9 SURPRISING EVERYDAY THINGS THAT ARE AGING YOU
Aging is unavoidable, despite how many anti-aging products there are on the market that promise you’ll look like you’re in your 30s again.
While that’s impossible, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that there are external factors that impact the way we age, like our environment and how we treat our bodies.
What might shock you, however, is exactly what’s making an impact on your skin.
There are things that you’re doing every day — that might be second nature to you — that are causing you to age faster!
1. Inflammatory Foods
What you put in your body is just as important as what you put on your body.
Some inflammatory foods that can cause you to age faster include:
- Sugar Processed foods
- Fatty/Red meats
- Fried foods
But why is this so? Eating too many inflammatory foods can break down cells in your body that are responsible for collagen production.
If processed, fried, and surgery foods are a part of your daily diet, you might want to make some adjustments.
2. Stress
I’m sure most of you reading this article are a little too familiar with stress.
Kids, work, family…the list of things to worry about goes on and on.
Subjecting your body to stress over a long period of time results in stress hormones, such as cortisol, being released into your body.
Being in this constant state of flight or fright puts a huge drain on your immune system and other body functions.
If your insides are working overtime, that means it’s going to show up on the outside.
3. Alcohol
Oh Mai Tai, take me away!
Alcohol is a natural diuretic, meaning it zaps a lot of your fluid from your body. This leaves your skin looking dry and dull, and fine lines and wrinkles appear more prominent.
4. Ignoring Your Eyes
If you have a skin care routine for your face, I hope eye cream is a part of it!
Many people I know write it off and think plain ol’ moisturizer is a good enough substitute. This is not so.
Think of all the squinting and constant movement our eyes are doing!
You can start using eye cream as early as your 20s to prevent future signs of aging.
5. Washing Your Face Too Much
Besides applying sunscreen, cleansing your face is the most important part of your skin care routine.
It removes acne-causing bacteria, excess oils, dirt, makeup, and impurities while prepping your skin for your other products.
However, you shouldn’t cleanse more than twice a day. This causes your skin to dry out by stripping those natural oils that are there to protect your skin and keep it looking youthful.
6. Sleeping Face Down
If you sleep on your stomach or side, your face is going to be in the pillow.
You might risk imprints or pretty patterns on your face that later turn into lines.
As we age, we lose the elasticity in our skin.
This causes creases in our skin to stay permanently.
7. Lack Of Sleep
You’re probably thinking, “Gosh, first it’s HOW I sleep, now it’s HOW MUCH I sleep that affects aging?!” The CDC recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
Excuse me while I try and hold back a laugh — if you have children, you know that this seems impossible!
However, this number varies from person to person since we’re all different. You know how much sleep you need to feel your best.
When we sleep, our skin has time to repair itself and recover from environmental stressors, and nighttime skin care products have time to go to work.
8. Not Using Sunscreen
If you’ve read my blog before, you already know that wearing sunscreen every day is the quickest and easiest way to fight aging.
Yes, even when it’s cloudy outside. I get it — it can be easy to forget about, and the sun’s warmth can be addicting (especially for those of you who live in colder climates).
But the sun and excess exposure to UV rays break down your skin cells, causing age spots, uneven texture, wrinkles, and even skin cancer.
9. Using A Straw
Not only have straws fallen out of favor lately (hello, Starbucks and Disneyland), but they also create fine lines around your mouth!
Using a straw to sip your favorite beverage has the same effect on the skin around your lips as smoking does.
The repeated pursing movement will eventually cause permanent lines around your mouth, as well as a loss of elasticity.
TAKING CARE OF THE WOMEN
WHO TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE
Alana Mitchell makes affordable luxury skincare for busy, warm-hearted superwomen who want to feel like their lovely selves when they look in the mirror. With good, clean ingredients and plenty of TLC, we take care of the women who take care of everyone else, so that they glow from the inside out.
