The concept of aging is daunting during any time of life. Age is nothing but a number, however, if the thought of the effects of aging give you pause, here are 20 tips and tricks to help make navigating this journey that much easier.
How to Look Younger at 40 Naturally?
With a little dedication, these little things have the ability to make you look you best at 40!
1. Use All Natural Products
Using tons of added chemicals doesn’t do the body good at any age. However, it is has greater negative impacts on those whose skin do not have the capacity to bounce back from the harsh treatment.
Instead of going for those well-known brands on instinct, take a moment and check out the ingredients lists. The simpler, the better! And don’t forget, when in doubt, don’t be afraid to do a little research of your own.
2. Drink Water
Any part of a good skincare routine begins with hydration! The skin is the largest functioning organ within the body. As such, it is best nourished and hydrated from the inside to promote function and cell turnover.
Daily recommended intake ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 liters per day. If this seems like a huge leap from your norm, simply increase by a glass every few days until you’re hitting your goal
3. Stay Active
Just as proper diet and water intake help your body look and perform at its best, frequent physical activity contribute to this as well.
Whether it is weekly yoga or a daily walk in the park, physical activity has the benefit of boosting your energy to get you feeling like a few years have been shaved off, too. Exercise also has the added benefit of naturally tightening areas where skin laxity has started to increase.
4. Consider Adding Supplements
Beauty originates on the inside. Those things we begin to see and worry at on the outside are just a reflection of what is happening to our other organs inside our bodies. In order to slow these effects, preventative care is a fantastic step to take.
Oxidation caused by free radicals age the function and appearance of our bodies at a faster rate. Anti-oxidants such as flavonoids, tocophenols, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, C, D, and E all have reported capabilities of promoting healthy skin and body as well by fighting these free radicals from the inside.
It may seem overwhelming to take in these nutrients daily, so incorporating a daily supplement of these in addition to a healthy diet is also an option.
5. Moisture, Moisture, Moisture!
While makeup can be a formidable tool to knock years off the appearance, makeup applied over dehydrated skin has the potential to highlight all of those things you are trying to hide.
Dehydration exposes things like fine lines and wrinkles that much more. Improper moisture also contributes to extra blemishes, uneven skin tone, and the overproduction of oils as compensation.
Finding a good moisturizer that your skin loves has the potential to immediately even your skin tone and make you look younger at 40 naturally.
6. SPF!!!
UV rays from the sun overexposure are quite damaging to the skin, altering the fundamental DNA. One of the best ways to look younger at 40 naturally is using a moderate SPF (40-50), daily moisturizer, and lip balm.
They will protect you from UV rays and prevent their damaging effects.
7. Skincare Routines
All skin deserves dedicated care. This is especially true for skin that has matured. Incorporating products formulated with chemical exfoliants, AHAs, and peptides have the ability to promote cell turnover to produce dewy vibrant skin.
Products containing caffeine also have the ability to perk up and smooth out your under-eye area, a major area of concern for aging women. Once you find products that your skin absolutely loves, the key to success is consistency!
While using these products may have the ability to wow you at first when you are initially introduced to them, consistent moisturizing and product application daily will set up a dynamic in which your skin thrives.
8. Layer your Mascara / Play up the Eyes
Makeup has the potential to make or break how we look at ourselves on a given day. While it is not the proverbial Band-Aid to do all the work on its own, makeup (when applied correctly) has the ability to take years off of your appearance.
Rather than applying loads of makeup to try to cover every nook and imperfection, using makeup to highlight certain portions of your face over others is a good way to do this.
Drawing attention to the eyes, for example, is a great way to do this. Incorporating a second coat of mascara or a clean eyeliner on the upper lid frames the eyes and make them the focus of your face.
9. Decrease Puffiness
Facial puffiness has the potential to exaggerate the marks of aging. If puffiness is due to swelling, apply a cold compress to reduce inflammation in that area.
If puffiness is natural and has no clear cause, this could be due to reduced circulation performance in that area. To improve this, apply a warm compress to encourage circulation and remove fluid buildup.
10. Facial Massages
Self-pampering critical to revitalizing the spirit as much as to revitalize the body. While a trip to the spa works wonders to rejuvenate even the most tired of bones, a simple at home facial massage has the ability to be just as effective.
This act increases circulation, reduces puffiness, and promotes elasticity. It also has the added benefit of soothing your mental state and uplifting your overall well-being by simply dedicating time for self-care. A good way to work this in would be to incorporate this as the final step of your nightly routine.
