How To Beat The 3 Biggest Causes of Premature Aging
Aging is a natural and inevitable process. For most of us, wrinkles, sunspots and lost elasticity are simply part of the process. How quickly these develop however, is a different matter entirely!
The time, speed and effects of aging are different for everyone, but one thing is certain: some lifestyle choices speed up the process.
The 3 biggest causes of prematurely aged skin are:
- Long-term dryness
- Skin cell damage
- Oxidative stress
How do these come about? That’s where the lifestyle choices come in.
The 5 lifestyle choices that cause dryness, skin cell damage and oxidative stress are:
Sun exposure
All sun exposure dehydrates your skin. In the short term your skin might just look dry until moisturised. Over the years however, dry skin causes lost elasticity, thinning, cracking, and ultimately, wrinkles. Sunburn is worse of course, damaging skin cells, reducing healthy cell renewal and increasing risk of melanoma.
Excess alcohol
Alcohol consumption is not only unhealthy, it’s drying and highly oxidative, damaging all cells, including skin cells. Alcohol is a double whammy because it also robs your body of nutrients needed for healing. When we’re young, a good party is hard to refuse and our youth overrides any outward sign of aging. As we get older though those who lived the party life show it more on their skin.
Cigarette smoking
Like alcohol, we all know smoking is bad for our health and our skin. Smoking actively damages skin cells and quickens the speed at which skin ages. Wrinkles appear faster, including the famous ‘cat’s bum lips’ of a smoker. At the same time, less oxygen and poor detoxification causes skin to look grey, sallow and dull. Yuck!
Coffee
Coffee is naturally astringent, reducing fluids with a drying effect on the body. More than 2 cups a day over a long period of time, is enough to make your skin look older than your non-coffee drinking friends. Herbal tea anyone? It’s a much healthier way to keep your skin hydrated and younger, longer.
Sugar consumption
Sugar affects the way skin ages because it is both drying and causes oxidative stress; cell level degradation. Long-term excess sugar can block delivery of nutrients to skin tissue, so it’s less nourished, plump and not unable to renew healthily. This leads to loss of skin strength, more lines, sagging and less elasticity.
3 actions to beat the causes of premature aging:
- Cover up! Use a natural sun blocking foundation or cream to minimise sun damage. Use hats and sunglasses whenever you’re outdoors. Choose skincare products that retain moisture and support skin elasticity. Honey, collagen and CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are great for this.
- Cut back on alcohol and quit smoking! Replace the moisture and nutrients lost to these by drinking plenty of water and eating a diet high in antioxidants. Look for antioxidant ingredients in your skincare too, especially ones that help lock in moisture. Rosehip oil is an excellent example.
- Avoid sugary drinks and limit foods obviously high in sugar. Again increasing hydration and adding loads of antioxidants internally and directly to your skin is the best way to go. Drink plenty of fluids (hello again herbal teas!) and use skincare products with ultra high Vitamin C. Kakadu Plum is the highest natural source.
Target the causes of premature aging with diet and lifestyle and skincare, and you’re on your way to aging healthily, gracefully and much, much later!
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Have you tried: Wild Bee Youthful Bloom? A combination of CoQ10 & Collagen Serum enriched with Kakadu Plum, Queen Garnet & Australian Manuka Honey to give mature skin a new glow.
https://wildbeeskincare.com.au/collections/serums/products/youthful-bloom
Or maybe you’d like: Wild bee Evening Clear Rosehip Oil Serum. With the antioxidant moisture-locking action of Rosehip oil, Wattleseed extract, Grageseed Oil, Finger Lime, Kakadu Plum & Australian Manuka Honey, designed to combat dryness, wrinkles and scars and build healthier and more elastic skin.
https://wildbeeskincare.com.au/collections/serums/products/evening-clear-serum