Skin S.O.S.

You know what skin-ageing looks like, right? Well, go easy on the anti-ageing products. The first onslaught of wrinkles and fine lines does not always mean you’ll turn into a prune the next day. Here are some tips on how to slow down skin ageing the natural (and less costly) way.

Load up on H2O. While it’s important to moisturize on a daily basis, it’s not the only way to hydrate your skin. Dehydration makes the skin lose its elasticity, resulting in dull, cracked and unattractive skin. Make sure your skin is properly hydrated: drink up.

Eat right. The best way to benefit from the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables is to eat them, instead of putting them directly on your face and washing it all away. Omega 3 fatty acids found in foods like salmon, broccoli, mackerel, walnuts, and strawberries help the skin retain more moisture. Foods rich in antioxidants also reduce the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

Clean up your pores. Dirt and oil accumulate inside the pores every single day. Washing your face isn’t enough to get the icky microscopic thingamajigs that are stuck inside. Cleansing with a salicylic acid wash will effectively clear up your pores by dissolving trapped oil and dirt.

Intensify skin renewal. The skin renews itself every two to three weeks—dead skin cells fall off as new ones are born and rise to the surface. However, aging and several elements like pollution, UV rays, and even stress slow down skin renewal. Exfoliating scrubs and glycolic acid peels help remove dead skin cells while skin renewal products help repair damaged skin faster.

Limit the cigarettes and alcohol. You’ve read this a million times but read again: smoking is a direct path to wrinkles, fine lines, and premature skin ageing by destroying the elastin and collagen in your skin. Too much alcohol contributes to skin sagging by increasing the levels of inflammatory agents in your blood. So the next time you reach for another cigarette or glass of red wine, keep in mind that you’re not only destroying your lungs and liver, but your skin as well.

Don’t get over, get even. Apply sunscreen. Wrinkles are unattractive, but so is uneven skin tone. Don’t take your dark areas lightly. Correct your skin tone with products that help reverse hyperpigmentation. Putting on sunscreen, with a minimum of SPF 30, is the best way to avoid premature skin-ageing.