11. Blending Techniques
As your skin ages, many of its properties change. The elasticity is not the same. The texture will be altered. The number of creases and wrinkles will increase.
In order to contend with these factors, you will need to switch up your makeup application techniques, and focus much more on blending to perfection! The application process is just as important as the products themselves.
Using fluffy blending and buffer brushes to diffuse light product onto the face creates a much more natural look. Take your time and work in circular motions to spread product where you need it. Using neutral shades and avoiding stark color contrasts also help in creating a more natural blended application.
12. Creams over Powders
Matte textures have a tendency to highlight all of those new nooks and crannies that are appearing. Mature skin also usually means dry skin. Use creamier products to avoid powder’s tendency to settle in fine lines and wrinkles.
Opt for a dewy finish instead of matte. Your skin will thank you for the extra layer of moisture. The only area where you should ignore this rule is on the eyelid, which can suffer from multiple shimmery or creamy products at once.
13. Avoid heavy makeup
Poorly blended foundation doesn’t look great on anyone, but it’s especially obvious on more mature skin. Caking on product after product in your later years has the potential to backfire horribly and draw attention to all those flaws that you were trying to hide.
Harsh lines have a tendency to be much more apparent on uneven and highly textured skin. When the goal is to create a smoother more youthful appearance, the last thing you need in your life is stark cakey makeup.
Use light products, focusing on the area that truly needs it. Rather than laying on loads, think sparse and visualize them working to lift the face instead of painting over it.
14. Reassess Your Type Categories
Makeup on the eyelid had the potential to make or break any look. With age, the texture and shape of the eyelid changes and sags. The bad news is that you are not used to these changes.
The good news is that some people are born with naturally hooded eyes and have perfected techniques to open and lift them to their satisfaction.
Hooded eye makeup wearers swear by a nude shade on the lid and underneath the arch of their eyebrow for lift with a medium-deep tone in the crease blended high enough to camouflage the hood without completely overtaking the nude.
Using the same blending brush, you can also use the leftover product to sweep a subtle “V” on your outer lid to frame and contour the outside edge.
15. Avoid Mattes and Nudes on your Lips!
For the past few years, matte nude lipstick has been heavily on-trend. However, the drying effect of matte lip colors causes color to settle in lip creases and lines and take on the aesthetic of craquelure.
While a beautiful attribute for antique paintings, this is not what you want to be going for on your lips. If matte is your go-to finish because of its staying power, a lip liner can pull double duty here for definition but also to provide a barrier to keep your lip products from migrating to outer lip creases, or feathering.
A nude lip can work, however going a shade or two darker than your skin tone will help you avoid the unfortunate ashen look that can sometimes happen. Gloss toppers also add the benefit of increasing the appearance of fullness.
16. Invest in a Good Primer
While foundation and proper makeup application is a great way to smooth the appearance of your skin, a good face primer will fill in wrinkles, fine lines, make pores appear smaller and even color correct your complexion before even a drop of makeup is ever applied.
These come in a variety of formulas that target your individual concerns.
17. Fuller Brows for the Win!
As the body begins to age, hair begins to grow at a slower rate and even has the potential to stop growing in a certain area completely. While this is great news for your legs, sparse eyebrows are a sure sign of aging.
Filling and defining your brows from head to tail immediately lends to a more youthful appearance. However, this has the potential to go horribly wrong as a high contrasting brow has the potential to come off as a caricature of your true beauty.
You must be sure that the color you choose is not too dark for you. For the most seamless and natural draw and fill, use a shade that matches your root color.
18. Self-Care Over Everything
While this goes without saying, self-care is a very important part of aging well and maintaining beauty. Stress, poor physical, mental, and spiritual health have the potential to weigh greatly on your outer appearance.
It is vital that you take time to check in with yourself, and to take care of yourself. Weekly pamper sessions along with that proper diet, exercise, and supplements will do a world of good in the long term.
19. Confidence is Key
This is another critical point of understanding beauty from within. Regardless of your outward appearance, your attitude has the capability of diminishing the way you look.
Even on the days where you are not completely feeling your best, putting a confident foot forward will uplift you spiritually.
20. Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New
If any of these tips are any testament, little changes have the power to make big impacts. You have to embrace the fluidity of change. Trends go out of style. Techniques get stuck in time and make you appear dated.
As with clothes that come in and out of style every few years, makeup application techniques also fall to the times. Never be afraid to switch it up and reinvent your style.
It will keep you on your toes and ensure that you continue to have fun discovering how your style will evolve. Whatever you choose, be sure to enjoy yourself! Good Luck!
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