How to prevent wrinkles

   No one wants to have wrinkles but we have to accept the fact that wrinkles are unavoidable.We are all going to age, it's part of life. But we can take some measures to avoid premature aging. Remember, prevention is the key! Of course, some people age more gracefully than others due to their genetics. But the most important factor in how you age is your lifestyle.
  Even though I'm only 26, I'm already taking measures to prevent wrinkles. I often see young girls in their early 20s and even in their teens with wrinkles and fine lines which is sad because it doesn't take a lot of time and knowledge to take care of yourself. It's a lot easier and cheaper to prevent aging than to correct it. God has given us one face and one body and we need to take care of it. I really like this quote by Coco Chanel:

"Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it's up to you to merit the face you have at fifty."

Here are a few tips I want to share with you guys:

1. Drink water! Your skin should be hydrated. By the way, tea, coffee, soda don't count.

2. Protect your skin from the sun. I know that a lot of girls like to go to tanning beds or spend a lot of time in the sun. But it's one of the leading causes of premature wrinkles. So every time you go outside, wear your sunscreen with at least SPF 15. And if you wear make-up, it's even better if your make-up contains SPF. I personally don't like tanning but I do spend time in the sun once in a while. Our bodies need Vitamin D which comes from the sun and is absorbed by the skin. So I'm not telling you to avoid  sun exposure completely. Everything is good in moderation. ;)

3. Wear your sunglasses. It will help you to protect the delicate area around your eyes which is prone to developing wrinkles. And it will help you not to squint which directly contributes to wrinkling. To be honest, I'm guilty of not wearing sunglasses as often as I should. I have a small face so it's hard for me to find sunglasses that don't make me look like a bug.

4. Quit your bad habits like smoking and drinking. Smoking causes a lot of damage to the elasticity of your skin and to the flow of oxygen. It makes your skin look dull and gray. Besides, smokers develop wrinkles on their upper lip. These type of wrinkles are extremely hard to get rid of. I have friends who smoke and drink and trust me, they look so much older than their actual age due to their unhealthy lifestyle and self-inflicted health problems.

5. Sleep on your back to prevent sleep lines. Have you noticed that when you wake up in the morning you have creases on your faces because of the way you sleep? Unfortunately, these creases eventually turn into wrinkles. This step is very hard for me to follow because I'm used to sleeping on my side in a fetal position. I force myself to sleep on my back but I end up sleeping on my side.

6. Eat healthy and take vitamins. It's important for us to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. When UV rays are absorbed by your skin, they create free radicals which cause mutations in DNA that lead to wrinkles. So when we eat foods that are rich in antioxidants (pomegranates, beans, green tea, carrots, olive oil, nuts, etc.), we help our bodies to combat those free radicals. What's more, antioxidants help us to prevent cancer.

7. Watch your facial expressions. More animated facial expressions cause creases that later turn into wrinkles. Have you noticed that people who like to make funny faces tend to have more lines on their faces? I know it might sound difficult, but try not to frown too much, raise your eyebrows, squint, etc. I'm not telling you to turn into a wax figure but try to avoid excessive facial expression.

8. Moisturize your skin. Nowadays there's a big variety of skin moisturizers for all skin types and for different purposes. Find a moisturizer that works for your skin type and use it daily. I use Olay moisturizer with SPF 15 in the mornings and in the evenings I apply jojoba or olive oil to my face instead of a night cream (if you have oily skin, I wouldn't recommend it to you).

9. And my final tip is be happy! Smile more, enjoy life!  Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than a smile. Stress can take its toll on your beauty and can cause premature aging in the most unflattering places. So try not to take life too seriously. This is something I'm still working on. ;)

10. Get enough sleep. Your body needs at least 8 hours of sleep every day. Back when I was in school, I would stay up all night and pull all-nighters to get ready for exams or tests, and in the mornings I looked horrible with a dull skin, bags and dark circles under my eyes. So, get your beauty sleep!

I hope these tips were helpful and maybe you learned something new from this post. Take care of yourself and treat your body like a temple.
Love,
Shushanna.