Getting older means dealing with things like menopause, gray hairs, and wrinkles. As we age, our skin loses elasticity and collagen. The loss of these two proteins causes the skin to look saggy and leathery, leaving behind wrinkles and loose skin.
A new wrinkle here. Crow’s feet there. All you seem to notice are the new lines, and can begin to panic. Don’t. Wrinkles mean you laughed and they are earned from a life well-lived. Besides, there are easy ways to lessen their appearance.
Loose skin can occur from losing an extreme amount of weight, such as having a baby. Voila! You might have loose skin that never really goes away. Although surgery or expensive makeup are two options, there are easier natural ways to tighten your skin.
Exercise More
Building lean mass is your best friend when it comes to keeping your skin healthy. Sagging skin has a tighter appearance when stretched over muscle. Some exercises to consider are:
- Deadlifts– Deadlifts tone almost every part of your body. They strengthen your legs, arms, back, stomach, and pectoral muscles. Make sure to follow proper weight-lifting form. For deadlifts, keep your posture straight, your chest out, and focus on lifting only with your legs.
- Side-bridges– This exercise strengthens your core and oblique muscles. Lie on your back and rest your weight in your forearm as you raise your midsection. Imagine a straight line running from the top of your head all the way to your feet. Hold the position as long as you can. Alternatively, you can dip yourself down and roll, switching sides. Be careful as you do so.
- Air Bikes– Lay on your back and bring your knees toward your chest. Elevate your shoulders and bring your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa, This will strengthen your ab muscles and reduce sagging skin. You can keep your hands at the base of your skull to support your neck during air bikes. Remember, the focus should be on your abs, not straining your neck or shoulders.
- Yoga– Doing yoga exercises regularly firms and tones the skin. There is such a thing as face yoga that you can do in the comfort of our own home. With all the forms, the important thing to remember is that it’s a practice. Your face won’t be toned overnight with these stretches, but keeping up with them can help.
Sweat Out the Toxins
Every day you are exposed to different toxins. Toxins enter your body through the air you breathe, the things you touch, and the food you eat and drink. These toxins accumulate under your skin.
Don’t worry though, when you exercise and sweat, you sweat out the toxins from your pores. This will battle the premature aging of your skin.
A Healthy Diet Can Do Wonders
Diet is key to staying healthy and beating diseases. Doctors and researchers can not stress this enough, and it is obvious why. Your diet has an impact on the look of your skin too. You’ll want to add foods with amino acids and proteins. Common food items rich in these are:
- bone broth
- eggs
- fish
- nuts
- foods that contain collagen and elastin
Add vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C and antioxidants to increase skin moisture and aid in forming more collagen.
Hydration is also super important. The more water you drink, the more hydrated your skin cells are. When they are full of water, then they firm up and keep their elasticity longer. Something as simple as drinking water can reduce your wrinkles and sagging skin.
So find the closest store and buy a pack of water or a filtration system for your home! A good rule to follow is to drink about 70% of your weight. For example, if you weigh about 150 lbs, you should be drinking four 16 ounce water bottles per day, more if you’re working out.
Supplements Can Help
Even though we all wish there was a magic pill to get rid of the loose skin and wrinkles, there isn’t. But there are supplements that can aid in it.
Collagen is sold in powder form that you can mix into your coffee every morning. If you’re not into additives, there are topical options like skin firming lotions. These contain CoQ10, an antioxidant that helps generate energy to your cells, and helps your body produce collagen and elastin.
On a daily basis, try to take vitamin C, gelatin, protein, and collagen hydrolysate. These supplements will help you keep a youthful appearance over time.
Massage The Area
Massages are great for relieving stress, loosening up your body, and firming your skin. It is a triple threat! When you massage an area, blood flow increases which is amazing to ward off skin aging.
Massages also hydrate your skin. When you get a massage or want to exfoliate to remove dead skin cells, there are many different age-defying aids you can use:
- Aloe Vera heals damaged skin
- Coffee scrubs can tighten the skin and exfoliate it as well
- Cucumber juice can rehydrate your skin
- Epsom salt promotes skin circulation and hydration
- Olive oil is a great moisturizer
Be Careful Of…
Tanning! Everyone wants to get the sun-kissed look because it is all over magazine covers. But sitting out in the sun too long, or in a tanning bed, can trade skin elasticity in the future for a quick boost to sex appeal.
“Leather skin” is real, and it’s caused by moisture draining out of your body. Wear a high SPF sunscreen when out in the sun and apply every hour or when needed.
Smoking ages your skin. The chemicals in tobacco smoke damage collagen and elastin, causing your skin to sag and wrinkle faster. Studies show that people who smoke develop crows feet and other wrinkles much earlier than people that do not smoke.
While we can fight on many fronts, aging is inevitable. You will get older, and your skin will reflect it. But that does not mean you can’t slow down the process.
Exercise, eat a healthy diet, and take supplements that increase the collagen and elasticity in your skin. Don’t give up when simple health care can take years off your appearance!