Ageing is a complete rollercoaster ride. Where on one hand with ageing comes maturity, experience and tons of smile evoking memories, ageing also brings with it those deep laugh lines, wrinkles and crinkles. Not all reasons for these lines may be bad, most of them may have made an appearance with the innumerable laughs you have had, but we would rather re-live those moments with better looking skin. You may have read loads of articles that harp on the goodness of certain products that reverse ageing and skin damage. Here, we are trying to help you understand some common mistakes that can speed up your skin ageing process.
Lack of hydration
Our body does not feel the need to hydrate as much in winters or when we are indoors. But, including 8- 10 glasses of water in your day to day routine is extremely essential to get rid of the harmful toxins from our body. Did you know, your modest glass of aqua also keeps your wrinkles at bay? As we age our skin loses it’s ability to produce enough elastin, to keep our skin supple and tight. Water helps in maintaining your skin’s elasticity by keeping it hydrated vis-à-vis keeping it plumper, smoother and firmer.
Avoiding Sunscreen
We do not need sunscreen when we aren’t stepping out. This is the biggest myth one needs to bust.
Studies reveal that wearing your humble SPF daily, is an absolute essential to protect your skin. Sunscreens not only shield your skin from the harsh effects of UVA and UVB rays, it also prevents and reverses hyper pigmentation and photo ageing.
Repetitive expressions
We often hear, we should express ourselves more clearly. True that! But, what if those repetitive facial expressions are one of the main concerns for the deepening of your facial lines? No! We would not want you to be stony faced or have an impassive reaction to life but every one has a couple of trademark expressions that are our natural impulse. Each time you squint, laugh or get stressed the grooves that form beneath your skin, deepen a wee bit more. Massaging your skin regularly, pulling it upward and outward, keeps your skin firmer and younger.
Dodging moisturisers
The collagen and elastin production of our skin reduces as we age, making our skin look dryer and can magnifying the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Keeping our skin moisturised helps our skin, as moisturisers act as an emollient, they fill the fine cracks in our skin’s barrier and keeps the hydration trapped beneath our skin. Thus giving our skin a more even and crease free look.
Avoiding retinoids
Retinoids are the answer, to all your skin queries. Retinol is a Vitamin A derivative which is taking the world by a storm. Easily available over the counter, this topical cream may disrupt your skin for a few weeks, but this is the ultimate ode in your skin care regime. Retinoids prevent the premature ageing of your skin, keeping it healthy and younger looking.
Using harsh cleansers
Many chemical based face washes claim quicker and more instantaneous results. While this may tempt us, opting for these harsh products can cause severe damage to your skin. Chemical laden products break your skin barrier by stripping your skin’s essential natural oils and irritating your skin. Irritated skin speeds up skin ageing process drastically.
In the jigsaw puzzle, that is skin care, not every piece may fit at the first try. But, with a little bit of careful observation, our skin ageing process can definitely be alleviated.