20. Exfoliation Is The Fountain Of Youth
Obviously 40 is the new 30 and all that, and we're sure you'll be looking and feeling 22 when you hit the big 3-0 (sunscreen awareness for the win!). But that particular numerical milestone will always hold a certain significance when it comes to beauty.
So for all of you approaching this imaginary-yet-important beauty deadline (and even those of us a few years beyond it), we offer 20 gems of hard-earned beauty wisdom that'll carry you into your prime years, so you can look and feel more gorgeous than ever.
- Unclogs Pores
- Prevents Acne
- Helps Other Skincare Products Penetrate Deeper
- It Evens Skin Tone
- Boosts Circulation and Lymphatic Drainage
- It Increases Cell Turnover
- Stimulates Collagen Synthesis
19. Sleep + Water = Major Glow
When it comes to your beauty routine, sleep may be the closest thing there is to a fountain of youth. Your body repairs itself and recovers while you snooze, and that leads to a long list of benefits for your looks. The key is to get enough shut-eye -- 7 to 9 quality hours each night.
Do you drink enough water per day? Or, have you been drinking way more than required?
- Fewer Wrinkles
- A Glowing Complexion
- Brighter, Less Puffy Eyes
- Prevents Acne
- Happier, Healthier Appearance
- Products Work Better
- Improves Skin Tone
- Prevents Premature Aging
- Tighter Skin
- Promotes Healthy Gut, Meaning Clear Skin
18. For Acne Free Skin, Eating Healthly Reduces Acne
For those looking to fight acne, a skin difficulty that may be the result of hormones, heredity and diet, your diet is one of the first things you can switch-up to lessen symptoms. Foods rich in antioxidants, found in most whole and unprocessed foods, as well as those high in anti-inflammatory compounds, nourish and soothe skin from the inside-out. Along with these top 10 foods and recipes to help with acne, it's important to drink ample amounts of water every day. Combined, you're left with a stellar recipe for softer, stronger, healthier skin.
- Squash and Pumpkin
- Flaxseed
- Green Leafy Vegetables
- Red Peppers
- Nuts
- Salmon
- Blue Berries
- Fermented Foods
- Oats
- Eggs
17. Go Ahead, Get That Massage
Want a smoother complexion? Firmer skin? Shinier hair? Of course you do! But before you head to the beauty aisle, maybe it's time to take a more hands-on approach. A good massage does more than just relax your muscles. It beautifies the body from head to toe!
- Improved Skin Tone
- Healthier Hair
- Fewer Sick Days
- Firmer Skin
- Better Beauty Sleep
- That Inner Glow
- Relieves tension
16. Home Garden Ingredients For Skin Care
Using elements from the garden as part of a natural beauty routine is a creative way to garden.
Simple ingredients from the garden and kitchen cabinet are all you need to create the luxury of this ultra-nourishing spa treatment.
Exfoliate, mask, tone, moisturize, this 4-part treatment will give skin well-deserved extra attention.
The recipes and herbs are for normal skin. Make the toner and cream ahead of time, then gather all the ingredients, utensils for mixing, soft towels and wash cloths. Find your quiet space, with seating, music, and aromatherapy candles.
15. Adjust Your Routine As Your Skin Needs Change
The skin is ever-evolving and from time to time, you may need to change your skincare routine. Generally, an at-home routine doesn't require a complete overhaul, but a few tweaks here and there might benefit your skin greatly. Here are some reasons your skincare routine may need an update.
- Your Skin Is Acting More Sensitive Than Usual
- You're Not Seeing Improvement From Your Current Routine
- Your Skin Is Getting Bumpy
- You're Pregnant
- Your Skin Is Starting to Get Blemishes
- You're Getting a Little Older and Are Ready to Kick Things Up a Notch
- The Seasons Are Changing and You're Feeling it in your skin.
- You've Moved to a New City and Your Skin Is Behaving Differently
- You've Been Using the Same Routine For a Long Time
- You Get Occasional Breakouts
14. For Luminous Skin, Look To Your Fridge
Nutrition is important for health. An unhealthy diet can damage your metabolism, cause weight gain, and even damage organs, such as your heart and liver.
As scientists learn more about diet and the body, it's increasingly clear that what you eat can significantly affect the health and aging of your skin.
