Have you ever met (and envied) someone who looks younger than his or her age?

Most of us have met at least one person who is very lucky to look younger than they are supposed to be. Some attribute it to good genes. But more often than not, looking and feeling young has a lot to do with our eating habits, skin care and stress management.

Wrinkles are inevitable signs of aging. Some get it at an earlier age than others. Wrinkles appear when the skin loses collagen and elastin which are necessary to hold the skin beautifully. As we age, the skin sags and forms wrinkles. Here are some tips:

1. If you don’t want to develop wrinkles early, watch what you eat. Preventing wrinkles means preventing dry skin. Poor eating habits may not be noticeable when we are young but we will pay the price when we start aging. It is very important that we always include fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet. Vitamins A, C, E and zinc are vital nutrients for our skin to stay healthy longer. You can easily get these from mango, papaya, watermelon, lychee, orange, peach, blueberry, dried apricot, dried prune and avocado. You have probably heard about antioxidants several times. Antioxidants are molecules that prevent the oxidation of other molecules. In simple terms, antioxidants prevent the destruction of other cells in our body. As more cells get destroyed, we get sick faster, we age faster and we might even develop serious illnesses. So make sure that you eat right.

2. Drink lots of water. Water is the most abundant and the most important nutrient in our body. Among numerous reasons, water serves to remove toxins from our body. When we have a lot of toxins, our body has to work harder to eliminate these harmful components. Without water, the body cannot process nutrients that are necessary to keep us healthy and going. It also maintains the moisture level of our skin. When the moisture level of the skin is very low, your skin will get dry then eventually develop those unwanted wrinkles. Plus, water is essential to fat loss and fitness! Water fills up without adding calories. So if you want to lose weight or maintain your weight, fill up that glass and start drinking!

3. Don’t smoke and avoid getting exposed to smoke. Nicotine in cigarettes causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layer of the skin, or simply put, it impairs blood flow to the skin. With less blood flow, the skin will not get enough oxygen and nutrients that it needs to stay healthy. Other nutrients of tobacco also damage collagen and elastin which maintain the skin’s strength and elasticity. The earlier and longer you have been smoking, the more premature your wrinkles will start appearing. Getting exposed to smokers even if you are not smoking also risks you of the same danger because you are inhaling harmful toxins.

4. Develop and maintain good skin care habits. It is never a loss to properly take care of the largest organ in our body. Having a beautiful skin, especially on the face, makes us more pleasing and makes us feel good about ourselves. It is recommended that we develop a skin care regimen at an early age if we want to maintain the youth of our skin. Follow the 4 basic step: cleanse-tone-moisturize-protect or CTMP. Wash your face with water and facial cleanser. Don’t use the same soap or wash that you use on your body. Our face’s skin has a different sensitivity from our whole body. After cleansing, follow up with toner to remove excess residue and prepare your skin for moisturizing. Apply a moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated. Lastly, protect your skin with sunblock or sunscreen. It may seem tedious to follow all but once you have developed these as habits, it will be easier and faster for you. Consider investing on good skin care products that you can trust. Think long term, it will be beneficial to you as you age.

5. Avoid the sun and protect yourself from the sun. In a tropical country, we simply cannot avoid exposure to the heat of the sun while we are driving, walking to our favorite coffee shop or going back to our car in the parking lot. But maybe, instead of walking directly under the sun, you can walk under the shade. Park your car closer to where you are going to lessen walking with the heat directly on you. UV rays can penetrate the clouds so even if you don’t see the sunlight, these harmful rays can still damage your skin. Apply sunblock or sunscreen on your arms and neck before you leave the house. Take note though that sun protection creams only last for a few hours so it is necessary to reapply if you will be out again. Sunlight damages collagen fibers of the skin, hence, making it age faster.  Worse, sunlight exposure can also develop skin cancer. And all these damages to the skin do not reveal themselves until the damage is done. So protect yourself before it is too late.

6. Always remove your makeup before you sleep. No matter how tired you are at night when you come home from work, make sure that you remove your makeup, wash your face, tone and moisturize before you sleep. You might even consider applying a night repair cream before you sleep if you want to maintain a youthful glow. When we don’t remove makeup, our pores will get clogged and might get inflamed. This will affect the collagen on the skin and cause premature aging. Also, it will be better if you choose your cosmetics properly. Don’t just settle for cheap makeup. It is wise to invest on good quality cosmetics, remember that you are entrusting your skin to these products. You may not see it now but the damages will appear later on.

7. Avoid stress, be happy and smile. Stress has negative effects on our emotional and physical health. When you are stressed, you feel down, you look miserable, you look older than you really are. Inside our body, stress causes premature aging of the cells. And these cells are important in maintaining our skin’s elasticity. Don’t let stress turn you from a beautiful, glowing queen into a wrinkled, old maid. Lift up that chin and smile!

Wrinkles are inevitable signs of aging. But don’t hasten it. Live a good and healthy life. Enjoy your youth but don’t be careless with your health and lifestyle. Spend time with your family and friends.

Age gracefully and you will definitely love your age. Then you won’t be bothered so much when wrinkles start appearing.