Have you ever been told you look older than your age? Certain lifestyle choices can make you look and feel older than you are. Steer clear of these everyday habits to stay younger, longer. Remember that it’s never too late to start, so make these lifestyle changes now.
1. Poor Hydration
Continual lack of hydration ages the skin. Dehydration in the skin weakens its defence and creates skin sensitivity, irritation, and premature ageing.
Dehydration is treatable with lifestyle changes. Replenishing your hydration is the first major step, so it’s important to drink plenty of water. You can start with the old rule of eight glasses of water per day if you don’t drink enough water already.
2. Rubbing Your Eyes
Dermatologists agree the skin around your eyes is the most delicate skin on your body. Treating that area roughly will likely result in wrinkles and sagging.
3. Not Sleeping Enough
Sleep is essential for energy, concentration — and complexion. Better sleep is absolutely grounded in science, showing how important sleep is to our well-being, function, and feeling our best. Not only does the skin repair itself, but there’s also a difference in its pH and circulation so anti-ageing products penetrate better.
4. Using A Straw
Plastic straws are not only bad for the environment. They’re also bad for you, causing you to look older than you are. When sipping drinks through a straw, you have to purse your lips which can cause lines and wrinkles to form around your mouth. The same applies to smoking. Try drinking directly from the glass, and if you’re a smoker, try your best to quit. It can be a long and hard process, but the benefits of quitting smoking are enormous.
5. Ignoring Your Neck & Hands
The neck and hands are one of the most ignored areas when it comes to anti-ageing routine. Freckles, moles and dark spots are all signs of ageing. Apply anti-ageing facial cream on your neck and on the backs of your hands, too, to prevent premature ageing. And don’t forget to cover both areas with sunscreen every day.
6. Not Using Sunscreen
It doesn’t matter if you’re not hitting the beach or spending all day outside; you still need to apply sunscreen every day. Overexposure to UV rays is the main cause of premature skin ageing. The sun is the biggest factor in ageing skin, so if you don’t want wrinkles before your time, make sure you’re applying a lotion with at least SPF 30 every morning.
7. Not Taking Care Of Your Dental Health
Your teeth are one of the first places to show the wear and tear of ageing. Protect your youthful smile by brushing and flossing daily and seeing your dentist for regular checkups.
8. Unhealthy Diets
Quick fixes are tempting, but crash dieting is never a good idea. Crash dieting can also cause wrinkles and sagging because ageing skin, which has less elasticity, doesn’t have time to adjust to the weight loss.
To prevent wrinkles, it is essential to consume omega-3 fatty acids that help keep skin supple and smooth. A low-fat diet deprives us of this component, causing premature ageing of the skin.
Your daily lifestyle habits play a major role in the way you age. It’s impossible to look young forever, but you can prevent time from marching across your face. You can also try to introduce retinol into your skincare routine to slow down your skin ageing process.
