Getting older can be tough, especially when you start to see it in the appearance of your skin. It’s normal to miss that youthful, glowing complexion, but what if there was something you can do to bring back the plump, supple skin you sported in your glory days? Below are a few tips to help you look younger in just 12 weeks.
1. Hydrate
An often-underrated part of skin care is hydration. Maintaining adequate water intake can mean the difference between dull, dry-looking skin, and a supple, glowing complexion. Your skin requires water to help it maintain its elasticity. If you don’t hydrate regularly, your skin will lose its elasticity and show earlier signs of aging, such as wrinkles. Not to mention adequate hydration is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle overall [1].
To maintain adequate hydration daily, be sure to limit dehydrating beverages such as large amounts of coffee, tea, soda, juices, energy drinks, and anything that has high amounts of caffeine or sugar. Although the amount of water recommended will vary from person to person, a good rule of thumb is to aim to consume at least nine 8-ounce cups of plain water per day for women and thirteen cups for men. This number will be higher for those who are physically active or live in a hot climate [2].
2. Choose High-Quality Skin Care
What you put in your body makes a big difference in the health and appearance of your skin but what about what you put on your skin? A good skincare routine with high-quality products is essential to maintaining a youthful complexion.
A successful skincare routine does not have to consist of a ton of different products, but instead a few high-quality, natural products that are free of harsh chemicals and preservatives. The most important components of any skincare routine include a gentle face cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Keeping consistent with this routine and always wearing sunscreen when outside can help to prevent wrinkles and dry skin that can cause you to look older.
Your skincare can also include ingestible supplements and treatments such as NAD, which work to maintain cellular health and improve the appearance of your skin from within. To avoid any side effects of NAD therapy, it’s important to get treatment from a licensed medical provider.
3. Try HIIT Workouts
Bet you didn’t think you would see exercise on this list. High-intensity physical activity, such as HIIT workouts, can help to boost collagen levels in the skin. Collagen is a protein found in connective tissue that helps add plumpness to your complexion. Regular exercise also helps to improve blood flow and circulation, allowing your body to deliver essential vitamins, nutrients, and oxygen more efficiently to your skin cells. This helps to repair and resist damage, keeping your complexion healthy and radiant [3, 4].
4. Take Collagen Daily
Aside from exercise, you can choose supplemental collagen to help boost your collagen levels. Collagen is found in the connective tissue of animals making most animal meat a good source. However, research has not found dietary collagen to be as beneficial as supplemental collagen for skin, and more research is still needed on this.
Collagen is believed to help strengthen the skin’s structure, improve elasticity, and boost hydration. Studies have found additional collagen to help slow down the signs of aging and provide a more youthful appearance. Collagen supplementation can help stimulate your body to produce more collagen along with other important proteins needed for skin structure [5, 6].
When choosing a collagen supplement, be sure to choose a high-quality product from a trusted manufacturer, such as Naked Nutrition’s collagen peptides protein which is made from only one ingredient, bovine hide collagen peptides. You should take anywhere between 10-20g of collagen per day for the best results.
5. Emphasize Sleep
Turns out, there is some merit to the age-old saying about beauty rest. Prioritizing sleep is an essential component for younger-looking skin. Sleep is a time for your body to repair itself from the previous day. Therefore, sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on our health both inside and out. When we sleep, our body increases blood flow to our skin. Chronic sleep loss can result in a dull-looking appearance that emphasizes fine lines and wrinkles [7].
To get started, create a consistent sleep routine. Aim to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Choose a sleep schedule that allows you to get no less than 7 hours of sleep each night to ensure you are well-rested and give your skin the chance to repair. If you are not sure if you are getting enough sleep, consider wearing a sleep tracker.
Bottom Line
Everyone wants to look younger, but these simple rules are often overlooked. To achieve younger-looking skin in only 12 short weeks, be sure to rest up, hydrate, prioritize high-quality skin care, get into a high-intensity exercise routine, and consider adding a collagen supplement. With these tips in your arsenal, you’ll be looking like your younger self in no time.
