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Introduction

We all age, and at one time or another, wish we didn’t. In the majority of cases, your health, fitness, vitality and resistance to disease and infirmity comes down to your own inputs. Like any system, garbage in – garbage out. Probably the greatest single realization that anyone facing fears of aging can embrace, is that many of the problems attributed to aging are not inevitable, or at least that the degree is not absolute.

Anti aging involves undertaking actions that have been shown to reduce and even reverse signs and symptoms normally associated with growing older. Some of these signs are visible, others are more internal and hidden. They can be physical, mental or emotional.

Tried and tested methods exist for overcoming and dealing with these changes and also for accepting and coming to terms with them. Choose the methods that best suit your circumstances, ability and willingness. Create a toolbox of coping behaviors and habits that will help you look forward to every new day.

We have the power within us to make changes to different aspects of our lives to bring about improvements to our quality of life, now and in the future. These changes may be small initially, but can be built upon and their effects will lead to other, bigger, better changes.

The Evolution of Your Anti Aging Plans

Good health isn’t static throughout our lives. It changes. Our bodies become different and our health needs alter continually. Not just our physical health, but also our mental well-being.

Aging encompasses so much more than whatever wrinkles you see on your face. It’s more than age spots or aches and pains that you feel over time. It’s a total mind and body process – inside and out.

From the day we are born we start aging. In our formative years, it’s up to our parents to help us prevent faster aging. For example, they choose our foods and put sunscreen on our bodies before a day at the beach.

But once we reach our teen years, the responsibilities shift to us and from that point on, we should enact a self-care routine that helps us maintain our youth as long as possible.

Anti Aging in Your Teens

It’s so hard to think about anti aging regimens when we’re teenagers. After all, our bodies and minds are fit and healthy at this age. Skin is taut - and aside from acne, there are no age spots or wrinkles to be concerned with. Still, some girls and boys in this age group are being educated about the aging process, so they’re able to make immediate changes that help them stay younger, longer.

In your teens, you want to do everything you can to:

Protect your skin from sun damage
Max out your mental capabilities
Exercise your body by pushing it to its (safe) limits
Cater to your sleep needs
Feed your body the nutrients it needs to thrive
Learn how to achieve happiness and stress relief on demand

The earlier these habits are adopted, the easier it will be to utilize them in your later years. This is a time when you probably won’t have trouble sleeping or finding the energy you need to accomplish your to do list. But unfortunately, it’s also a time when we’re lazy about anti aging behaviors.

We go to sleep with makeup on, stay up until all hours of the night and run on fumes, lay out in the sun wearing baby oil instead of sunscreen, and so on.

Educating yourself is half the battle. Taking the needed steps to protect your youthful appearance and energy is the second – and the most important - part of your battle.

Anti Aging in Your 20s

In our twenties, we start to recognize that time marches on. In our early twenties, we’re still enjoying some of the teenaged perks we had before – but later in our twenties, we start to realize that our skin is changing, our bodies are evolving – and we’re suddenly alert to those differences.

This is when you should really try to kick those awful habits you adopted in your late teens, early 20s – like smoking because you thought it would look cool, but you now realize only hurts your health (and beauty).

In your twenties, you might start seeing changes in your skin from your teen years. If you’re working in your career, you also might start realizing you can’t keep up with the teen and early 20s crowd like you once did – partying until 3 AM and up at 5 to go to work.

This is the decade when you wake up and start feeling – both physically and mentally – like you’re not a kid anymore. It’s time to start preparing for your adult years with internal and external solutions.

Anti Aging in Your 30s

The thirties are when men and women alike sound off alarm bells in their heads about the aging process. The first real signs of aging begin to show up – your first gray hair, your first fine line around the eyes.

It’s enough to send a panic through your body.

If you’re a parent, then chances are you’re feeling exhausted – whether it’s because you’re chasing toddlers around or because your body is aging faster than it should be.

This is the decade where you need to take back control. You’re still young enough to be filled to the brim with energy if you approach it right – but you’re old enough to understand that you can’t stop time, so the self-care is imperative for you.

Anti Aging in Your 40s

When you reach your 40th birthday, you’re officially known as being “over the hill.”

Everything is downhill from this point on – unless it’s not! You’re the only one who can determine that.

It’s at this age that the signs of aging truly show up in some way, shape or form. It might be crow’s feet or sagging skin that you can’t seem to battle any more. Sometimes it’s weight gain and depression.

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Introduction

The science of growing younger may seem like a fairy-tale or snake oil. The truth is that a growing body of research is pointing to the causes of aging. By knowing the causes, we can prevent the damage that these processes do to our body, and in some cases, even reverse it. By making smarter lifestyle choices, we can also preserve a youthful mind, body and spirit well into our senior years. Age really can become just a number once you’ve discovered the science of growing younger.

