Coping with getting older – looking after your skin

By Helen Bowman

Last week we started looking at the benefits of exercise to keep you looking and feeling youthful, even as time marches on.

This week, we’re focusing on skincare and how to slow the outer signs of ageing with simple routines and habits. As time goes by, we all start to notice changes in our skin and it’s easy to allow those to have a negative impact on your mental health.

Julia Murray from My Retreat explores seven simple suggestions for slowing the signs of ageing on your skin.

Slowing the signs of ageing on your skin

 “Do not regret getting older. It is a privilege denied to many.” (Anon)

When we look in the mirror, we often focus on what’s changing. We see the new lines, deeper creases, softer skin.  We even have names for them: crow’s feet, eye bags, jowls, worry lines. The list of negative labels goes on.

But in my view, if we are alive and getting older, then change is inevitable. And as such we should try to embrace it as part of life. That’s not to say that we can’t attempt to slow its progress.

In such a spirit, I’ve come up with seven suggestions you could add your skincare routine to help slow down the effects of ageing on your skin.

Neck Gel

We often overlook the neck, and yet it can be a big giveaway in terms of our age. This is because the skin on our necks is much thinner than on our face, and there are less sebum glands to moisturise the area. A gel, which contains smaller particles, is the best thing to use to penetrate the skin more easily.

Reduce your sugar intake

We keep learning about the negative effects that sugar has on our overall health and it certainly has repercussions on the skin. Long story short, the breakdown of sugar in the body produces ‘AGEs’ (appropriately enough!) which break down the collagen that your body produces and prevents it from being reproduced. This is the protein that keeps our skin tight, so less sugar = tighter skin.

SPF

Ultraviolet light is a key culprit in ageing skin and is one of the primary reasons skin loses its elasticity. And as it’s there come rain or shine, sunscreen is not just for the summer. Always wear an SPF, ideally of at least factor 30, to protect against UV rays.

Find out more about Julia’s business, My Retreat on Facebook and her new online skincare and aromatherapy products shop, too.