Despite the fact there’s still no way we can totally stop or evade ageing, there still a couple of things we can do to help look as young as we want. The nefarious coalescence of time and gravity will eventually catch up with everybody making their skin wrinkle and sag—but that is not enough excuse not to take good care of ourselves whenever possible.
According to scientific research, 40% of the things that make people look older or age quickly are non-genetic hence can be evaded. Let’s take a look at key practices that will actually help you look younger.
Moisturize Regularly
Cleaning and moisturizing your skin appropriately will help protect and keep the skin looking young. Moisturizers are not magical, and they are not meant to erase wrinkles either. Moisturizers help trap water in the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines which make your skin look brighter and youthful. Clean your skin gently. Avoid regular soaps and skin toners as they usually make your skin dry quickly. Instead, choose body cleansers that wash without stripping off the natural moisture in the skin.
Drink More Water
More than 75% of the human body is water. Basically, our organs body and skin is water, hence the need to stay hydrated. Taking freshwater frequently will make your skin look more subtle, plump and vibrant. Additionally, staying hydrated will help you fight the craving for sugary food, hence help you maintain your workout goals as you will be feeling fresh throughout. You can even try lemon water as it has more advantages when it comes to ‘flushing’ toxic substances out of your system.
Dress Smart
Looking young is not all about taking good care of our health and skin, dress for your current size, not the size you’ll be or you were. Breaking free by putting on clothes that perfectly fit you will help you stand tall, giving you an emotional boost and positive self-esteem, which is actually the first step towards feeling and looking young.
Simply Don’t Smoke
If by now you’re not convinced to quit smoking (or never start), remember it causes skin wrinkles and cancer. The nicotine available in cigarettes usually narrows veins hindering the proper flow of blood. Your skin ends up being depleted of oxygen and other important nutrients that are necessary to make it look young and full. The chemical also damages elastin and collagen, which are very essential in the development of the skin structure.
Eat Lots of Veggies and Fruits
A bacon cheeseburger or an ice cream sundae once in a while is not bad as long as you have it in mind that your overall diet plays a major part in the general appearance of your skin. According to United Medical Education, diets rich in added sugars severely damage collagen and elastin which leads to sagging and wrinkles. Having a pattern that entails eating fresh fruits and vegetables such as grapes and spinach supplies the skin with the much-needed nutrients to help it stay healthy and young.
Get Enough Sleep And Avoid Stressful Situations
Few studies put across to determine the relationship between ageing, sleep and stress showed that one tends to look less healthy and old when one often gets stressed or lack of sufficient sleep. The body is self-programmed to shut off stress hormones(cortisol and adrenaline) whenever one feels stressed and activate natural body painkiller—endorphins, which make everything about you look vague and old. An average adult is supposed to sleep 7 to 9 hours a day.
The list of how to look young is almost endless. Though the society has conditioned almost everyone to view youthfulness as the most admirable target to seek as one grows older, looking after oneself should be self-driven. Before you settle for any program, determine your strengths and weaknesses to help you come up with an effective plan towards looking younger than your age, for example, is styling and dressing code.
All images feature the handsome Blake Carr in portraits by Los Angeles based photographer Jon Wong captured exclusively for MMSCENE – discover the full shoot.
