5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Prevent Aging

I'm turning 29 in May and something I think about more and more as I get older is how I can protect my skin from showing signs of aging.  I've been very open about the fact that I would consider Botox as I age to prevent and smooth out wrinkles, but for now, I'm doing everything I can to delay that because the better I am to my skin now, the more time I'll have to avoid (or delay) things like injections. 

So, what can you start doing now to prevent skin damage?

1.  Wear sunglasses-everywhere!  It may seem excessive, but for someone like me, sunglasses are a must, even on somewhat overcast days because my eyes are so sensitive to sunlight.  Even if your eyes aren't as sensitive as mine are, you should always be protecting them from the sun.  First of all, you'll squint less, which helps prevent wrinkle formation and secondly, you'll protect your delicate eye area from UV exposure which causes premature wrinkles.


2.  Drink green tea everyday- it's packed with antioxidants and helps fight free radical damage---it also helps with inflammation and multiple studies prove it can help prevent heart disease and a variety of other ailments. My personal favorite is Bigelow brand green tea with MINT and Tazo "Zen" green tea which has a spearmint flavor to it. I drink mine completely clean (no sugar, no sweetener) and I absolutely love it!  I drink about two cups in the morning, one after lunch (it aids with digestion), another cup mid day and then I have a cup peppermint tea with NO caffeine before bed.  As someone who used to suffer from major IBS, green tea with mint has proven to be an incredible thing for my digestive tract. I honestly cannot say enough about the benefits of this incredible tea!

3. Wear a big hat. Or any hat, really. When I spend time in the sun (and I'm talking multiple hours, not just running quick errands), I wear a hat to protect my scalp and to shield my face from the sun's rays. I also use an SPF 60 on my face (I love La Roche Posay's Anthelios liquid SPF 60), even when I wear a hat. A lot of people have asked if this means my body is one color and my face is another---and the answer is yes. I cheat though because I just use self tanner on my face and it all evens out. Perfect, right!? On that note, if you still use tanning beds, please stop now. I won't get all crazy about it in this post---but you can read more about my thoughts on tanning here.

4.  Start early. Maybe you're 25 and starting to think about skincare...now is the perfect time!  I started using eye cream when I was 25 and each year I've been adding new products to help prevent aging.  It's as easy as applying a few creams at night before bed.  That's it! The payoff is definitely worth the few minutes of effort. The more you can prevent or delay now, the longer you can hold off on treatments later on.

5.  Drink more water. This is one I have to work on too.  Keep an extra large plastic tumbler on your desk at all times and keep it full of water. I always drink more water when I use a straw and when I make it accessible. Remind yourself to drink water every hour. Hydrating from the inside will make you look even better on the outside! Dehydrated skin doesn't have that young, healthy glow that we all covet...so drink up!

Since we are on the topic of aging, I filmed an interview with KHOU 11---a local news station about beauty superfoods and it aired on today's morning news. I was honored to be involved and had a great time doing the segment.   You can watch my segment here. 

 

Lots of video filming and blogging to come this weekend!

xoxo,

Veronika.