When so many people are on a never-ending quest to look younger, it seems counter-intuitive that you could be doing something inadvertently that makes you look older. But you could be aging yourself unnecessarily.
Read on to find out the ways you might be aging yourself—and how to look youthful for longer.
1. Over-plucking your eyebrows
Styles and trends change, and that skinny 90’s brow is now a more natural, full look. In general, full brows give you a more youthful appearance. If you over-plucked when you were younger and your brows are permanently sparse, there’s eyebrow pencils to fill in the gaps or you can opt for a more permanent solution with microblading.
2. Bootcut jeans
This style of pants were wildly fashionable more than 20 years ago. While you want to wear what you enjoy and what’s comfortable, wearing clothes that are obviously dated will age you too. Unless, of course, they come back into fashion, in which case you’re cool and retro.
3. Poorly fitting clothes
Wearing clothes that swamp your body don’t do you any favours. If you’re curvy or overweight and trying to hide it, big voluminous clothing makes you look shapeless. Instead, buy clothes and get them tailored to fit. It’s a small expense, but having something hemmed at the perfect length or taken in where you need it will make everything look better. An example is many busty women who have a small waist, but clothes make them look shapeless. Taking it in at the waist gives you a gorgeous silhouette.
4. Over-cleansing your skin
If you like to clean your skin until it squeaks, this is for you. If you do this, you’re washing away the skin’s natural sebum, which helps protect it and gives natural moisture. This leads to premature aging. Because the skin senses it’s missing moisture, it produces more, so you have dry skin with breakouts. To avoid this, use a non-foaming cleanser, and be gentle. Even using a cleanser with an oil in it can help to keep your skin balanced and clear.
5. Thick foundation to cover flaws
We’ve been told an even skin tone is good, but thick foundation doesn’t help. Instead, it settles into wrinkles and flaws, cracking and making them look more prominent. Instead, use a normal light foundation and use highlighter on the cheek and brow bones to lift the entire face.
Also avoid bronzer in the wrong places, as it gets into wrinkles and lines. Simply dust it lightly around the perimeter of your face in a number ‘3’. From your temples, loop to the top of your cheekbones, then back out again and along your jawline.
6. Wearing ‘age appropriate’ clothes
Don’t shy away from trends and fashionable clothes. If there is a style you love, make it work for you. If there’s a sleeveless dress look you think could work for you but you don’t like showing your upper arms, layer it with a cropped cardigan, or wear a long-sleeved top underneath. You can wear fashionable clothes, just adapt and change to suit you.
7. Applying blush too low
Watch any makeup tutorial, and it explains that we need to apply blush to the apple of our cheeks. However, aging means that apple drifts downwards into more of a pear. Instead, apply blush about 3cm below the eye, at the top of the cheekbone. It’s an instant mini-facelift.
8. Not getting enough sleep
This isn’t a conscious option that we choose, but the build-up of lack of sleep lowers our immune system, can add weight, and it’s bad for your skin. When we sleep, our bodies create the growth hormone that encourages renewal and repair of damaged skin cells. So, never skimp of sleep.
9. Eye liner application too heavy-handed
Applying makeup is fantastic, getting it to stay on is a miracle. A hot night out and your eyeliner migrates south, giving your eyes dark shadows. It also melts into fine lines and wrinkles, making them more pronounced.
Instead of heavy eye liner, minimise the under-eye liner and add a dot of luminescing cream in the inner corner of your eye. Then a white or nude eyeliner gives an instant brightening effect.
10. Alcohol
Alcohol might be making you look old. That few wines you have with dinner are dehydrating, and hydration is the key to youthful looking skin. Alcohol can also cause puffiness, a lack of vitamin A and it interferes with your sleep, doubling the problems. You can avoid alcohol altogether, or simply limit your intake to one a day, always drinking water afterwards.
