Not ready for the painful, and sometimes harmful injections of Botox™ and Juvéderm™? Don't worry - there are so many less intrusive ways to keep wrinkles away. Some are even good for you!

Anti-Aging and the Sun

The most important anti-aging regimen is avoiding the sun. I know you've heard this before, but with the depletion of the earth's ozone layer, it becomes more important. Many dermatologists recommend wearing a hat and long sleeved clothing during the summer, along with sunscreen, and continuing your sunscreen applications even in winter. Just running errands, going from your car to the store, is enough to warrant sunscreen. Why? Because the effects of the sun are cumulative.

Fight Off Wrinkles with Moisture

Postponing that Botox™ injection is also easily done by keeping your face and neck moisturized. Here's the interesting part - the cost and complexity of your moisturizer or anti-aging cream is not as important as the act of always keeping your skin hydrated. In fact, anti-aging serums alone are not enough. Read the instructions on any of them, and you're likely to find that the serums are meant to be used under your moisturizer - not instead of your moisturizer. Never let your face dry after the shower, before you apply face cream or lotion. This goes for your eyes, too. Crows feet and wrinkles under your eyes can be softened and even postponed if you make sure to apply eye cream immediately after washing your face; before the skin dries. Age-fighting moisturizers include Philosophy's Hope in a Jar, Caudalie's moisturizers, Freeze 24/7's IceCream Anti-Aging Moisturizer, Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer, and many more.

Anti-Aging and Oily Skin

Oily skin tends to wrinkle less than naturally dry or normal/combination skin. But even oily skin needs hydration. Most skin care lines have water-based (and even oil-absorbing) moisturizers. At some point, lines, wrinkles, sags, and bags will begin to form, oily skin or not. Wrinkle defense hydrating lotions for oily skin include Peter Thomas Roth's Oil-Free Moisturizer, LORAC Skin Care Oil Free Moisturizer, Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer, and more.

How to Stay Young-Looking with Diet and Nutrition

We need lots and lots of anti-oxidants in our systems to fight free radicals. Free radicals are atoms in our bodies that have been damaged. The damage to these atoms and ultimately cells, can happen in many ways - through too much sun exposure, by toxins taken into the body through the skin (such as skin lotions or cosmetics containing ingredients with unknown long-term effects, like nanoparticals in lipsticks). Free radicals can be formed if one smokes or drinks too much, or even if you breathe in polluted air. That's why the TV weather person often warns against exercising outdoors on certain high-pollution days, in some parts of the country.

Vitamins C and E

Vitamins C and E are major anti-oxidants. That means they prevent oxidation resulting from the creation of free radicals in the body.* Although the FDA sets 60mg as the daily requirement for Vitamin C, many health practitioners are recommending 2000mg a day**. (Be sure to check with your personal physician before changing your diet or taking supplements.)

Vitamin E helps to prevent the break-down of the body's tissues. Again, check with the doc before taking it as a supplement, because there could be contraindications with some prescribed medicine. Diets rich in C and E are anti-aging diets, to be sure. Other factors that help us stay young-looking are getting enough fiber in our diets (to keep our insides clean), and drinking enough water. Remember we talked about hydration? It's a powerful anti-aging tool when it comes from the inside out. And it's free!

We can stay youthful without going to extremes. Just a slight shift in how we go about our days' activities - that's all it takes.

      Footnotes

       *HealingDaily.com
      **Ibid