Put the brakes on premature ageing

Premature ageing; two words that are enough to strike fear into the heart of any woman. While wrinkles are a fact of life the reality is that many of the health and lifestyle choices that you make every day might cause you to age prematurely. Shock, horror? Find out how you can protect one of your most valuable assets, your skin. 

Smoking: One word. Quit. Smoking ages the skin, depriving it of oxygen and essential nutrients. Take a look at the skin of a woman that has smoked for 30 years… Enough said.

Water: Water hydrates your body and skin and flushes out toxins. And when we say water we mean water, not tea, coffee or even fruit juice. Use the Water Wise calculator to calculate your daily requirements.

Sun: Sun exposure can cause premature ageing and even skin cancer. The rules are:

• Wear sunscreen every day, all year round. CANSA recommends a sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection and an SPF of between 20 to 50 (30 50 for fair skins)
• If you are hiking or on the beach, for example, reapply sunscreen throughout the day according to the instructions on the bottle. On a normal working day apply it before you leave for work and again before you go out for lunch or travel home
• Try to stay out of the sun between 10 am and 3 pm.
• If you are outdoors wear a hat and UV protective clothes and swimming costumes
• Wear sunglasses with a UV protection rating of UV 400
• Stay away from sunbeds and sunlamps

Diet: Give your body the nutrients it needs to nourish and protect your skin. This means a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about a good anti-ageing supplement.

Sleep: You need to get your beauty sleep but make sure that you are not sleeping wrinkles into your skin by lying on your stomach or your side and pressing your face into the pillow. Train yourself to sleep on your back.

Exercise: A regular workout is good for your body, your mind and for your skin. Yes, the good news is that exercise gets your blood pumping, blood that delivers oxygen and nutrients to your skin.

Alcohol: If you want to retain your youthful glow, be sure to drink in moderation. Alcohol dehydrates your skin, deprives it of oxygen and nutrients and is one of the causes of those unattractive broken red veins near the surface of your skin.

Source: CANSA