How to Look More Youthful in 5 Easy Steps

Aging gracefully is a choice and something everyone can accomplish.

Most goals worth pursuing will require you to complete any number of steps, as well as maintain a certain level of perseverance to achieve that goal. The same applies when choosing to maintain a youthful and healthy appearance throughout your life. Though it is something that is simple and easily affordable, finding simple methods to incorporate into your daily life is more difficult. Here are five simple tips that will aid your quest to have healthy, youthful-looking skin throughout your life.

Instructions

1. 

   Wear suncreen throughout the year to protect your skin.

   Wear sunscreen. You hear it everyday, but make sure you do it everyday. According to both the Skin Cancer Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), up to 90 percent of "visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging" are, in fact, caused by the sun. Incorporate sunscreen into your life in ways that make it very easy. Replace your daily body moisturizer with one that contains an SPF 15. Use a face moisturizer with an SPF 30, if possible, and layer your exposure by using makeup products with SPF protection built into them.

2. 

   Treating your skin well will yield big results.

   Learn from ancient Japanese secrets. Japanese women are taught from a young age to treat their face and decolletage as if it is made of silk. This means touch your face delicately when applying products and taking them off. Don't use a hand towel to wash your face and when drying your face, never rub your skin. Pat dry your skin. Japanese skin guru, Chizu Saeki, suggests, "If you want your skin to remain beautiful, treat your skin like a cherished possession."

3. 

   Apply retinols at night to maximize their effectiveness.

   Apply retinols. Treat prior skin damage with products that encourage cell turnover and allow your healthy skin to emerge. Begin applying an over-the-counter retinol-based cream on your face and neck before you go to bed. Additionally, it is extra important to apply sunscreen when using retinols because they will make your skin more vulnerable to the effects of the sun.

4. 

   Use your weaker digits to apply massaging oil to your face.

   Massage your face using Japanese techniques. Pour oil made specifically for facial massages in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to warm up the oil. Start at the sides of the nose and gently allow your hands to glide underneath your cheekbones, up toward your temples. Repeat. This simple massage opens up your breathing airways, increases circulation to your face and allows for you to cleanse and treat your skin in a manner that will make it more amenable to the products you later apply.

5. 

   Be beautiful on the inside, out.

   Have a fulfilling life. Having a life that gives you joy, makes you glow from the inside out. Eventually you wear your life on your face, so make it a good one.

Tips & Warnings

• See your physician for retinols with stronger effects than can be attained by over-the-counter products.

• There are several additional Japanese massage techniques you can incorporate to your cleansing routine.

• Olive oil is a good substitute for facial massage oil and won't clog your pores.

References

• Skin cancer facts: Taking care of your skin
• Skin cancer facts: Wear sunscreen
• Health Effects of Over Exposure to the Sun
• Amazon: The Japanese Skincare Revolution