For some, getting older is terrifying — people are afraid of aging, leaving behind the best years of their life, and approaching death (yes, morbid, I know). But to others, getting older is a sign of success and wisdom — and that’s exactly how I like to view it. Looking back at the past few years, I make more money now than I did several years ago, I’m closer to achieving some of my long-term goals, and I’m happier and more secure in myself as a person.
But like any woman, aging is in the back of my mind — while I’m not afraid of looking older, I want to do do everything in my power to look as young and good as I possibly can for as long as time will permit. I love that I still get carded at the liquor store or a bar, and I always have people guess my age when they ask how old I am (and yes, I was elated when at a recent Dodgers game, someone thought that I was my boyfriend’s much younger girlfriend). But at the same time, I know I can’t coast on this forever — one day I will look like I am 30, and 40, and so on, and I know that I’m in the right place where I can start preventative aging. I know there are certain things one should do in their 20s, 30s and beyond, so I’ve put together a list of the things one can do during the various stages in their life in order to look and feel as young as possible.
20s
I’m in the last year of my twenties, so this category applies to me (but not for much longer!) The main issue that women that fall under this group encounter is ultra-violet rays (because we’re all about spending our weekends at the beach and wearing bikinis).
The things that you can do now to help prevent aging including using a facial cleanser daily, applying a moisturizing day cream that contains a broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, applying sunscreen before going out into the sun, and eye contour cream starting at the age of 25 as needed. I was delighted to read that anti-wrinkle cream and/or night cream only need to be applied towards the end of one’s twenties to prevent the appearance of the first signs of wrinkles.
30s
This is the next decade that I need to prepare for, and the main issues that women in this age group face include the dreaded crow’s feet, fine lines on the forehead and around the lips, skin dehydration, and and unhealthy lifestyle from various factors that include alcohol, smoking, stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet.
Now is the time to start a healthy lifestyle if you haven’t already, so you may want to consider switching to a healthier lifestyle (quitting smoking, getting adequate sleep, drinking less, etc.) You also want to invest in skin care products that contain antioxidants such as Vitamin A, C, E or betacarotene, a richer day cream than what you used in your 20s, night cream, and eye contour cream. And once you hit your mid-thirties, you can also start using a serum to help prevent the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
40s
This decade is when your body starts to head south a bit more, as in loss of skin elasticity and firmness, decreased production of collagen and elastin, deeper lines and wrinkles, age spots, redness and rosacea, as well as increased under-eye puffiness and dark circles that are more noticeable.
You’ll want to look into exfoliating products that will help slough off the dead skin cells and keep bringing fresher skin to the surface, use products like Retin-A that stimulate collagen production, products that firm and tone the skin, skin care items that contains fruit acids and Vitamins A, C and E, along with anti-wrinkle, smoothing and moisturizing serums.
50s and Beyond
Even though this is further down the road, it never hurts to prepare yourself for what’s to come. This is the time when many women experience menopause, increased dryness of skin, a sharp decline in their bodies’ productions of collagen and elastin, deeper wrinkles that turn into creases, a dull and uneven complexion, and sagging skin that becomes thinner, which makes it less resistant to external factors that contribute to aging.
Anti-aging tips include consuming more essential fatty acids in your diet, using enriched anti-aging products at night, adding products that help with regeneration that contain vitamins, minerals, collagen, peptides and so forth to your regimen, along with utilizing anti-wrinkle and firming serums and the occasional anti-aging product that contains a filler agent to reduce deep lines.
Conclusion
These are some do-it-yourself ways that you can start fighting the aging process. Of course, there are many other options that include artificial filler like Restylane, Juvederm and Botox, as well as both invasive and non-invasive surgical options, but these are some great tips that will help you age more naturally and gracefully. I definitely plan to start incorporating a lot of these into my daily routine, and the sooner you start, the less catch-up work you’ll have to do later on, potentially saving yourself thousands of dollars’ worth of surgery and treatment down the road.
By: Kamala Kirk
