How to Prevent Wrinkles by Nixing 8 Everyday Habits that Age Your Skin
One minute you’re casually wondering how to prevent wrinkles, and the next, BAM – you look in the mirror and suddenly find yourself staring at a California raisin. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but only a little. That’s the thing about our daily habits: They’re sneaky and subtle, and much of the time we don’t realize what they’re doing to our skin until it’s already done. This means war.
Here are 8 everyday habits you should tweak on your quest to prevent wrinkles:
1. Leaving it vulnerable to pollution
When mastering how to prevent wrinkles, there are some things you can’t control – like pollution, which decreases oxygen and collagen in your skin and leaves it looking… well, blah. Not only does it mess with your skin tone, but it can leave it looking blotchy and cause breakouts. (Ugh.) Guard your skin with an SPF, wash your face every night before bed, exfoliate twice a week, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
2. Over-washing and under-moisturizing
Washing your face excessively can dry out your skin cells, leaving your complexion dull and highlighting any damaged areas. Don’t wash your face in the morning, as you’ll strip away all the work your body put into restoring your skin while you were asleep – just splash with water and mosey on with your day. When you do wash your face, never skip moisturizing afterward.
3. Stretching your skin to apply makeup
This is a tough habit to break, but it’s one of the most important ones to ditch when learning how to prevent wrinkles. It’s no different than a repetitive stress injury messing with your joints: The more you contort your skin to get your makeup just right, the more wrinkles you’ll end up with – like, tomorrow.
4. Not getting enough sleep
They call it beauty sleep for a reason! While you’re snoozing away (and hopefully dreaming about Channing Tatum), your skin goes through its renewal process. The less sleep you get, the less time your skin and the beauty products you’re using have to do their thing. In fact, a study by UH Case Medical Center found women who only slept five hours each night for a month had twice as many wrinkles and spots than those who slept for seven hours. Do everything you can to get your zzzzs.
5. Not drinking enough water
As we age, our skin gets thinner and drier, making it more necessary than ever to drink enough water to keep it hydrated. Try your best to drink an average of six to eight glasses of water daily.
6. Drinking from a water bottle/straw
Similar to how squinting causes fine lines around your eyes, drinking straight from a water bottle or through a straw has the same impact on your mouth. Your facial muscles become overworked and form wrinkles called “puppet lines.” Either pour your drinks into a glass, or find a water bottle that has a glass-sized opening.
7. Snoozing with your makeup on
Okay, we’re all guilty of this from time to time, but when you sleep with your makeup on you’re basically saying to wrinkles, “Bring it on.” The makeup, combined with the environmental pollutants that are partying on your skin, seep into your pores and break down your skin’s elasticity. Always wash and moisturize your face before bed. Always.
8. Neglecting your neck and hands
Many of us obsess over how to prevent wrinkles on our face and forget about our neck and hands. Since you’re already in the habit of beautifying your face daily, simply add your neck and hands to the roster until your cleaning and moisturizing process for both is second nature. I mean, who wants to look like the crypt keeper?
8 Products to Help You Prevent Wrinkles
Let’s boost your wrinkle prevention plan with the perfect products to back it up.
1. Anti-Pollution Mask: Protect skin from premature aging caused by environmental factors, like pollution. Algae is a powerful anti-pollution ingredient that detoxes and restores vitality to the complexion. Try Osea White Algae Mask, which also contains white and green teas for antioxidant protection.
2. Gentle Daily Cleanser: A gentle cleanser that removes dirt, makeup, and excess oils from skin without stripping is key to keeping the complexion healthy. Dr. Alkaitis Purifing Facial Cleanser is a castile-based cleanser that includes natural oils to keep skin from drying out.
3. Balancing Moisturizer: It is important for all skin types to use a daily moisturizer. This keeps skin from becoming dry and over-producing oil, which leads to breakouts and damage. A lightly hydrating and balancing moisturizer, like Pai Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream.
4. SPF Foundation: Simplify your morning routine while providing UV protection with Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Sunscreen. This beauty works like foundation, moisturizer, and sunscreen in one, to guard against wrinkles and sun damage, while providing light hydration and coverage.
5. Nighttime Renewal: Let a host of healing oils go to work reversing damage while you sleep. Lina Hanson Global Face Serum calms inflammation and irritation, reduces lines and wrinkles, and supports skin elasticity.
6. Beauty Water: Why not boost your H2O with wrinkle fighting tea? Kusmi Tea BB Detox is a mix of green tea, yerba mate, and rooibos to protect against free radicals and keep the complexion looking its best.
7. Easy Makeup Removal: So, you never have time to remove your makeup? RMS Beauty Makeup Remover Wipes make the job quick and easy. And remember, no makeup removal means you miss out on applying rejuvenating nighttime treatments.
8. Décolletage and Hand Protection: You may be applying SPF to your face and body like a champ. But what about décolletage and backs of hands? These two areas have thinner skin and shown signs of aging rapidly. Suntegrity Unscented Body Sunscreen SPF 30 is gentle enough for use on the entire body, and won’t leave a greasy or white film.
What are your fave tips on how to prevent wrinkles?
*Disclaimer: Help support Organic Authority! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.
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