The product Oil of Olay moisturiser was recommended by the owner of a beauty salon, ‘no better moisturiser for Mumbais’ climatic conditions,’ he said, I gave it a try for a few months and agreed with him at that time until I moved on to age advanced products. What also caught my attention was the tagline for their advertisement — “I don’t intend to grow old, I intend to fight it everyday.”
These words resonate with me to date.
Habits we form and cultivate from a young age, good or bad, can make or break us. Though it says “it takes twenty-one days to make or break a habit,” the ones we cultivate from a young age take a long, long time getting rid of and back sliding multiple times is usually a given.
There is nothing fun about the ageing process, as we age, nearly all our body’s organs both external and internal slow down, take longer to recuperate or recover totally.
I am a firm believer of “what you put into your body and what you feel in your heart is what reflects on your face.”
The outermost and largest organ of the human body is the skin, it is exposed to weather conditions, germs, pollution, ultra violet rays et al. It has to sustain all of this from the day you are born, any guesses why it ages visibly the quickest, making it vulnerable to extra care and tending to on a daily basis.
Beauty products and treatments are available dime a dozen for any fix, but alas these are only temporary fixes. Forming good habits and getting rid of the bad ones early on in life, will slow down the inevitable ageing process. This is truly the secret of staying youthful —
Are you doing any of the following unintentionally and speeding up your ageing process?
Not getting enough of sleep — The standard seven hours of sleep is a must for everyone, in your youth you can get away with lost sleep, but as we grow older studies show that even one night of insufficient sleep in older adults can result in individual cells of the body to age much quicker.
Sleeping on your side — most adults sleep on their side, and move from one side to another for some or part of the night.
Did you know that this sleep position of lying on your side for long periods of time night on night for years could produce wrinkles on your face?
The compression to the face during sleep could cause facial distortions and wrinkle formation.
Not using sunscreen — As I wrote earlier on in this article, from the time we are born, our skin is exposed to multiple conditions, one of which is the ultra violet rays of the sun. This exposure can increase ageing by as much as eighty percent, leaving your skin, especially your face to show dryness, sagging, spots leading to pigmentation and wrinkling. There are any number of sunscreens to choose from to suit all weather conditions and skin types. Get yourself to use sunscreen, everyday!
Consuming too much sugar — Sugar is a culprit for many health issues, this includes ageing. When there is an excess of glucose in your body and this combines with the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin (Glycation) it sets off a chemical reaction that forms destructive molecules called Advanced Glycation End products. (AGE) Glucose covers the collagen and elastin fibers and with time these become rigid to the extent of breaking and losing their ability to move. With age, the AGE molecules accumulate and end up destroying the support cushion of the skin formed by the elastin and collagen. Cut back on the sugar.
Overexpousure to electronic devices — Dermatologists have found that spending four, eight-hour workdays in front of a computer exposes you to the same amount of energy as twenty minutes in the midday sun.
High Energy Visible (HEV) light from electronics has the ability to penetrate deeper into your skin and ultimately lead to premature ageing. Be mindful of the extent of your dependency on electronic devices, take many breaks through the day and keep the gadgets far away at night.
Are you in already in the habit of these habits?
If you are, then know that you are speeding up the ageing process, its time to rid yourself of them slowly yet surely.
A few tips on skincare to suppress ageing —
- Sunscreen the preventive — How to use sunscreen – On clean dry skin apply generously to face and neck, arms and legs too (all exposed skin). This should be done two hours before you venture out into the direct sun. If you are spending a day at the beach or outdoors, reapply every three hours.
- Retinoids — is the one anti ageing ingredient that dermatologists call the gold standard, they are known for their influence on acne and collagen production impacting ageing on skin in a huge way. Different forms are Retinol, Tretinoin, Retinaldehyde, it is when they are converted to retinoic acid via oxidation that they exert effects on the skin and suppress ageing in multiple ways. They speed up cell turnover in the epidermis, giving the skin luminosity and brightness. Of the three, Tretinoin is the most effective. NOTE: use under medical guidance.
- Vitamin C — in its natural form — amla, oranges, lemons, or through supplements, make sure you get 1000mg a day.
- Omega -3 — helps fight cellular ageing. This supplement could help slow down the effects of ageing by suppressing damage to your skin and boosting cell protection especially after a stressful event. It helps the body resist the damaging effects of stress. Stress being the number one agent for ageing the body both internally and externally.
There is nothing fun about the ageing process, it can happen with the blink of an eye. These changes can be upsetting when they show up early, but also know that they are unavoidable. The only thing in our hands is to slow down the process. Skincare can be a convoluted puzzle, the volume of choice marketed, the myriad of ingredients, so much to consider.
A piece of advice — always go for the boring brand that has got a good reputation, the one that is well researched.
Are you concerned about the effects of ageing?
Have you noticed any early signs of ageing?
Then follow these tips to fight the effects of ageing.
