12 Tips for Maintaining Youthful, Healthy Skin
This post is sponsored by Olay
If we can all agree on anything, it’s likely that we want to age gracefully while maintaining healthy, youthful skin for as long as possible throughout our lives! Laugh lines and crow’s feet gradually form, but there is so much we can do, both topically and internally, to nourish our skin and make it as healthy as possible, all while slowing the aging process! As someone who loves nutrition and beauty, this post felt like the perfect marriage of the two, and I very much enjoyed researching and writing this post. With that being said...let’s dive in!
INCORPORATING RETINOL INTO YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE
Did you know that retinol is the #1 most dermatologist recommended skincare ingredient? Retinol is made from vitamin A and can improve fine lines & wrinkles, smoothness, brightness, firming, dark spots, acne, pores, and boost collagen, so it’s a powerful ingredient! It’s definitely something to consider adding to your routine as your skin starts to age. The only problem is that a lot of retinol products are irritating and/or expensive, so I’ve been a little slow to jump on the bandwagon. However, about a month ago I started using the Olay Retinol24 Night Eye Cream every night and I’m already seeing a difference, which I didn’t expect so soon! I hate when my concealer and setting powder crease in the fine lines under my eyes, but in the past few weeks I’ve seen that less and less because my under eyes are already smoother and brighter. What I like about the Retinol24 eye cream is that it’s affordable, and that it’s gentle enough for nightly use. I have incredibly sensitive skin but have had zero irritation at any point since using it and was able to use it every night right from the beginning (no phasing in needed). Olay’s Retinol24 formula also combines retinol with vitamin B3 to make it more hydrating, which I love! I gently dab a little bit around my eyes every night after my moisturizer, then get in bed for my beauty sleep, and that’s all I have to do!
EATING A DIET RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are definitely a buzzword in the wellness and skincare worlds, but for good reason. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which damage our cells (and in turn lead to aging, damaged skin and disease). The good news is that adding antioxidant-rich foods into your diet is super enjoyable! Some of my favorites are dark chocolate (like good quality, real dark chocolate), all kinds of berries, red cabbage, pecans, green tea, and dark, leafy greens.
WEARING SUNGLASSES
I’ll admit, I’m bad at remembering to do this sometimes, but wearing sunglasses actually has anti-aging benefits! They help protect your eyes and the delicate skin around them from sun damage, and also prevent you from squinting, which can cause wrinkles!
ROLLING AND MASSAGING YOUR FACE
My esthetician once told me I should use my jade roller on my face every day for the rest of my life! Why is this? Face rollers can help drain excess fluid from the face, help your skincare products to better absorb, and help combat wrinkles. Facial rolling and massage encourage lymphatic drainage, which is key in the body’s detoxification process! Face rolling is also said to help stimulate collagen production, and if there’s any chance of that I’m on board! I also feel like it helps me to relax my face, and a relaxed face = less wrinkles.
ADDING COLLAGEN TO YOUR WELLNESS ROUTINE
If you follow along on Instagram Stories, I talk about my favorite collagen products all the time because they’re a part of my daily routine! As we age, we produce less and less collagen each year, which causes our skin to get thinner and less elastic (which then causes wrinkles). The research is mixed so far, but it’s believed by many that consuming collagen helps provide a boost to our skin, hair, nails and joints. What I can personally say is that when I’m diligent about taking collagen daily, I see a huge difference in skin and nail growth, and my skin seems to heal faster too. So far, I’m a fan, and it’s so easy to add a scoop of collagen powder to your smoothie, coffee or tea each day!
WEARING SPF [EVERY SINGLE DAY] AND LIMITING SUN EXPOSURE
I can’t say it enough, but wearing SPF every single day is an essential, whether you’ll be outside much or not. Sun damage can happen in small exposures over time, so protecting your skin on a daily basis is really important for slowing and preventing skin aging! It’s also critical to wear if you’re using any retinol products! Even with SPF, it’s also important to limit sun exposure. While a little bit of vitamin D is good, I think we all know that hours baking in the sun is not a cute look for our skin ;)
EATING RICH SOURCES OF VITAMIN A
We talked about retinol being a derivative of vitamin A and how great it is for anti-aging but eating rich sources of vitamin A gives you amazing skin benefits from the inside! Because of the beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, food sources for vitamin A tend to be orange! Think carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red and orange bell peppers, mangos, and salmon. Foods like spinach, kale, and other greens are great sources as well!
HYDRATING FROM THE INSIDE OUT
We’ve all heard every model and celebrity say that drinking lots of water is their secret sauce to beautiful skin (and we may roll our eyes), but it truly is one of the biggest factors to plump, healthy skin! Drinking lots of water (and herbal tea) should be at the top of your skincare regimen! Did you know you can also hydrate your cells and your skin through certain foods as well? Some of the most hydrating foods include cucumbers, watermelon, coconut, avocados, pomegranates, fish, almonds, berries, broths and soups, spinach and other leafy greens, citrus, and bell peppers.
MOISTURIZING, MOISTURIZING AND MORE MOISTURIZING
While internal hydration is key, so is moisturizing the outside of your skin! While the best suited ingredients and types of moisturizers are unique to each person’s skin, the important thing is that you’re moisturizing well both morning and night! Even if you’re oily, moisturizing is important and will help your skin become more balanced (if you try to dry it out, your skin could actually overproduce oil). Dewy, hydrated skin is healthier and will stay more youthful!
GETTING REGULAR FACIALS
Facials and other skin treatments are able to do so much more than we can do at home! They can use lasers, microneedles, facial massage and more to do things like reversing age spots and hyperpigmentation, stimulating collagen, and deeply moisturizing the skin. I know regular facials aren’t feasible for everyone, but I’m fortunate to have found an esthetician I trust and who is also really affordable (small town perks). Even if you can swing a couple of treatments a year, your skin will thank you!
CONSUMING LOTS OF HEALTHY FATS
You probably know by now that I’m a ride or die believer in healthy fats! Not only do they make me leaner and keep me fuller, but they’re also amazing for skin! To quote this article, “Key elements in a natural skin care diet, essential fatty acids like omega-3s...are the building blocks of healthy cell membranes. These polyunsaturated fats also help produce the skin's natural oil barrier, critical in keeping skin hydrated, plumper, and younger looking.” When I’m good about eating my healthy fats like avocados, salmon, cage free eggs, hemp seeds, nuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), olive oil, coconut oil and more, I 100% notice a difference in the plumpness and tone of my skin. I also take a fish oil or cod liver oil supplement daily! Healthy fats are yet another factor of beauty from the inside out!
CHANGING UP HOW YOU SLEEP
Sleep is one of the best things we can do for our skin and our overall health but think about it… Often when we’re sleeping our faces and skin are smashed into our pillows, and that can create wrinkles! A couple of ways to reduce this are:
Sleeping on your back! Not only is your skin not wrinkling into a pillowcase, but gravity is also smoothing everything out. But if you’re like me, sleeping on your back doesn’t come naturally and can be hard to do (but I’m trying to more and more).
Swapping in a silk or satin pillowcase! These are much gentler on the skin and won’t wrinkle or create any friction against your skin. I don’t have one yet, but plan to get one soon!