 Growing up I always heard the phrase, "prevention is better than cure". My father is a medical doctor, and he probably said this at least once a day. My brain was naturally programmed to prevent things before they actually happened. Coupled with the fact that I was raised around extremely glamorous women who spent a fortune on skincare and looking after themselves, it was only logical that I combine the two perspectives. Prevention is better than cure when it comes to skincare. From the very beginning my approach to skincare has been preventative. Take care of yourself now, look good later. There's no sense in waiting until your skin has problems, before you start taking care of it. First and foremost, I've always used sunscreen. I really started using sunscreen in the late 1990's - early 2000's. I can't remember the actual date, but it's been part of my skincare regimen for over two decades. I remember seeing an article in Elle Magazine about the damage UV rays can cause to skin. I was absolutely horrified to see what people's skin actually looked like using UV photography. I was amazed by all the hidden sun damage that the UV photos revealed. When I was in my late teens - early twenties, I had a pretty basic skincare routine that consisted of about six products that I used on a consistent basis: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, mask, scrub and eye cream. From time to time I would additional products to combat acne or hyper pigmentation if needed. Once I got to my late twenties, I implemented a really good moisturizer that I used both night and day. As I reached my thirties, I started investing in night creams for more hydration. By the time I reached my late thirties, I added serum for an extra boost of hydration. Keeping the skin well hydrated is essential if you want it to remain supple and avoid fine lines prematurely. By the time I reached forty one, I had officially graduated to the world of retinoids. As we age, cellular turnover decreases. Retinoids help to give the skin a boost by increasing cellular turnover. I use a retinoid based serum at least three nights a week. Now at the ripe age of forty six, people always me, "what are you using?" I've had a pretty consistent skincare regimen throughout the years. I've always had a natural approach to skincare, avoided doing too much, but carefully observing how my skin changed over time. The human body changes every decade or so, as well as your skin. The skin you have in your teens is not the same as the skin you have in your twenties, nor the same as the skin in your thirties or forties. This is why it's important to adjust our skincare regimen every so often to keep abreast of these changes, because the products that worked for us in our twenties will not work for us when we reach our forties. Genetics play a huge part in aging gracefully. It's also important to keep in mind that all DNA was not created equal. There are people out there who have "super genes", and age incredibly slowly. That said, you cannot rely on DNA alone. There are three other factors to keep in mind: diet, lifestyle, and melanin. Diet is important for your overall health, not just anti-aging. As the saying goes, "you are what you eat". Avoiding consuming certain foods that age you can help to keep you looking younger for longer. Your lifestyle choices play a big part as well. Choosing a healthy lifestyle over destructive habits will help you retain that youthful glow that people often lose over the years. And lastly, melanin plays a huge role in the aging process. People with darker skin tones tend to age slower. Having more melanin can help delay the signs of aging. Melanin can provide some protection against wrinkles and skin cancer. But that doesn't mean people with heavily pigmented skin do not age quickly or get skin cancer either. It's always a good idea to keep these four factors in mind when creating a skincare regimen. By sticking to a consistent skincare routine right from the start that is suited to your skin type, a healthy lifestyle, and clean diet, you'll be able to have youthful looking skin for longer. I am a firm believer in preserving what you have. It's worth it to invest in your skin, because prevention is better than cure.  GET YOUNGER LOOKING SKIN WITHOUT BOTOX Let’s face it, we all want to look young forever. Retaining our youth has become something like a badge of honour in modern society. The cosmetics industry is constantly concocting new products, innovations and technology to slow down the aging process. But is there really a fountain of youth? Unfortunately, we cannot stay young forever. But we can optimise our skin. Aging gracefully is a delicate art, that doesn’t really cost anything. The key is understanding that beauty comes from the inside out. SLEEP YOUR WAY TO HEALTHIER, YOUNGER LOOKING SKIN It's very important to get adequate sleep. Getting your beauty sleep is essential for skin optimization, and here’s why:
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR GOOD SLEEPING HABITS The position which you sleep in is very important. Be mindful of sleeping on your face or on your side, as you can get sleep wrinkles. To avoid positional wrinkles, try to train yourself to sleep on your back. The average person spends approximately 33% percent of their life sleeping, which is potentially etching deep facial furrows into your tissue and lines into your face. This can be avoided with a simple change in behaviour patterns. STAYIND HYDRATED: THE BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER Drinking water is very good for the skin (indirectly). When we drink water it doesn’t go directly to our skin. When consumed, water hydrates cells by being absorbed into the bloodstream. This keeps our bodies hydrated on a cellular level, and also flushes out toxins from the bloodstream. The skin loses more water when you sleep than during the day. Drinking lots of water during day, and applying a rich moisturiser at night will help your skin stay hydrated overnight. Transepidermal water loss can contribute to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As we age, the water content in the skin is depleted, causing the skin to sag and lose elasticity. Therefore, it’s important to stay properly hydrated. PROPER NUTRITION: EATING YOUR WAY TO HEALTHY SKINAs the old saying goes, “you are what you eat”. Nutrition plays an extremely important role in skin health. If you want to optimise your skin, pay close attention to your diet and the types of foods which you consume. Beauty begins from the inside. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in anti-oxidants, along with healthy fats and protein.  SUPPLEMENTS FOR HEALTHY GLOWING SKIN Supplements are an excellent way to obtain healthy glowing skin. Micronutrients are important for maintaining skin health. For example, vitamin C helps protect the skin against UV damage, free radicals, boosts collagen production, and assists in wound healing. Implementing supplements to your diet will help to protect your skin, and slow down the formation of wrinkles. You can also eat foods rich in micronutrients by changing your dietary habits.
SUN EXPOSURE AND SKIN DAMAGEThe sun emits UV rays that can damage our skin if not properly protected. Wearing sunscreen protects the skin against harmful UV rays. But minimising your sun exposure can be beneficial as well. Exposing your skin to the sun during the midday hours (from 10am-2pm) puts your epithelial cells at risk for exposure to UV radiation. This causes cellular damage at the DNA level. Minimise your sun exposure if you want to avoid skin cancer, melasma, hyperpigmentation, brown spots, freckling, and premature wrinkles.  LIFESTYLE HABITS AND SKIN HEALTHWe all have vices in life, but many of them are not good for our health (especially vanity wise). Bad habits can wreck our skin, and cause premature aging. 3 Things To Avoid For Healthy Skin
These things must be avoided if you want to have healthy glowing skin. Keep in mind that these things speed up the aging process and aren’t good for fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet or glabellar furrows.  THE IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING STRESS FOR YOUR SKIN We live in an extremely stressful world. Sometimes it can be hard to manage the stress in our everyday lives, plus dealing with stress added from the outside world. Anxiety and stress can wreak havoc on our skin. Studies show that chronic stress can have negative effects on our skin health. Psychological stress can disrupt the epidermal barrier, and prolong its repair. When we enter a state of distress, the brain secretes hormones that induce the release of cortisol from our adrenal glands. Cortisol is a stress hormone, which when activated results in various changes to our skin.
High amounts of cortisol can cause wrinkles. Chronic stress causes inflammation, breaks down collagen and elastin, which causes the skin to age and accelerate the formation of wrinkles. High levels of cortisol can also aggravate skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and acne. Decreasing stress levels will help to improve your skin. It's important to be mindful of your thoughts, and what triggers you. Stay away from anything that gives you undue stress. Implementing techniques like deep breathing, tapping, yoga, and meditation will help to decrease stress levels.  |
