8 secrets of people who age gracefully
As compiled from Health magazine and Huffington Post, experts reveal tricks to keeping your youthful glow
PHOTO: REUTERS
We all want to appear dapper as we age. And we all know someone who’s on-point from head to toe, defying aging with every step. So, what are their secrets behind looking so renewed and years younger their actual age? As compiled from Health magazine and Huffington Post, experts reveal tricks to keeping your youthful glow with each passing year.
They skip the fancy skincare routine
Cut through the anti-aging aisle and focus on sunscreen. “If you use a sunscreen, retinoid, and moisturiser starting at age 20, your skin will look much younger compared to someone who didn’t use them,” says dermatologist Lance Brown, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. Applying SPF or sunblock every morning is a necessity, no matter how rainy or dark the weather, along with keeping cells plump and hydrated with moisturiser. Dermatologists consistently recommend just simple moisturiser and sunscreen because they essentially teach your skin to act young again, stimulating the collagen that prevents fine lines, he says.
Read: Reasons why close friends are good for your health
They get a move on
Whatever your motivation to work out — blowing off steam or losing inches off your waist — you can add one more to the list: maintaining your youth. A study on older adults shows that those who exercised functioned physiologically similar to younger people. But this may keep you young on the inside, but what about the outside? “Your skin is the largest organ in your body and the only one you can see. Anything that’s good for your body is good for your skin,” says Brown. While you may have heard warnings that certain workouts, such as running, can cause wrinkles and sagging from the up-and-down motion, Brown says that’s not the case. So, carry on with your running, dancing and/or lifting.
They don’t hide behind make-up
If you have wrinkles, brown spots and under-eye bags, you’re probably tempted to slap on a thick coat of foundation and powder all over your face. That technique backfires, says celebrity make-up artist Ashunta Sheriff. “Make-up can’t completely cover aging. More is not more,” she says. She advises not to cake it on, instead, build it by layering. She likes starting off with a blurring primer to disguise the signs of discolouration and hyperpigmentation. Top it off with a liquid foundation (it doesn’t settle into lines like heavier cream formulations, which is best for mature skin), dust your T-zone with translucent powder, and finish with a cream blush for a youthful, healthy glow sans the cakey, fake look.
They tend to their hands
Your face and hands are two body parts that get the most sun. But since you’re busy slathering on moisturisers and anti-aging products on your face, your complexion may look young while your hands narrate a different story with brown spots and wrinkles. The same products you use for your face can go on your hands, says Brown. So, when you use a moisturiser, rub a small amount on the back of your hands. After slathering on a good SPF moisturiser in the morning, do the same for your hands. You get the drill.
They exude confidence
Women who age gracefully have something big in common: confidence. “Don’t do anything with the idea that you’re trying to look younger — that can cause big missteps in your sense of style and how you maintain your beauty routine,” says Gretta Monahan, style and beauty expert and author of Style magazine. “Make your goal to be the best you can look,” she says. It can pay off down the line. In an earlier study from Yale University, people who had more positive beliefs about aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with more downtrodden attitudes.
They revise their style
Do you still sport the long hair you wore in college? Have you avoided changing your style since you got your first job? “A lot of men and women struggle to get out of a style rut and they run the risk of looking like they’re stuck in a time warp,” says Monahan. In this case, it’s not really about your choice (long versus short hair), but the message it sends to the world and you about your age. That’s why she recommends finding a new style that works for your life today. The right cut can pay off in other ways. In a 2010 study, women who got their hair coloured or cut and thought they looked younger had lower blood pressure.
They are up on the latest trends
Being a certain age doesn’t mean you have to morph into an ‘older’ style, says Monahan. “Women who age gracefully don’t step aside from trends because of their age,” she adds. One example: wearing a classic pair of jeans with an off-the-moment funky colour, shoe or accessory. “That gives your look that extra secret sauce. It’s a great instant energy booster,” she says. Not to mention, a booster of your confidence and self-esteem.