- Fatty fish
- Avocados
- Walnuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Sweet potatoes
- Red or yellow bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Soy
- Dark chocolate
- Green tea
- Red grapes
13. Don't Overuse Makeup Products
Makeup has become a necessity for most women and they believe that they cannot step out of the house without at least five different kinds of cosmetic products. The cosmetics market has bloomed to such an extent that not only are there different cosmetics for every kind of body part, there are different ones for different seasons too! But before makeup is marketed to us, it is tested on animals. Do you ever wonder why is it so? Because the cosmetics we trust to make us beautiful are actually full of so many harmful chemicals. And despite the fact that these cosmetics make us look good temporarily, in the end they are going to leave an ugly effect. Here are some of the most common side effects of the cosmetics that you apply without a second thought:
- An Unwanted Dependency Leading to Addiction
- Prolonged Exposure Leads to Headaches
- Permanent Dark Circles
- Clogging of Pores and Acne
- Damages Your Nails
- Dries Out Skin Or Makes It More Oily
- Ageing of Your Skin
- Skin Allergies
12. A Well Rounded Skin Routine Is Key
Great skin is not simply a matter of DNA your daily habits, in fact, have a big impact on what you see in the mirror. But depending on which product reviews you read or doctors you consult, there is a dizzying number of opinions on everything from how to moisturize to how to protect yourself from UV rays. Ultimately, caring for your skin is simply personal. Here's what you should keep in mind to sort through all the noise.
- Cleansing Washing your face.
- Toning Balancing the skin.
- Moisturizing Hydrating and softening the skin.
- Limit your time in direct sunlight
- Give it Time
11. Don't Be Afraid To Experiment
We all want clear, bright, hydrated skin, but the quest for healthy skin can be intimidating. With so many products on the market, it can be confusing to know when and how often you should be using them. Especially for those with sensitive skin and those prone to blemishes and breakouts, incorporating new skin care products into your routine can be a scary undertaking simply because you just don't know how your skin will respond, even if you've chosen products for your skin type. Here are some things you need to know when trying out new skin care products.
- Only focusing on one area of concern rather than looking at the big picture
- Focusing on what your skin did in the past
- Thinking that all bumps are a form of a clogged pore
- Treating blemishes the same way
10. Take Care Of Your Makeup Products
Does your eyeliner constantly crumble while putting it on? Our friends at You Beauty recommend leaving it in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to applying your makeup. It should glide along your lash line seamlessly after that.
Make your eye makeup last longer by setting your eyeliner with a matching eye shadow.
Keep Your Eyeliner and Lip Liner Pencils in the Fridge to Make Them Less Likely to Break When You Sharpen Them
9. Use Ice Cubes To Keep Fat, Acne And Wrinkles At Bay
The experts at You Beauty recommend massaging an ice cube over your face until it melts. Do it every night before bed and keep fat cells, acne and wrinkles under control.
When it comes to skincare, we leave no stone unturned to achieve a flawless face. However, thanks to unavoidable sun exposure, air pollution, unhealthy eating habits, and well stress all our efforts go to a complete waste as these problems automatically give rise to problems such as acne, fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, dull skin, dark circles, and even puffiness for that matter.
- Eliminate puffiness, especially around the eyes
- Reduce oiliness
- Boost the skin's healthy glow
- Ease acne
- Soothe sunburn
- Reduce swelling and inflammation, including rashes and insect bites
- Reduce signs of aging, such as wrinkles
8. Don't Be Scared Of A Little Oil
But beyond the casual cool factor that comes along with being a waterproof mammal, having oily skin comes with a few more added benefits.
- SWAT Team For You Skin
- Sun Damage Resistance
- Vibrant Glow
- Slower Aging
- Less Inflammation = Less Wrinkles
7. Embrace Thick Brows.
If someone has really full, thick eyebrows, it means many things: they're very decisive, they have a natural self-confidence, and they feel like they can figure anything out," says Haner. "They're very logical people and tend to be kind of linear in how they do things. They also like to be physically active
- Find an Effective Brow Conditioner
- Massage Your Brows
- Apply Castor Oil
- Stay Hydrated
- Have Patience
- Put Down the Tweezers
- Trim Your Brows
6. Consider Long Bangs.
The whole point of bangs is to help make your face appear more oval and to bring out your eyes. Well, guess what? Because bangs fall right at the middle of your face, they naturally aid in creating that horizontal line that you want to widen a long face.
