When the verdant green foliage of the summer starts to turn into vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds, we don’t go outside and try to repaint the leaves green. Instead, we stop and marvel at the beauty of the new colors, the transition, and the natural cycles of the seasons. So should it be with how we treat ourselves as we begin that transition to a new stage in our lives? 

Let’s talk about how we can all embrace aging more beautifully with skincare tips for aging skin. 

Skincare Tips for Aging Skin

Forget about anti-aging and embrace pro-aging! Just because we get older doesn’t mean we have to fight the passage of time continually. The tips we’re sharing today are intended to help you allow your natural beauty to shine, regardless of your age, and to continue to take care of your skin without harsh chemicals or tools and procedures that can cause more harm than good over time.

Sun Exposure

No matter your age, limiting your exposure to the sun and wearing sunscreen is always a good idea. Over time, excessive sun exposure causes brown spots, wrinkles, burns that can go several layers of skin deep, and even cancer. 

While humans need to go outside and enjoy nature, it’s also crucial to make sure we’re cautious about what we expose ourselves to while we’re out. Remember that sunlight is radiation, so prolonged exposure causes skin damage to whatever skin is exposed. 

Wear proper covering, sunscreen, and find shady spots to rest on your outdoor adventures so you can protect your skin and help prevent discoloration, burns, skin cancer, and wrinkles. 

No more tanning

Tanning booths, though popular, aren’t safer, they won’t provide Vitamin D, and they do not boost mood or help you with seasonal affective disorders (or SAD). 

While we’ve been told that having a base tan makes outdoor tanning less dangerous or that tanning indoors can give us Vitamin D and that it’s just a cheaper version of phototherapy, the truth is, none of those things are true. 

According to skincancer.org, one study saw that out of a group of 63 women diagnosed with melanoma (skin cancer) before the age of 30, 97% of them had used tanning beds. So does one study make everything accurate? No, but there is a lot of compelling information from organizations, physicians and dermatologists showing that using tanning beds is just as dangerous as tanning outside. 

Moisturize & Hydrate

You can’t have one without the other! In our series on skincare, we cover moisturizing and hydration best practices. You can’t keep moisture in your skin if you’re not hydrated. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to stay hydrated and moisturize so your skin looks healthy, glowing, and beautiful at any age. 

Be sure to invest in natural ingredients, learn to love the double cleanse, and drink water throughout the day!

Wash 2x a day

If you already wash your face twice a day, then you’ve got this covered. However, with younger skin, cleansing twice a day can cause more harm than good. But, for aging skin, a two-time-a-day face washing routine can be beneficial.

Washing your face in the morning helps cleanse your skin of the bacteria that can grow on your face while you sleep and cleanse away the remains of any nighttime products you use, so you don’t have build-up on your skin before you even start the day. 

For your AM wash, use a gentle cleanser and don’t scrub; you could end up causing micro-abrasions and other damage to your skin by cleaning too hard or using harsh exfoliants. 

For your PM wash, learn to love the double cleanse, a way of cleansing your skin at the end of the day that helps remove not only surface grime and product but also removes clogs and irritants deeper down. 

No smoking

This typically goes without saying for any person at any age, but smoking does irreparable damage to both your skin and your overall health. So if you’re looking for the best time to quit smoking it’s right now...and now…and also now.

There is no way to fix the damage smoking does to your body and skin, but you can prevent further damage by quitting. For resources and help to quit smoking, check out Quit Assist. 

Sleep 

While we all heard growing up that we had to get at least 8 hours of sleep, updated science tells us that there’s a magic sleep number for all of us, and they’re all different depending on our age, weight, health, etc. 

If you’re not sure what your ideal sleep time is, there’s a simple trick:

• Count back 7.5 hours from your usual wake-up time and use that as the time to go to sleep for a week in a row.

• If you don’t find yourself ready to wake either 5 minutes before your alarm or right at your alarm, push your bedtime back 30 minutes and keep doing that until you can wake up without your alarm.

Some people require more sleep than others, so it’s essential to know where your actual sleep requirements lie so you can get the most benefit for both your mental and physical health. 

Diet

Eating whole foods like whole grains, leafy greens, and unprocessed meat has been scientifically proven to improve your health. According to Healthline, some of the top foods for aging skin that are full of vitamins and nutrients include:

• Watercress

• Red bell pepper

• Papaya

• Blueberries

• Broccoli

• Spinach

• Avocado

• Sweet potatoes 

• Pomegranate seeds

• Salmon

Many other foods belong on this list, but it’s generally agreed that cutting back on gluten and dairy can help with your intestinal health and that whole food and, in general, are better for you because the natural vitamins and nutrients haven’t been processed out. 

Aging skin is beautiful because it’s you

Aging is as natural as the changing of the seasons and just as beautiful. As we all turn to the next season in our lives, it’s essential to understand and embrace the coming changes. True beauty never fades, and when you honor and take care of yourself, age will always just be a number.