Monday Musings: Anti-Aging Tips

Hi everybody,

I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys-R-Us kid!

When I was younger, I rarely used anything on my face except some occasional zit creams. I did not even bat my lashes at anti-aging creams, lotions, and potions. Hello, I did not have wrinkles. Also, my skin was super oily 365 days a year (356 on leap years.) Now, my skin has dual personalities: oily in summer and dry in winter.

Except for some fine lines underneath my eyes, I don't have any wrinkles whatsoever. I guess a combination of oily skin and (somewhat) good genes helps. Besides, my knowledge of skincare has improved significantly since I started blogging here as well. Needless to say, I am not so clueless anymore and here are a few anti-aging tips I'd like to share:

1. Sunscreen is your friend:
Don't listen to the tanning salons, the sun is not 100% your friend. While we still need 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a day for vitamin D production, baking our skins in the sun is not healthy. Sunburn is only the superficial and immediate result that shows on your skin. Wrinkles come later and so far, a cream to remove wrinkles have not been invented.

With that said, I apply sunscreen before going outside. Living in the Sunshine State teaches me to embrace sunscreen wholeheartedly. Since my skin is sensitive to chemical sunscreen, I use products with physical sunblock. My skin has never been happier!

2. Love thy antioxidants:
Drink 'em, eat 'em, slather 'em on your skin and you will reap the reward. A neat trick to remember the three most powerful antioxidants: embracing vitamins A, C, and E and it will ACE your life. Of course, it is easier to pop a multi-vitamin pill. However, our bodies absorb vitamins better through food and it should be the first route of absorption. I find drinking fruits with high anti-oxidants as a smoothie is the easiest way to get the 3-5 servings of fruits per day. For my skin, I am using a vitamin C serum. It is a miracle in an air-tight pump bottle and my skin drinks it up like a smoothie (no pun intended!)

3. Drink enough water: 
Did you ever notice how dull and haggard your skin look after a long flight? If you look closely, you will realize we don't drink enough water when we are on the plane. We would get a small glass of water and some salty pretzels if we are lucky. After the flight was over, the body was dehydrated and it showed on your face. This seems like a no brainer but you should drink enough water per day. Want to know how much is enough? This article from the Mayo Clinic gives you a few suggestions.

4. Move your body:
Around mid-day, my mind goes to hibernation mode and I just want to crash and take a long nap. If I push myself too much, by 5pm I am a crabby mess. Recently, I found a cure to that. It's very simple: whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just take a walk outside to enjoy the fresh air. A small walk makes a huge difference. After 10 minutes, I feel refreshed and I am ready continue the rest of the day.

Besides physical exercises, I find workouts with the mind-body approach to be beneficial as well. Yoga can only be boring as long as you believe it. If holding a pose for three counts of breath is too easy for you, try to hold it for six counts. You will be very surprised of how capable your body is once you practice yoga.

Those are the four anti-aging tips I apply every single day. How about you? Do you have any other tips? I'd love to read all about them in the comment section.

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