If you’re lucky, you learned some great beauty secrets from your mother and grandmother early in life. But when we think about ways to prevent aging, many of those decades-old ideas just don’t hold up.
The beauty products and the methods we use to make ourselves look younger and age better have roots in science. And since advancements in science happen all the time, it’s crucial to make sure that you’re following beauty tips based on today’s facts.
Not sure which anti-aging tips you should keep following and which ones you should walk away from?
Here are eleven anti-aging tips that it’s time to stop believing in.
1. Cucumber Slices Reduce Dark Circles Under The Eyes
Cucumbers indeed contain antioxidants, and antioxidants can reduce swelling and redness. But putting cucumber slices on your eyelids only has a minimal, temporary effect.
Cucumber slices do nothing to help control large under-eye bags or lighten the dark circles beneath your eyes. To achieve that, you’ll need a firming cream and a brightening serum.
2. Stress Causes Gray Hair
Stress can afflict your mind and body. But guess what? It doesn’t turn your hair gray.
Hair turns gray because as we age, we lose pigment cells in our hair follicles.
The less pigment and melanin in those follicles, the less “color” in the hair. You can live a stress-free life, and the natural process of aging will still turn your hair gray.
3. The More Expensive The Product, The Better
It’s true that a lot of high-priced skincare and makeup products look and feel great on the skin. But feeling good isn’t a measure of function.
Everyone’s skin is different, so even the most expensive moisturizer in the world may not work for your particular skin type.
There are plenty of moderately priced beauty brands that make incredible skincare products. It’s time to stop assuming that expensive means better.
4. Chemical Peels Are Dangerous
Not all chemical peels are harsh on the skin. Some are quite gentle, and they’re perfectly safe when performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Chemical peels are not for everyone, but for some people, they can be beneficial. Always consult with a trusted physician before applying any chemicals to the skin.
The best physicians will advise you on whether or not a peel is safe and, if it’s not, they’ll recommend another treatment that will be safe for your skin.
5. Cut Calories & You’ll Live Longer
There is zero evidence that eating less will help you live longer.
Yes, eating too many calories per day can lead to obesity and diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, shortening your lifespan. But eating less than your daily recommended calorie intake won’t extend your life.
The recommended daily calorie intake varies by age, gender, and how active you are.
For example, active women between 19 and 30 can consume up to 2,400 calories per day.
If you’re sedentary at this age, stick to 2,000 calories per day. Sedentary women over the age of 51 should limit their daily calorie intake to 1,600 per day, while active women of this age can take in up to 2,200 calories.
The bottom line?
Exercise and a healthy lifestyle have more effect on your life span than calorie intake does.
6. Reverse The Signs Of Aging By Eating More Antioxidants
The fact is that nothing can reverse time. Antioxidants offer many health benefits, but eating more blueberries or strawberries won’t change the signs of aging.
Instead of trying to reverse the signs of aging, look for clinically proven products to reduce or minimize the signs.
The right skincare products can slow the visible signs of aging, but nothing will reverse them altogether.
7. The Best Products Provide Quick Results
When using a new product, do not expect to see results overnight (or even in a few weeks).
Even with powerful, clinically proven products, you’ll need to use them regularly for at least one month before you notice any results.
All of those creams and serums that you used once and gave up on might have proven effective if you’d given them some time to work their magic.
You may want to give them another shot!
8. You Can Skip Sunscreen If It’s Cloudy Outside
No. No. No. No!
Sunscreen is sort of a misleading term because it doesn’t screen out the sun at all. What it protects you from are the harmful UV rays that the sun emits.
Even on a dreary, cloudy day when you can’t see the sun, it’s still emitting those rays.
The best way to prevent anti-aging signs is to make sunscreen a daily part of your skincare routine. You should wear it every single day, including in the winter. It’s not just for sunny summer days on the beach.
9. Facial Exercises Prevent Wrinkles
You may consider wrinkles a sign of aging, but wrinkles result from all sorts of things and form at any time in life. Unfortunately, no face exercise on earth can prevent wrinkles from forming on the skin.
Sun exposure, stress, pollution, smoking, and a lack of sleep can cause wrinkles to form.
Facial exercises won’t help, but quitting smoking, wearing sunscreen, and improving your sleep habits will.
10. Drinking More Water Will Prevent The Signs Of Aging
There’s no question that water is essential for hydrating the body and helping the body to function correctly. Yet water alone won’t create younger-looking skin.
The skin needs its own source of hydration. No matter how much water you drink each day, you still need to apply a deeply hydrating moisturizer directly to the skin.
11. How You Age Depends On Your DNA
Genetics indeed play a significant role in how we age and how our bodies function overall. But when it comes to the visible signs of aging, DNA is only one of many factors.
External factors, such as your diet and skincare routine, also affect how you look and feel.
The ultimate game-changer for your skin and body is developing healthy habits and adopting a solid skincare routine when you’re young. That includes eating right, exercising, moisturizing the skin daily, and wearing sunscreen daily!
Conclusion
Some anti-aging myths are believable because underneath the nonsense, there often lies a kernel of truth. But now you can figure out what really works and what doesn’t.
Consult your dermatologist if you don’t know what to believe or what old beauty tips to throw by the wayside.
Moms usually have great advice, but a dermatologist will fill your head with facts based on science, not on outdated ideas that no longer hold true.
Author Bio
Caitlin Sinclair is the Property Manager at Diega with five years of property management experience and many more in Customer Service. She shares her passion for her community and looks forward to making Diega the place to call home.
No Comments