evidence according to the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) most people can accurately tell a person’s age by viewing only their hands.
Also, with your face, you can cover up with makeup and all our attention tends to be on this portion. However, hands are more exposed than other parts of the body, think about that work commute and your hand on the steering wheel and the sun that is hitting your skin.
A good tip to try is to use the hand cream containing sunscreen and apply it on the back of the hands. Also, reapply as necessary especially if you are frequently washing your hands, which should all be doing now a days to stay germ free!
#3
Anti-Aging Tip: Rub Your Eyes Gently
The skin around your eyes is some of the thinnest skin on your face. As such, it is imperative that you be gentle when dealing with this area.
We’ve all been there when we rub our eyes vigorously. I know I am guilty.
I know you are thinking “well if I rub this itch harder maybe it will go away!
Or if you are tired…thinking rubbing my eyes will awaken me out of my stupor.
Contact wearers have to especially be vigilant because when that itch starts all you want is relief…wrinkles be damned!
BUT…you have to STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! You are wearing down that area as it very thin and it will increase the likelihood of dark circles in that area. Dark circle is a surefire way to make you look tired, old, and not refreshed.
#4
Anti-Aging Tip: Pat Your Skin
The k-beauty trends has brought out so many new concepts to skincare. However, perhaps the most revolutionary k-beauty trend is the simple act of ‘face patting.’
As soon as I heard about I had like an Oprah “aha” moment…”ok I see you…it makes sense…pat my products onto my skin instead of rubbing products vigorously.”
We know we are supposed to be gentle with our skin but perhaps in the back of my head I was like thinking it I was getting it all up in there rubbing and carrying on I was doing it right. I mean a lot of tutorials online and a lot of skin care products tell you to rub. To me rubbing, means with force! However by patting you are really putting your best face forward and truly giving it the TLC it deserves by now causing unnecessary “drag” on your skin.
With patting, you lightly apply product often times with just your fingertips. Your application is so much effective this way vs. rubbing. Also patting with a little slapping on the side, boots circulation and gets your blood going sis! The end result will be a brighter and awakened complexion…so you can SLAY THE DAY!
#5
Anti-Aging Tip: Stop Applying Makeup Perfectly
You may think that I am crazy when I say this, especially with the current trend of perfect intstagram worthy cake face makeup application.
However, think back to your college days of messy buns and a quick glossy lip application on your way out of the door. Anything too precise can have an aging effect, so opt for a little less perfection next time!
#6
Anti-Aging Tip: No More Matte Makeup
Matte makeup can settle into fine lines and and make your complexion look dull. This is why typically matte makeup is better suited for younger women with oily or combination skin. As we age, our skin becomes drier and matte makeup can actually emphasize wrinkles which can make our face overall look older. Now, I will admit there are some older divas with oily skin that can pull this off you know the ones that look 20 years younger, but all else remaining equal you should instead try some dewy makeup.
#7
Anti-Aging Tip: Fix them Eyebrows…tho!
Remember our conversation earlier about “being too precise” can have an aging effect? Let’s add eyebrows to that mix, don’t shape your eyebrows to be too extreme a softer eyebrow can have a rejuvenating effect and can help to make wrinkles less noticeable. Well shaped eyebrows frame your face and a soft feathery eyebrow can help to balance your facial structure. As you age, the color of your brows fade, so make sure to darken your eyebrows to give your face a quick pick me up. There are so many tutorials out there to “conquer the eyebrows” and you really don’t need expensive products to achieve this look. This is a low-cost anti-aging hack that really can change your look instantaneously.
#8
Anti-Aging Tip: Go Paperless at Checkout
Within the last few years regulatory agencies and risk assessors acknowledged that human exposure to BPA occurs via non-oral and non-dietary sources. One of these sources many of us interact with sometimes on a daily basis are “cash register receipts.” Research has found that continued access to thermal paper associated with cash register receipts is increasing a person exposure to BPA. BPA is associated with causing a range of health problems so anything you can do to avoid this toxin is an added bonus to your health when it comes to aging. Additionally, there is the added bonus of also taking care of your environment!
#9
Anti-Aging Tip: Don’t neglect your neck!
The neck and decolletege is an often neglected area. We take care of our face but forget that our neck needs the same TLC with moisturizers, sunscreen, and anti-aging treatments. The neck is frequently exposed to harsh sunlight and environmental hazards that damage the skin. Taking care of your face and not your neck only gets half of the job done. So stop it, just anything you do for your neck do it for your face its only a few more ounces of whatever cream, serum, etc you are using keep going down just a little bit further from your face to your neck.
