Keeping your skin healthy, even, bright and supple might seem like a distant dream BUT it is absolutely doable. You just need to know the right ways to look after your skin – and your body, in general.
Here are 10 of the best ways to do just that so you can reap the rewards with youthful, radiant skin…
Keeping your skin healthy, even, bright and supple might seem like a distant dream BUT it is absolutely doable. You just need to know the right ways to look after your skin – and your body, in general.
Here are 10 of the best ways to do just that so you can reap the rewards with youthful, radiant skin…
The number one rule for protecting your skin from the most common signs of premature ageing (ie: lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging) is to shield it from damaging UV radiation. And that means every day of the year. The sun is THE biggest player in the battle against ageing skin. How so? Because it produces nasty, skin-damaging molecules called free radicals which break down collagen and other important proteins needed for healthy, youthful-looking skin.
And around 80 percent of sun exposure occurs during everyday activities like walking, driving or having lunch in the garden. The solution is simple: use daily moisturiser that contains broad-spectrum sun protection. Try our Organic Tinted Moisturiser with SPF 25 which is lightweight and ideal for everyday use.
Did You Know? Sun exposure is responsible for somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of skin ageing. So you'll want to be blocking out those harmful rays as much as you possibly can.
Smoking is another big no-no. Cigarettes are chock-full of skin-destroying toxins like nicotine which reduce blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to your skin. They also break down essential collagen and elastin supplies, and cause you to repetitively squint and purse your lips. All this causes a triple-whammy blow to the state of your skin, making it look grey and dull while seriously accelerating the formation of lines and wrinkles around your eyes and mouth.
And it goes without saying it's catastrophic for your overall health too.
The repeated muscle movement involved in squinting and frowning causes tension on the muscles around your eyes which forms tiny lines in your skin. Over time, these become deeper and more pronounced until, eventually, they stay put – even when you’re no longer squinting.
If you find yourself doing this a lot, especially when reading, driving, watching telly or working at a computer, get your eyes tested. Also, wear sunglasses!
Oftentimes, the simplest skincare practices reap the best results, and this is never more true than in the case of cleansing and moisturising your skin. Sure, it might seem like serums, oils and eye treatments get all the praise for defying age and keeping your skin looking fabulous. But if you don’t cleanse your skin morning and night, the rest of your routine has no chance of doing its job.
Similarly, moisturising is essential for locking in hydration and keeping your barrier function in good working order.
Gently cleanse twice a day with Crystal Cleanser, taking time to massage it into your skin to improve circulation and help drain away toxins.
Then apply your eye treatment and serum before finishing with a hydrating, skin-replenishing moisturiser like Imperial Moisturiser or Organic Hydration Gel.
When it comes to healthy, youthful-looking skin, what you put INTO your body is equally as important as what goes on it. Alcohol, sugar, salt and processed foods increase inflammation and produce free radicals (yes, those again!) which are terribly ageing on your skin, so try to cut down on the booze or at least switch up sugary drinks for cleaner options like tequila and soda or white wine spritzers.
Load up your diet with fresh fruit and veg (the more colourful the better!) as well as oily fish, nuts, beans and seeds. Also, try to avoid too much sugar, cheese, red meat and refined carbs like white bread, pasta and potatoes.
Working out is an incredible way to improve circulation and accelerate blood flow throughout your entire body. Why is this so great for your skin? Because it brings oxygen and nutrients to the surface which boost your glow and help clear impurities.
Keeping active also promotes better sleep and less stress which simultaneously decreases inflammation in your skin and reduces flare-ups in conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
The skin around your eyes is extremely thin and fragile which makes it one of the first areas to show the visible signs of ageing.
It also loses water quickly and lacks sebaceous glands which means dryness and dehydration are pretty much a shoe-in as you get older.
Thank the beauty gods, therefore, for eye creams and gels! When choosing the best, look for gentle, non-irritating formulations that contain hydrating and strengthening ingredients like aloe vera, green tea, marine collagen and hyaluronic acid.
We'd recommend giving our Imperial Eye Gel a try!
Perfect Your Technique! Never rub the skin around your eyes as this can compromise the skin and exacerbate dark circles and sagging. Gently apply your Imperial Eye Gel by lightly tapping it around each eye, using your ring fingers to ensure a delicate touch.
As you catch up on shut-eye, your skin goes into recovery mode. Cells regenerate at a faster rate, antioxidants kick in, blood flow increases and collagen production amps up. All this helps repair damage, while preparing your skin for another day in the great, wide world.
Try to regulate your sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times each night and morning. And make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature. All this will help you sleep better in both the short and long run.
Boost Your ZZZs: Your skin’s nightly regeneration process is the perfect time to ‘feed’ your skin with nourishing and repairing ingredients like shea butter, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and botanical oils. You’ll find all of these (and plenty more!) in our awesome Night Elixir.
Light exfoliation is a great way to boost cell turnover and significantly improve the texture and tone of your skin.
The rate at which your skin cells turn over becomes really sluggish as you get older, so by removing surface-level dead skin cells and giving the whole process a kick up the behind, you will automatically improve the look of ageing skin.
It'll also help the rest of your products penetrate deeper into your skin too! Win win!
Try This! Natural Luminosity Scrub is a real HIGHBORN favourite for improving enlarged pores, boosting radiance and reducing the appearance of lines, wrinkles and age spots.
You know those damaging free radicals we’ve been banging on about? Well, one of the most effective ways to kick them into touch is to apply topical antioxidants.
Antioxidants neutralise free radicals before they get a chance to damage important proteins in your skin and therefore increase your likelihood of developing lines, wrinkles and dark spots.
Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum is a real winner here. Not only does it contain vitamin C – one of the most widely researched and trusted antioxidants in skincare – but it combines this with another antioxidant stalwart, vitamin E.
Apply it daily, morning and night, before moisturising.