Bangs are the ultimate coverup. Any crime scene that's going on up there on your forehead can easily be covered and corrected with bangs. Pimple? Bangs. Eyebrows a mess? Bangs. Receding hairline? Bangs. No one has to know.
Bangs cute as hell. Side swept, straight across, short, emo whatever style suits you. Like the beautiful Zooey Deschanel, Taylor Swift and Hannah Simone have shown us, bangs (when done correctly) can frame and soften your face.
5. Wear More Ponytails.
Your hairstyle could actually take years off (or add them to) your look.
- Low Wavy Ponytail
- Twisted High Ponytail
- Easy Textured Ponytail
- Wrap-Around Ponytail
- Sleek High Ponytail
- Wavy Ponytail
- Ponytail Hairstyle with Bangs
4. Rinse Your Hair With Cold Water.
The cold water trick is based on the anatomy of the hair shaft, specifically the surrounding layer of overlapping cells called the cuticle. "The cuticle is the outermost part of the hair and resembles the shingles on a roof," Abraham Armani, M.D., a board-certified hair transplant surgeon, tells SELF. These "shingles" open and close depending on the temperature of the water you use when you wash your hair a fact you can use to your advantage.
A cool hair rinse, on the other hand, will remove excess product without stripping away all the moisturizing ingredients. (Curly-haired ladies know that more moisture equals less frizz, too.) It will also close down the cuticle cells, which has two benefits. For one, it locks those ingredients and water inside the hair strand. And when the cuticle layer is closed, the cells lay more smoothly, which makes light reflect better off the hair. More reflection equals more shine.
Washing with hot or warm water separates the overlapping cells of the cuticle, allowing the shampoo to penetrate the hair's shaft deeper. Armani says that it's the most effective way to deeply clean the hair. But the same thing that makes warm water good for washing makes it bad for conditioning.
"Using warm water can dissolve lipids and remove most of the conditioners that you added in," says Kally Papantoniou, M.D., a dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC, which means you can condition for 20 to 30 minutes and then immediately rinse away the nutrient-filled products, wasting time and money.
3. Proper Use Of Foundation.
Too much and you look like a clown. Too little and you look unpolished. Very tricky stuff, foundation. Here, answers to all your questions about choosing it, using it but never abusing it and looking naturally flawless.
If your skin is oily, use oil-free liquid or powder foundation. They contain powders that absorb oil, leaving you with a matte, smooth finish, says Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist at Cosmetech Labs in Fairfield, New Jersey.
- Find Your Perfect Shade
- Don't Forget About Your Skin's Undertones
- Know What Coverage Level You Need
- Adapt Your Shade to the Current Season
- Take Advantage of Virtual Try-On Tools
2. When Applying Blush, Use The "smile And Swoosh" Technique.
The most common method used to apply blush starts with smiling and then sweeping the blush over the apples of your cheeks. If you have a round face, however, it is better to pucker up and apply the blush just above the hollow, but below the cheekbone.
In fact, blusher is really easy to apply. And it literally only takes less than a minute to apply. Keep reading to find out how.
Play with light and shadow to correct, define or bring out your features. Contouring is a godsend!
1. Change Your Mindset About Aging.
What is your attitude about the aging process? Do you view it as a positive rite of passage or a negative phenomenon that must simply be endured?
- Stay physically active by doing at least 30 minutes of movement or exercise every day.
- Exercise your brain by engaging in mentally challenging activities, and never stop learning new things.
- Adopt an overall healthy lifestyle by eating healthfully, getting enough sleep, managing weight, and not drinking in excess or smoking.
- Stay connected to other people by nurturing relationships with your spouse or partner, family, friends, neighbors, and others in your community, including young people.
- Create positive emotions for yourself by practicing positive emotion exercises and learning to feel good about your age.
- Don't sweat the small stuff; accept what you cannot do, and ask for help when needed.
- Set goals for yourself and take control of the steps needed to achieve them.
- Minimize life stress; practice healthy coping techniques, and learn to relax and unwind.
- Have regular medical check-ups, take advantage of health screenings, and engage in healthy preventive behaviors.