They indulge in snooze time
It’s not called beauty sleep for nothing. Poor quality sleep not only increases visible signs of aging, but also makes you feel less attractive, according to a 2015 study in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. Plus, compared to those who got less than five hours of sleep, women who clocked seven to nine hours had skin that also bounced back better from UV light exposure. This means sleep helps your skin naturally ward off the damaging effects of the sun, slowing down the aging process.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2015.
They skip the fancy skincare routine
Cut through the anti-aging aisle and focus on sunscreen. “If you use a sunscreen, retinoid, and moisturiser starting at age 20, your skin will look much younger compared to someone who didn’t use them,” says dermatologist Lance Brown, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. Applying SPF or sunblock every morning is a necessity, no matter how rainy or dark the weather, along with keeping cells plump and hydrated with moisturiser. Dermatologists consistently recommend just simple moisturiser and sunscreen because they essentially teach your skin to act young again, stimulating the collagen that prevents fine lines, he says.
Read: Reasons why close friends are good for your health
They get a move on
Whatever your motivation to work out — blowing off steam or losing inches off your waist — you can add one more to the list: maintaining your youth. A study on older adults shows that those who exercised functioned physiologically similar to younger people. But this may keep you young on the inside, but what about the outside? “Your skin is the largest organ in your body and the only one you can see. Anything that’s good for your body is good for your skin,” says Brown. While you may have heard warnings that certain workouts, such as running, can cause wrinkles and sagging from the up-and-down motion, Brown says that’s not the case. So, carry on with your running, dancing and/or lifting.
They don’t hide behind make-up
If you have wrinkles, brown spots and under-eye bags, you’re probably tempted to slap on a thick coat of foundation and powder all over your face. That technique backfires, says celebrity make-up artist Ashunta Sheriff. “Make-up can’t completely cover aging. More is not more,” she says. She advises not to cake it on, instead, build it by layering. She likes starting off with a blurring primer to disguise the signs of discolouration and hyperpigmentation. Top it off with a liquid foundation (it doesn’t settle into lines like heavier cream formulations, which is best for mature skin), dust your T-zone with translucent powder, and finish with a cream blush for a youthful, healthy glow sans the cakey, fake look.
They tend to their hands
Your face and hands are two body parts that get the most sun. But since you’re busy slathering on moisturisers and anti-aging products on your face, your complexion may look young while your hands narrate a different story with brown spots and wrinkles. The same products you use for your face can go on your hands, says Brown. So, when you use a moisturiser, rub a small amount on the back of your hands. After slathering on a good SPF moisturiser in the morning, do the same for your hands. You get the drill.
They exude confidence
Women who age gracefully have something big in common: confidence. “Don’t do anything with the idea that you’re trying to look younger — that can cause big missteps in your sense of style and how you maintain your beauty routine,” says Gretta Monahan, style and beauty expert and author of Style magazine. “Make your goal to be the best you can look,” she says. It can pay off down the line. In an earlier study from Yale University, people who had more positive beliefs about aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with more downtrodden attitudes.
They revise their style
Do you still sport the long hair you wore in college? Have you avoided changing your style since you got your first job? “A lot of men and women struggle to get out of a style rut and they run the risk of looking like they’re stuck in a time warp,” says Monahan. In this case, it’s not really about your choice (long versus short hair), but the message it sends to the world and you about your age. That’s why she recommends finding a new style that works for your life today. The right cut can pay off in other ways. In a 2010 study, women who got their hair coloured or cut and thought they looked younger had lower blood pressure.
They are up on the latest trends
Being a certain age doesn’t mean you have to morph into an ‘older’ style, says Monahan. “Women who age gracefully don’t step aside from trends because of their age,” she adds. One example: wearing a classic pair of jeans with an off-the-moment funky colour, shoe or accessory. “That gives your look that extra secret sauce. It’s a great instant energy booster,” she says. Not to mention, a booster of your confidence and self-esteem.
They indulge in snooze time
It’s not called beauty sleep for nothing. Poor quality sleep not only increases visible signs of aging, but also makes you feel less attractive, according to a 2015 study in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. Plus, compared to those who got less than five hours of sleep, women who clocked seven to nine hours had skin that also bounced back better from UV light exposure. This means sleep helps your skin naturally ward off the damaging effects of the sun, slowing down the aging process.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 10th, 2015.