#10
Anti-Aging Tip: Air Pollution
Window Traffic related pollutants maybe reeking havoc of your skin. It is so important that you consider pollutants you may encounter in your everyday commuting as damaging to your skin. So if you are just sitting there in traffic, no matter how nice the day is rolling up your window is probably one of your best defenses to protect your skin from traffic related pollutants. Air pollution is prematurely aging faces in major cities, leaving wrinkles and age spots in its wake! Now currently, I’ve read that ventilation in cars is key especially when doing ride share, with the current situation that is going on, so if this advice is contrary to what is best for you and your health then don’t do it!
#11
Anti-Aging Tip: Stop with All Those Mouth Movements
Chewing or drinking through a straw are all things that can aggravate the perioral wrinkles– fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.
Most people are aware that smoking aggravates these muscles and recently more and more people became aware of drinking through the straw, but you got to add chewing gum to that list. I don’t list normal chewing of food because that needs to be done, but gum is not a necessity.
#12
Anti-Aging Tip: Reverse Yellowing Teeth
Nothing makes you look older than yellowing teeth. However, teeth will naturally darken as you age.
The study, conducted by Oral B, also revealed having white teeth can make you look five years younger… and increases your attractiveness by 20 per cent. So perhaps, one of the most important things you can do to age gracefully is to take care of your teeth.
If you can afford teeth whitening, try a little baking soda, but caution you don’t want to do this too often, no more than once a week because baking soda is could cause the enamel to be stripped from your teeth.
DIY BAKING SODA TEETH WHITENING SOLUTION
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon + 1 Tablespoon of Water
Directions:
Mix 1 Tablespoon + Mix 1 Tablespoon of Water to form a paste then brush your teeth.
#13
Anti-Aging Tip: Removal of the Hair off Your Face
Removal of the hair off your face can give your skin a smoother looking experience and also can be a great prep step to have your foundation looking more flawless. This is the ideology that is behind the dermaplaning, which is being tauted as one of the best skin exfoliates for your skin. Shaving your face is nothing new in fact old Hollywood female phenoms like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were said to use razors to remove hair (i.e. peach fuzz) from their face. By doing this it helped them have a more youthful complexion and reflect the camera/studio light better. I am always amazed about old time beauty techniques that have stood the test of time and were in existance before we had all these “advanced” techniques. I feel it that worked for Liz and Marilyn back then and they looked amazing then it can definetly be a great anti-aging hack for us!
#14
Anti-Aging Tip: Filter your water
If you ask your water company “is your water safe to drink?” they will just simply tell you yes. Furthermore, the water company may follow up that it is up to government standards.
We know water is key component of anti-aging and keeping our body and skin healthy. However, if the water we take in is contaminated that we may be doing more harm than good.
Consider what happen in Detroit and you can see what a mess “proposed government standards” could be. According to the studies that many governmental agencies use maybe decades out of date. Additionally, there maybe no standards for some of the dangerous chemicals that may exists.
Consider that water maybe crossing miles to make it to your faucet through the local authorities pipe system. Along the way picking up contaminants industrial runoff and toxic by products from manure, pesticides…you get the picture!
Filtering your water maybe the best solution to make sure you are getting the best water you can.
Here you can check your local water to find the best water filter for your area!
#15
Anti-Aging Tip: Change your Bland Hairstyle
Wait hear me out on this one, I know you get all the same advice that you should cut your hair short as you get older, but really let’s get beyond this.
I have seen so many so-called older women ROCK funky hairstyles. I saw an elderly lady one day with a Posh Spice like bob with Katy Perry Pink hair coloring. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to not worry about fitting into a corporate American cubicle box and to be so unencumbered with “is this work appropriate” before choosing a hairstyle.
I loved her hairstyle and I made sure she knew it. So many people tell you as you get older “you should cut your hair like this or that”.
Do what makes sense, if you hair is thinning than make sure to go with a style that is good with layers. If you want to go all grey, you might as well, younger people are dying their hair grey nowadays!
So much about aging is how you perceive, how others perceive you. When it comes to anti-aging hacks it is best to adopt the best anti-aging lifestyle possible. Like how we discussed water and the importance of removing toxins, that might not have been your traditional anti-aging hack but aging starts from the inside out.
A lot of people are looking for ways to combat wrinkles and other signs of aging and do whatever is in their span of control to help to age gracefully. You can start with these steps you don’t have to adopt all or you may just see one that works for you. Truthfully, there are so many facets to aging that cannot be summarized in one simple blog. So do the basics wear sunscreen, drink plenty of water, add some of these tips and then stop worrying about wrinkles, stress causing wrinkles and you my dear “ain’t got time for that!”
