Aging gracefully isn’t about looking as young as possible for as long as possible. It’s about enhancing your natural beauty regardless of how many years you’ve been on this earth. Staying healthy and looking after yourself has a knock-on effect that makes you feel good and love yourself more deeply.
Positivity keeps you young, so check out our top beauty tips for staying youthful during every stage of your life.
Teens
Being a teenager is a tumultuous and hormone-addled time. You’re stressed, figuring out who you are, experimenting with trends, making questionable life decisions, and generally learning how to ‘do you’ along the way. All this chaos can wreak havoc on your body, which is why taking the time to look after yourself is so important.
Top tips:
Remember your CTM routine (cleanse, tone and moisturize) and do it after you wake up and before you go to bed. This keeps your skin clean, clear and less prone to breakouts.
Gently exfoliate your face and body twice a week. This brightens your complexion by removing dead skin cells and promoting cell regeneration. It’s great for tackling black heads too!
Rest and rehydrate. Sleep and water are extremely important, especially for teenagers. 7-8 hours of rest per night is needed to repair the body from life’s stresses and strains. Combining sleep with plenty of water also helps to reduce dark eye circles, maintain a healthy metabolism, flush out toxins and keep skin supple.
Use minimal make-up and don’t make the mistakes of your ancestors. Shade matching and patch testing at a reputable outlet will stop any face faux pas. Avoid skin clogging brands that can cause breakouts and remember to ‘enhance’ your features, not disguise them. You are beautiful.
Shampoo your scalp and condition your hair, forever. It’s the number one golden rule that must never be forgotten. Shampoo on the roots strips natural oils, while conditioner on the scalp makes your hair greasy.
Experiment, express, and enjoy the process!
Twenties
We’re basically teenagers with more freedom in our twenties. We’re more likely to experiment with tattoos, piercings and wild hair colors when we’re independent and living our best lives. We tend to be more sociable too, balancing the new stresses of work with parties that keep us feeling young and wild, despite the extra responsibilities of adulting we’re faced with. It means we sometimes forget to stop, relax and look after ourselves properly.
Top tips:
No matter what, take off your make-up before you go to bed. If you don’t, all those free radicals stay on your skin and break down the collagen that keeps you looking young.
Exfoliation is the key to a glowing complexion. Buy some gloves, invest in a scrub or mix your own at home, but be sure to keep your skin stimulated and free from those dull, dead cells.
Your metabolism might be fast in your twenties, but to keep it that way, diet and exercise play a huge role. It’s not about refusing to indulge, it’s about making sure you get enough vitamins and minerals to keep your body feeling and looking good.
Practicing mindfulness and learning to take some ‘me time’ during your twenties helps to create balance in your busy life. Don’t forget to have a night in sometimes. Relax, run a bath, read a book, light a candle and put on a nourishing hair and face mask. Your body and soul will thank
you.
Thirties
Adulting is in full swing in your thirties. You’re transitioning into the person you’re destined to become, and that can be a stressful yet wonderful process. The trick is to step-up your beauty routine to ensure maximum glow-factor.
Top tips:
Along with the CTM and exfoliation routine you’ve been doing since your teens, think about adding a retinol to your repertoire. Your skin loves vitamin A. It tackles fine lines, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, and helps rebuild lost collagen – perfect for older skin more prone to scarring.
Deep condition your locks once a week. Our hair ages as we do, becoming less volumized, moisturized and shiny. Use a nourishing mask to tackle these issues.
Eyelashes and eyebrows frame our faces, but often thin and break as we age. Think about thickening treatments, adding falsies or extensions to your make-up routine, or tints that create the illusion of denser brows and lashes.
Antioxidants are great for you, inside and out. They protect you from free radicals that contribute to premature aging caused by pollution, extreme weather and certain foods. Buy products that contain antioxidants or eat more foods rich in them!
Forties
Everything changes in your forties. You’ve matured in all the ways it counts and are ready for some of the best years of your life!
Top tips:
Make-up is still a great way to enhance your appearance. However, less is definitely more in your forties. Finding a subtle look that avoids skin caking and powders that settle in creases will keep you looking fresh. Think natural, breathable and creamy formulas for an added glow.
Although grey hair is on-trend for teenagers, when we reach our forties, we either want to embrace it by enhancing the silver, or we want to cover it with natural products that avoid hair thinning/loss and a lack of shine. Henna is a popular alternative that negates these worries.
Avoid processed foods and up your supplement intake. Your diet is important in your forties, because when we feel good on the inside, we look great on the outside. The right amount of nutrients keeps our skin, hair and nails strong and healthy, while avoiding processed foods gives us more energy and helps us sleep better. This may not sound very rock and roll – but fear not! – studies have proven that red wine has anti-aging properties and supports a healthy heart (due to being packed full of antioxidants), so don’t feel guilty about indulging in a small glass a few times a week to counter all that healthiness.
Fifties, Sixties and Over
Your fifties and beyond are usually accompanied by a journey through menopause. This significant change starts a whole new chapter in your life: one that is hopefully more settled and tranquil, yet still full of new experiences. It’s time to enjoy this wonderful period, which can include more travel and a whole new beauty routine!
Top tips:
SPF should be used during every stage of your life; however, protecting aging skin in your later years is essential to avoid skin damage, wrinkles, dryness, and spots. Invest in a decent sunscreen and limit your exposure to keep your skin looking youthful.
Ensuring your skin stays moisturized is a perfect antidote to aging. It maintains elasticity, prevents dryness and encourages a youthful glow. Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and natural oils such as coconut, avocado and jojoba are all highly absorbent, meaning your skin reaps the benefits straight away. Remember to moisturize your hands, neck and décolletage too, as these areas give away your age!
Teeth degenerate the longer we use them, so keeping on top of dental appointments and cutting back on teeth eroders like acidic foods, coffee and wine all help avoid cavities. Even if dentures are needed, they’re made so well these days they’re hardly noticeable!
Make-up should focus on natural, dewy, liquid based brands. Say no to powders and matte anything.
Take the time to appreciate just how much you’ve survived. This is when you should truly love yourself and the journey you’ve been on; after all, you’re merely at the beginning of a brand new one.
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