* Because they say an ounce of prevention…
* Youth doesn’t have to be wasted on the young
* Tips to follow now if you’re looking to get carded at the bar on your 40th birthday
Despite the very different ways aging is treated socially, age-related skin changes affect all genders: UV-rays and the entropy that built-up dead skin, inflammation, and oxidative damage inflict on the skin are indifferent to social constructs, but here are some ways that men (and anyone, really) should follow by age 30 to keep themselves looking and feeling both youthful and resilient.
1. Drink More Water
Dehydration is, big surprise, one of the main causes of dry skin. Getting enough water also helps reduce inflammation and helps keep your skin looking supple and unwrinkled. This BPA-free, easy-to-clean reusable bottle makes it easy to keep up with your hydration needs.
2. Shower With Filtered Water
Most of us use filtered water for drinking, and it makes sense to shower with the stuff, too. Your skin care and face wash routine will benefit from the reduction in lead, pesticides and chlorine in the water.
3. Use an Exfoliating Brush
Ask any Aveda Institute grad: exfoliation is key to maintaining great youthful skin health. This sonic exfoliating brush is one way to speed up the process without the use of harsh chemicals.
4. Grab an Anti-Wrinkle Cleanser
A good face wash is important, too. You want something with skin-nourishing Vitamin A, and preferably a gentle glycolic acid to remove detritus, clear your pores and rejuvenate.
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5. Use an Exfoliating Cleanser
Whether you go for clean-shaven or something more like the sometimes popular “19th-century Engineer,” look, proper exfoliating is key to avoiding ingrown hairs and the pesky post-shave flaking of dry skin.
6. Invest in a Collagen Formula
Using a nourishing formula to keep your collagen healthy is also a good idea, even while you still have plenty of skin elasticity left. As any good esthetician will tell you, it’s easier to prevent than to treat wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of skin aging.
7. Try a Vitamin A Serum
We’ve all been told to take our vitamins, but maintaining the right vitamin balance is also essential to help keep our skin healthy, strong and youthful.
8. Use a Solid Eye Cream
Along with a vitamin serum, specialized eye creams help nourish under your eye skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines, “smile lines” and dark circles.
9. Use a Face Moisturizer With SPF
Probably the biggest source of visible skin aging, along with oxidative free radicals and inflammation, is UV damage. A good combination moisturizer with SPF helps keep elasticity strong and maintain smooth skin longer. This moisturizer won’t leave skin too oily and is a good choice for when you mainly need to keep dry skin in check but want to add a little bit of sun protection -– useful even in the shade and in the morning and evening hours.
10. Add a Pore-Refining Toner
An oil-free toner is a must if you tend to break out, or especially if you’re getting photos taken, since these days even some phone cameras have intense pore-revealing resolution settings.
11. Try a Chemical Mask
A peel once in a while really helps rejuvenate the skin, helping to get rid of old, dead skin cells and pore-clogging debris. Best used at night or in the evening, alpha and beta hydroxy-acid peels do make the skin more sensitive to sunlight for a while afterward.
12. Don’t Forget Your Night Cream
Night creams are key to getting the most out of “beauty sleep.” They help replenish essential vitamins and keep your skin hydrated so it can wake up refreshed and rejuvenated, even if you don’t -– at least until you get your coffee.