How to create an anti-aging skin care plan
Skin care in Your 40s and 50s
Wrinkle creams, eye serums, and other anti-aging skin care products can help diminish signs of aging. To create a truly effective anti-aging skin care plan, however, it helps to start with healthy skin care habits.
The benefits of healthy skin care habits include:
- Prevent (or clear up) a blotchy complexion
- Retain skin’s youthful firmness longer
- Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Keep complexion looking brighter and younger
- Avoid leathery skin
- Reduce skin cancer risk
To help you create your own anti-aging skin care plan, you’ll find key healthy skin care habits below. Years of research supports each of these recommendations.
Anti-aging skin care tips
- Protect your skin from the sun: Sun protection is the foundation of every anti-aging skin care plan. The sun’s rays make our skin age more quickly. We have so much evidence that the sun prematurely ages our skin that there is actually a word to describe this effect. This word is “photoaging.” To help patients protect their skin from the sun and other harmful UV rays, dermatologists offer these tips:
- Seek shade: Be sure to seek shade between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and whenever your shadow looks shorter than you are.
- Cover up in style: Whenever possible, wear a wide-brimmed hat, pants and long sleeves. Sunglasses protect your eyes and help reduce fine lines around your eyes.
- Slather on the sunscreen every day before going outdoors: Apply sunscreen to all areas that clothing will not cover. Use a water-resistant sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection of SPF 30 (or higher).
- Avoid indoor tanning: The sun, tanning beds, and sun lamps expose you to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. These rays accelerate skin aging.
- Apply moisturizer every day: As we age, skin becomes drier. Fine lines and wrinkles appear. Moisturizer traps water in our skin, giving it a more youthful appearance. For best results, use a facial moisturizer, body moisturizer, and lip balm with SPF.
- Wash away dirt and grime twice a day: How you wash your face can affect your appearance. For best results, wash with warm water and a mild cleanser rather than soap. You also should avoid scrubbing your skin clean.
- Stop smoking: Tobacco smoke contains toxins that can lead to “smoker’s face”. Signs of smoker’s face include a dull and dry complexion, loss of skin’s firmness, premature lines, wrinkles, and leathery skin.
- Eat healthy foods: A healthy diet promotes healthy skin. Make sure you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
- Get enough sleep: It’s called beauty rest for a reason. Sleep gives your body time to refresh and renew itself.
Remember, the foundation of beautiful skin is healthy skin. To learn more about our cosmetic services, treatments and products click here.
