How to have beautiful skin at any age

Many of us start with a beauty regime from a relatively young age, seeking youthful looking skin, with the hope of maintaining it for years to come. This is often something that we continue daily for the rest of our lives to ensure that we look our best with healthy and radiant skin.

As we age, our skin begins to change and can become drier and thinner. However, there are numerous things we can do to help keep these problems at bay, by both looking after our health in general, and using certain skincare products. Here, we have some expert advice from beauty bloggers, to give you tips on ways to continue taking care of your skin.

What you put into your body

While our skin may be on the surface, it is also affected by what we put into our bodies, much like how our diet can cause a breakout of spots when we are younger. Eating a well-balanced diet is essential for healthy looking skin, as is making sure that the body is well-hydrated, as your skin often reflects the state of your insides. From wrinkle-fighting antioxidants to hydrating healthy fats in fish, consuming the right foods can improve complexion dramatically.

Fighting Fifty is an online health, beauty and fitness information hub for women over fifty and below the editor Tracey McAlpine gives her pointers on what you should eat and drink to achieve glowing skin.

Diet – “you really are what you eat, so make sure your diet is packed with natural antioxidants such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Eat raw as often as possible and limit your intake of sugar as this destroys the collagen matrix. Oily fish is perfect for healthy skin; try to eat at least one portion each week.  Having a healthy digestive system will reflect on your skin so, include fibre rich foods and limit the amount of complex carbohydrates you have each day.”

Hydration – “drink as much water as possible throughout the day, aim for 6-8 glasses and use coconut water to completely hydrate cells.  Remember to eat your water, in other words, eat food with a high water content to help the body remain hydrated throughout the day. Green Tea is a powerful antioxidant with dual purpose as it helps to fight free radicals while keeping you hydrated.”

How you look after your body

Again, although not always directly related to your skin, there are a number of ways in which we can look after our body as a whole to help our complexion. Tracey McAlpine shares more of her secrets for having healthy skin with us, which includes keeping active, using sun protection and massaging the body.

Sleep – “skin repairs and renews during the first three hours of sleep.  Get to bed before midnight and aim to get at least 7 hours sleep each night.  Distance yourself from all technology.  Your brain needs to switch off so don't take the iPad or mobile phone to bed with you.”

Exercise – “increases blood flow and delivers oxygen and vital nutrients to the skin keeping it glowing. Work exercise into your daily routine by using the stairs and taking a walk at lunchtime, try to get a little breathless.  Remember your SPF protection if exercising outdoors.”

Sun protection – “one of the best ways of having younger looking skin is to avoid the sun and by using a good quality, broad spectrum SPF sunscreen. And remember to use in all weather conditions and reapply throughout the day. UVA ages your skin and UVB burns it. Without SPF sunscreen protection you are at risk of skin cancer as well as prematurely ageing your skin.”

Massage – “Take a few moments when cleansing or applying moisturiser to firmly massage your skin, paying attention just under the check bones, along your jawline and the brow bones. The stimulation will help with drainage and to carry vital nutrients to the surface of the skin.”

What you put onto your body

This is where magical ‘lotions and potions’ will come into play, which can range from makeup-removing products to moisturisers and exfoliators. A number of these can easily become part of a daily routine while getting ready in the morning or whilst using your walk-in bath or shower, keeping wrinkles at bay and enhancing the beauty of your skin.

Cleansing – “is the foundation of great looking skin. Double cleanse using a cleansing balm to break down makeup and SPF and then follow with a cream cleanser or wash off cleanser. A microfibre or muslin cloth will help to remove every trace of cleanser. Check out the latest cleansing brushes which help to tone the facial contours while efficiently removing every trace of makeup. A facemask can help to thoroughly cleanse pores and smooth and tone, aim to use one at least once a week.”

Exfoliation – “be sure to exfoliate regularly using a gentle exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and encourage faster cell turnover. Use Alpha Hydroxy Acids (glycolic and lactic acids) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (salicylic acid) to effectively rebalance the skin and break down the cornified top layer and unclog pores to reveal fresher younger looking skin beneath.”

Moisturise – “layer serums followed by moisturiser and then sunscreen, allowing each time to be absorbed by the skin.  Pay special attention to the eye area by gently tapping eye cream or serum around the orbital bone and just above the eyebrow. Remember your neck and use moisturising products and sunscreen in the same way as your face. Treat the back of your neck as well as it's supporting the front.  Oils work so well on mature skin; look for natural oils like rosehip and Argan oil and apply a thin layer under moisturiser for the best effect.” - Tracey McAlpine

The founder of Fab Over Fifty, Geri Brin, stresses the importance of buying products with a combination of ingredients, ensuring you are investing your money in beauty goods that will get to work on your skin.

Products - "Make absolutely certain to read the ingredients before you buy a cream, lotion or serum that claims to be "anti-ageing." Don't buy it if it doesn't have a cocktail of these ingredients: Retinol, Vitamins A & C, and Peptides. No one ingredient is the end-all for minimizing wrinkles and lines, sagging, discoloration, and more, so the more ingredients you have working together, the better the product will be." - Geri Brin

Wearing makeup can also give the illusion of healthier skin, as Josephine Lalwan of Chic At Any Age emphasises below.

Make-up - “As we age our skin gets thinner and our colouring tends to fade. The addition of a light foundation or tinted moisturiser plus cream blusher and a touch of lipstick can make all the difference. With regard to skin care I would recommend a good moisturiser preferably one that incorporates a sunscreen of SPF50 for protection against the harmful rays of the sun.” - Josephine

Image Credit: moodboard, Honolulu Media, Mike Hammerton, Steve Johnson (Flickr.com)HJ