I don’t know if you guys have had similar experiences or not, but once I turned 25, I was served ad after ad featuring anti-aging products. Everyone started telling me to take care of my skin in new ways… and to never forget about my neck! One dermatologist even suggested Botox when I was only 27! I didn’t do it, don’t worry.
Now that I’m on the verge of turning 32, I’m finally starting to listen. I’ve been diligent in my skincare routine for years, but that was because of persistent acne. I’m finally starting to see a wrinkle or two (mostly just smile lines and crow’s feet) and the elasticity in my face is definitely decreasing… As in there’s a bit of a droop, where there was never one before.
Until two weeks ago, I had literally never used an anti-aging product, mostly because I was so nervous that it would make me break out. The only measure I took was to wear sunscreen daily and get a monthly facial/peel. then I started my partnership with Olay’s Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream and it got the wheels in my head turning.
I realized that I really needed to make an upgrade in my day to day routine, so I did a little research.
Start with your diet
As we’ve all heard time and time again, beauty starts from the inside out. It should be clear by now that hydrating is the best way to jumpstart this. My rule has always been to try and drink half of my body weight in ounce of water per day. If you strive for that, you’re golden. A dehydrated body creates dehydrated skin, so don’t let that happen!
Once I started looking beyond the H2O, I found a bunch of foods that can also help. Some examples are avocados (high in good fats), salmon (packed with Omega-3s), berries (full of flavonoids and antioxidants) and green tea instead of coffee (again with the antioxidants). A simple Google search will pull up even more, but I’m starting with those on my end.
Find a great anti-aging cream
The key with anti-aging creams is to apply them to your neck in addition to your face. The neck is often “the first thing to go” on women so it’s important to remember that area.
Like I mentioned a few weeks ago, I started testing Olay’s Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream as part of a partnership with the brand. The deal is I’m going to be sharing my real life experience with the product and how it’s working so here is update number one. I’ll be sharing one more update in two weeks.
After I learned how well Olay’s Micro-Sculpting Cream tested in blind tests against super expensive anti-aging creams and got Good Housekeeping’s Seal of Approval, I got pretty excited to start using it. So far, these are my results:
My skin is noticeably firmer. The droop I mentioned above is already slightly less and I’m not exaggerating at all! I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t experienced it for myself.
My skin looks brighter. People keep telling me that my skin is glowing. Granted I’m pregnant, but no one said that specifically about my before I started using Micro-Sculpt
I haven’t broken out. This was the most surprising result of all! I always assumed that having acne-prone skin meant I couldn’t use any anti-aging products. This cream isn’t heavy or greasy though, so I was hopeful when I first smoothed it on. Two weeks later and my breakouts have been kept at bay. Yipee!
Get regular facials
It might seem like a crazy expense, but your skin and your future skin will thank you. If you can’t swing it financially, aim for once a quarter or twice a year and use at-home masks in the interim.
Use sunscreen… everyday
In this day and age, you have no excuse. Many products (including Micro-Sculpting Cream, btw) and even make ups include SPF. Even on days when you think you won’t be exposed to the sun, slather it on to be safe. Sun damage is the number one cause of wrinkles, and it’s so easy to prevent. Why not?
Sleep with a silk pillowcase
My hairdresser recently told me this. She’s over 50 and has not one wrinkle. Literally, the woman looks like she’s 28. I asked her what was her secret for wrinkle-free skin and she said that she sleeps with a silk pillowcase only and even travels with it. I think it’s time to invest!
Thank you to Olay for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.
Great article! Do you have a silk pillowcase you recommend?
Sunscreen is so important, I’ve been told I need to wear it everyday, and I really need to start getting a routine together with it.
http://ohduckydarling.com
I got a silk pillow case a few months ago and I think it really makes a difference. I never wake up with crease face any more. Happy Tuesday! xxAllie
http://www.theallthatglittersblog.com
This is something I absolutely want to start getting serious about too. I’ve heard great things about silk pillowcases for your hair, but I never thought about it for your skin! I think I need to do better about my neck, too, but I always wear sunscreen! Thanks for the tips!
xoxo,
Classic Catherine
I love Olay products. My grandma uses it and her skin is so smooth and generally pretty wrinkle free…and shes in her 80s!
Julia, I love you and love your blog, but I can’t get behind this post. You’ve done posts in the past about “clean” personal care products and this is not one. Full of parabens, which are preservatives that mimick estrogen in the body and can contribute to a number of health issues, including breast cancer. The second issue with this product is the use of “parfum” or fragrance, which is an unregulated term used to mean any number of ingredients. On the ingredient page for this cream, there’s a link to more info on their “parfum” ingredient, which takes you to a page that says their chemists use any number of the listed ingredients to make things smell good. The list is 20 pages long. No doubt a number of those ingredients are skin irritants, allergens, or toxic to the body in some way.
Hi Kristin! I hear you on that. My philosophy is the 80/20 rule. I try to be clean in my eating and with products that I use 80% of the time, but the other 20% I use and eat what makes me feel/look good. I think because I write about clean eating and beauty, people hold me to a standard of being 100% natural all the time but for me, it’s just not realistic. I hope that makes sense!
Totally makes sense! I hear you! It’s basically impossible to avoid everything that’s bad for us, which speaks to a bigger issue about companies being accountable to produce products that are safe AND effective. But anyway, I’m doing a three month independent work study on personal care products, environmental toxins and ecological impact to write some classes for the nurse-midwife I work for, so I’m shoulder deep into my research on all the junk that’s in so much of what we encounter everyday. Craziness. Thanks for your transparency and honesty! I appreciate it! Hope you’re enjoying pregnancy, you look amazing!
Wow, so interesting. I’d love to hear more about your work study if you ever want to send more info 🙂 julia@lemonstripes.com.
Do you have a daily sunscreen that you recommend? I feel like I’ve been on the hunt for a sunscreen or moisturizer forever and can’t find one that has enough SPF but isn’t too greasy and doesn’t smell too much.
I love that I’m just one month older than you, because I truly relate to posts like these! I really do need to start upping my skincare game now, and I think this will help kickstart me.
And on a side note, I love how your striped top perfectly coordinates with your ginger jars and flowers!
Oh good! I hope it goes well for you. Let me know!
And thank you, I try 🙂
Wow, that silk pillowcase advice is gold!! It makes SO much sense!!
xo, B&K
http://www.BKCsquared.com
Let us know when you find a good pillowcase! I’ve been trying to find some for a while that aren’t insanely expensive.
Go-To, an amazing skincare company from down here in Australia, has a great silk pillowcase and they ship to the USA as well: http://www.gotoskincare.com/natural-skincare/face-case
Their marketing is also absolute gold! Highly recommend xx
Oh great! Will check them out thanks 🙂