So let’s start first with the main area of our body that can give away our chronological age if we don’t take proper care of it, our skin.

Chapter 1 - How To Look 45 At 60

The skin is the largest organ of your body. It protects our inner organs and musculoskeletal system from injury. It allows nutrients in and stops essential fluids from leaking out.

It’s easy to take our skin for granted-until something goes wrong with it. The most obvious example when we are young is acne. As we age, the big concern becomes wrinkles.

However, an even bigger concern is aging the skin through poor lifestyle choices, which in some cases can culminate in skin cancer. The most common type is melanoma.

Melanoma is caused primarily by the harmful effects UV rays of the sun. Those who spend a lot of time out in the sun without sunscreen or sunblock are at increased risk. So too are those who:

spend a lot of time at a beach or pool;
work on the water, where the sun’s rays are reflected;
go to tanning salons often
work outdoors and don’t cover up against the sun.

Any unprotected exposure to the sun carries risks. The most common location of melanoma is the left forearm in men. Researchers attribute this to men leaning their left elbows on the edge of their car doors as they are driving.

If you’ve ever seen the skin of people who spend a lot of time out in the elements, such as fishermen, you will notice their weather-beaten look. Sun, wind, salt, and sea spray dry the skin while the rays of the sun darken it, causing a craggy, darkened complexion.

As people age, they also develop ‘liver spots’ on their face and particularly their hands. Even if you are smart enough to use an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) sunscreen/moisturizer of 30 or more each day, do you also think to put it on the back of your hands? If not, it’s time to start.

What about your neck? As we age, it starts to look slack and pouchy. So does the skin under our eyes. This is gravity at work, it is true, but it also signals a loss of skin tone and collagen that can be prevented with a good beauty routine and healthful diet.

The first thing people see when they meet us is our face. What does yours say about your age? If you look old beyond your years and want to appear younger without spending a fortune, the best place to start is your daily skin care routine.

Caring for your skin regularly

There are a number of steps to this to keep it looking youthful, including washing, toning and moisturizing. Let’s look at the most important aspects of each.

Washing Your Face

You would think that most people would know how to wash their faces. After all, we do it every day. Cats make it look really easy too, don’t they?

The truth is that especially if we live in a large city with a high-level of pollutants, it can be tricky to keep your face clean and blemish-free.

Every day, we get a build-up of impurities on our face that can clog the pores and give us a washed-out complexion, which makes us look older than we really are.

Some personal care products can actually make the situation worse. Studies have shown that women are exposed to up to 100 chemicals each day through the personal products they use. For men, the average is about 40. The first step, therefore, is to strip down your products to the basics, all natural ones that can be used for a range of purposes.

The most basic is pure Castile soap and warm water. Soap is best in its liquid form because no chemicals have been added to turn it into a solid bar of soap. Castile or vegetable glycerin soaps are mild enough even for sensitive skin. Wash your face and neck, rinse well, and pat dry.

Toner

Many people choose a toner based on skin type. One good choice for a natural toner is pure witch hazel which is mainly alcohol-free. Some women use lemon juice, but it can cause photosensitivity, that is, sensitivity to sunlight, and make skin darker, sometimes permanently.

If your skin is very dry, add a couple of drops of a soothing essential oil such as myrrh to the pure witch hazel.

Toner removes impurities that soap alone can’t reach, and refines the pores, making your skin smooth. It helps keep down blackheads and whiteheads, and lessens your risk of breakouts.

Moisturizer

Once you have toned, putting on moisturizer helps keep moisture in. Even people with oily skin need moisturizer. A daily moisturizer with an SPF of 30 will protect you from the aging effects of the sun. Look for one that is oil free.

At night, when applying before bed, SPF is not important, but you could use a heavier cream than you would use if you were going out in public, or applying before you put on your makeup if you are a woman.
If you are a man, moisturizer can help keep down the irritating effects of shaving and the raw look it can give around your face and neck. Shaving will, however, offer one benefit in addition to hair removal, and that is exfoliating.

Exfoliating

Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the upper layer of your skin, the epidermis. Dead skin cells can make your complexion look dull and weathered instead of youthful and radiant. Soap and a washcloth will work well, Scrub lightly in small circles over every part of your face, taking care in the eye area.

A mild scrub made from ground almonds or apricot kernels can also help. A homemade sugar scrub can serve as a fruit peel as well. However, it can redden skin for up to 2 hours afterwards, so if you wish to use it, apply it only at night.