As I’m now officially in my late 30s I thought I’d share with you some anti ageing rituals. People are always asking me about the secrets to anti-ageing, how to look young forever and how to age gracefully. To be honest, a lot of it comes down to a healthy lifestyle and good genes but there are a few beauty secrets that can help along the way. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix but I really do believe that prevention is better than cure (are you bored of hearing this?)
So in no particular order here are my anti-ageing secrets, start now I say or at least in your 30s.
SPF is so important! Not just in the summer but every day! In the Winter you can use a lower SPF but you should still be using one. Wearing SPF doesn’t mean you won’t tan as it is not sun block but it will protect you from the harmful sun rays which can really age your skin. This is especially important if you are conscious about hyperpigmentation and dark marks. We all need Vitamin D yes but we all also need to protect our skin from the sun’s harmful rays too. Using a light SPF daily or products with SPF in will prevent age spots and early wrinkles. In the winter using an SPF 10 or 15 is fine, in the summer I tend to whack it up to SPF 30 and if I’m out in the sun a lot then SPF 50 or 60!
Start using retinoids. This can sound a bit daunting especially when this step always has to be followed by using an SPF the next morning. Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, it can give you clearer, smoother and clearer skin sometimes within just four weeks. It boosts collagen and cell turnover but if you have sensitive skin you could easily react to it. Direct sunlight can also cause sensitivity so it is best to use Retinol products at night and follow with an SPF in the morning. I would always start off using once or twice a week and then build this up to 3-4 times a week at night, this is enough to notice a visible difference. I love the Beauty Pie Superactive Capsules which also have Hyaluronic Acid (coming next!) in them. The Time Bomb ABC Vitamin serum is great too.
Hyaluronic acid is not as scary as it sounds and it’s great to use morning and evening. It is a water based ‘acid’ and it’s so good for dehydrated skin. Dehydrated skin tends to wrinkle faster, Hyaluronic acid boosts collagen which makes your skin look plump, hydrated and youthful! What’s not to love! You can find this ingredient in moisturisers and serums. I love the Vichy Mineral 69 and the La Roche Posay Hyalu B5 serum.
My skincare routine before bed has definitely got longer as I’ve got older! I love the idea of actual ‘beauty sleep’ letting the products do the work while I sleep! For young skin, rich moisturisers can make the skin appear oily but with older skin a rich moisturiser helps the skin to stay plump and smooth. Use a rich moisturiser especially at night. Your skin looks more plump when it’s moisturised and hydrated so as you get older you may need to start using richer moisturisers. Some people feel oily throughout the day and prefer to use a lighter moisturiser which is fine but then use the night to really layer it on. You’ll notice such a difference when you wake up.
Eye Cream is so important as the skin around our eyes is very delicate and usually the first area to wrinkle unfortunately. Dark circles and bags can age us too and if eye cream helps then why not? I have been using eye cream religiously since I was 25 (prevention is better than cure!) I don’t use eye cream in the day so my concealer stays on rather than slips off but at night I slather on the eye cream like there’s no tomorrow!
Facial Oils have become a huge trend over the past couple of hours to give your skin that all important glow. A big factor in skin looking older and wrinkled is dehydrated skin so anything that helps to keep your skin hydrated (deeper than just the surface) will help the skin to appear plumped. Facials oils seal in the moisture which gives you that healthy glow. Cleansing oils are great for this too!
There are now so many facial tools on the market to massage and contour your face. There are great benefits to using facial rollers to masssging your face. It increases the circulation of blood which automatically makes you look more fresh faced. It also makes you feel relieved and reduces stress. In turn all of the above reduces wrinkles so we are winning! I love the sensee facial contour and the jade face roller.
Exfoliate weekly, well actually 2-3 times a week and this should have started in your 20s as prevention is better than cure! However anytime is a good time to start exfoliating. If you have sensitive skin find a mild exfoliant for sensitive skin. Most brands usually have a milder version. Exfoliating your skin removes the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin making way for the new (younger cells) to surface. Especially if you’re using richer creams, you want to remove the layers at least once a week. This gives you a youthful glow. Exfoliating your skin also increases blood circulation but facial massage goes a little deeper.
Supplements are always a good idea but as you get older it’s s great idea to start enhancing your skincare routine and diet with supplements. Some work great for your hormones too. You can tailor the supplements you take to your needs and if you don’t know where to begin overall health is a good place to start! When it comes to anti ageing, Vitamin A is essential. It’s a powerful antioxidant which helps to generate healthy hair, sharpen your eyesight and fight fatigue. Collagen supplements are also great but more on that in a minute! If your skin issues are hormonal then I’d recommend Efamol Woman Pure Evening Primrose Oil capsules recommended during menopause usually but evening primrose is generally calming and good for your skin. These capsules seem to balance out your hormones even if you’re not going through menopause. I noticed a great improvement in my skin and no PMS which is always a bonus! They are a natural remedy too which is great.
Collagen is all the rage when it comes to anti ageing. The collagen in your skin helps to strengthen your skin giving it elasticity. This in turn keeps your skin smooth, hydrated and plump. As we get older the collagen in our skin becomes less which in turn gives us wrinkles as the skin loses its elasticity. Therefore collagen supplements and products containing collagen can slow down the skin ageing process. That is what the hype is about!
I am a huge fan of primer! I go on and on about the use of primer. For anti ageing it gives you a nice protective barrier between your skin and makeup and provides a smooth surface for makeup application. This makes your makeup last longer rather than it sitting in any fine lines you may have. I love the YSL blur primer and of course the classic Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.
I love setting my make up with powder and generally layering my powder products on top of cream products. However I know there will come a day when I’ll have to opt for more cream based products. Powder products tend to sit in any fine lines which can instantly age you and make it look like you have wrinkle even if you don’t! Using cream foundation, creams blush and highlight will give you that instant youthful glow.
Hopefully these anti ageing rituals will make you feel more youthful! What anti ageing rituals do you have? Please comment below and let me know if you love it! Please be sure to follow me on Instagram (where most of my product review are now) and Twitter for instant updates that go beyond the blog. Also be sure to subscribe to the blog here, so you are the first to know about new posts ♥
