Skin secrets to avoiding signs of premature aging
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| illustration of a woman looking in the mirror (freepik.com/senivpetro) |
Aging is one of the natural skin processes that cannot be avoided. However, you can still prevent it from appearing prematurely by maintaining your diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
Not only that, applying the right morning skincare routine is also important to help inhibit the appearance of signs of premature aging. Well, if you’re still confused about what are the stages of morning skincare to keep your skin looking youthful, take a look below!
1. Clean your face
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| illustration of face washing (pexels.com/Ron Lach) |
When you sleep, the dirt on your pillow or bed sheet might stick to your face. Therefore, cleansing your face in the morning is very important to remove dirt and excess oil on the surface of the skin.
You can choose a facial cleanser or facial wash that suits your skin type. For example, for dry and sensitive skin, a facial wash with a gentle and hydrating formula is recommended. As for oily skin, choose a facial wash that can absorb sebum without drying out the skin.
2. Apply toner
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| illustration of applying toner (pexels.com/cottonbro studio) |
Usually, after cleansing the skin will feel dry. Using a toner can help balance the skin’s pH after cleansing. According to board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, a hydrating toner can provide extra moisture and nutrients to the skin.
“Unlike alcohol-based toners that can make skin very dry, good toners often use hydrating formulations,” she said, as quoted by MindBodyGreen.
3. Use a vitamin C serum
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| illustration of using serum (pexels.com/KoolShooters) |
The next stage of morning skincare is using vitamin C serum. Serum is a skincare product that contains active ingredients with smaller molecules, so it will be more easily absorbed into the skin layer.
The use of vitamin C serum is not without reason. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, so it can boost collagen production, brighten dull skin, fade dark spots, and even out overall skin tone.
As reported by Cleveland Clinic, a physician assistant, Samantha Stein PA-C, said that as we age, the body naturally produces less collagen. This greatly contributes to skin sagging and wrinkles.
“Vitamin C is one of the factors in collagen synthesis, so it can help boost collagen production,” says Stein.
“That will help your skin look supple and minimize the appearance of wrinkles,” she adds.
4. Use face oil
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| face oil illustration (pexels.com/Mikhail Nilov) |
After using serum, you can apply face oil. According to Byrdie, Hadley Mendelsohn, a writer and editor at the site, says face oil can help rebuild skin elasticity and firmness while keeping your skin hydrated throughout the day.
5. Apply moisturizer
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| illustration of a woman using facial moisturizer (pexels.com/Ivan Samkov) |
Moisturizer or better known as moisturizer is very important to apply to the face to keep it healthy and not dry. For those of you who want to have youthful skin, you can use moisturizers that contain vitamin C, retinol, or peptides.
However, if you want to focus on hydrating moisturizing products, Alexandra Engler, as a beauty director, quoted by MindBodyGreen, recommends moisturizing products with a combination of humectants, emollients, and occlusive ingredients.
Humectants, such as glycerin, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid can help hydrate the skin. Occlusives lock in the skin’s moisture. Meanwhile, emollients strengthen and nourish the skin barrier.
6. Use eye cream
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| illustration of a woman using skincare (pexels.com/Ron Lach) |
he one morning skincare routine that you can’t miss if you want to look youthful is using eye cream. This is because the skin around the eyes is much more delicate and prone to movement.
“When you start to have less collagen and elastic fibers in the skin as you age, then this very thin skin will show fine lines earlier,” explains board-certified dermatologist, Loretta Ciraldo, MD, FAAD, as reported by MindBodyGreen.
Using an eye cream can help with those fine lines. In addition, it can reduce the appearance of dark circles, puffy eyes, and eye bags caused by lack of sleep.
7. Apply sunscreen
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| illustration of a woman using sunscreen (freepik.com/freepik) |
After applying eye cream, the last step in morning skincare for youthful skin is applying sunscreen. Reported by Byrdie, Shani Darden, a licensed celebrity beautician, said that sunlight is the main cause of premature aging.
“Sun exposure depletes collagen in the skin and can cause pigmentation problems,” she explains.
Not only when outdoors or in sunny weather, using sunscreen indoors is necessary. This is because sunlight can still penetrate through windows or air vents which can accelerate the appearance of aging.
Dr. Stein says that regular use of sunscreen is essential in an anti-aging routine. She adds that you can use any type of sunscreen, be it chemical, mineral or spray. The most important thing is that the sunscreen is suitable for your skin’s needs.
The key to youthful skin is to adopt a healthy lifestyle and regularly use skincare that suits your skin type and at the right stage. Also, don’t forget to replace your skincare products with anti-aging formulas so that your skin doesn’t experience signs of premature aging.