Skin Care Tips For Over 40's

It's an age old problem (pardon the pun), but is there anything we can do to prevent the appearance of those deep lines and dry skin that age us prematurely, or is it all in our genes? When you were young you thought that you were invincible (skin included), and probably even spent hours in the sun tanning your body to a golden brown colour.

Now that we have reached our 40's, we are paying dearly for our earlier indulgences with skin that appears to be turning to leather before our very eyes. Is there anything we can do to regain that suppleness and elasticity in our skin?

Firstly, you need to be aware that there are two main factors that will affect the aging of your skin; intrinsic (genes) and extrinsic (external reasons, such as exposure to the suns rays). While some deterioration of the skin cannot be avoided with the aging processes, there are certainly ways in which we can lessen the effects. Such as:

Try and minimize your use of repetitive facial expressions, e.g. Frowning. raising your eyebrows and even smiling repeatedly can cause deep lines around your eyes and mouth and across your forehead.

Adjust your sleeping position, eg. don't sleep with your face pressed into the pillow, instead simply rest the side of your face on the pillow? Pressing your face into the pillow could eventually result in the dreaded "sleep lines" across your cheeks and chin. You could also try sleeping on your back to minimize these types of wrinkles.

If you do smoke - Quit Now! Nothing ages your skin more than smoking - it will rapidly add unsightly lines and wrinkles, add a yellowish tinge to your skin and give your skin a leathery texture Almost as soon as you quit smoking, you will start to see the lines and unhealthy colour and texture of your skin begin to fade away.

Try and minimize your sun exposure, and when you do head outside ensure that you apply a sunscreen and make it a part of your overall skin protection regime. Make sure that the sunscreen you use is a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen preferably with an SPF of 30+.

Now we know that you cannot do anything about the genetic factors that contribute to your aging skin, but you can try and reverse some of these effects with medical treatments such as dermabrasion, chemical peeling, botulinum or injectable fillers.

You could also consider some of the newer treatments like radio frequency which are rapidly taking the place of more invasive procedures like a complete face lifts.

Eating habits can also have a significant impact on the aging process. Due to today's stressful, fast-paced environment, we find it almost impossible to reach the recommended daily allowances of vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals, antioxidants, etc. in our diets. Adding quality supplements to your diet to overcome any deficiencies can have a dramatic impact on your skin.

Be aware that your skin is the largest organ in your body. So it only makes sense that you should give your largest organ (your skin) the best possible food and supplements available to keep it performing at its peak.

So if you want to maintain your body, including your skin in top condition, then you need to eat healthy, add some supplements to your diet and exercise regularly. It's not enough to have a good long life, you want to have quality as well.

So quitting smoking, sleeping well, eating healthy and exercising regularly are the keys to living a longer, healthier, happier, higher quality of life.

About the Author

John has been writing articles on health, fitness and parenting for over 3 years now. After travelling frequently with his young son over the last two years he has set up http://portablecarseats.org/ to provide tips and information on FAA approved car seats