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Aging is a natural process, but that doesn’t mean that we have to just sit back and let it happen. There are things that we can do to help our skin stay healthy and look its best as we get older. In this blog post, we will discuss the keys to aging well: hydration, sunscreen, and a skincare ritual that's good for you and the planet.
First, let's start by defining "well-aging." Well-aging means embracing our age while working hard to live a long, healthy life. It means taking care of our bodies and minds so that we can age as gracefully as possible without shame or insecurity. It means understanding that the choices we make ripple within and outwards our body, community, and the planet.
How then, do we start our journey towards well-aging?
- Eat healthily. A nutritious diet helps our bodies to function optimally and gives us the energy we need to live well.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise not only keeps our bodies strong, but it also improves our mental health, reduces stress levels, and helps us to sleep better.
- Train your brain. Just like our muscles, our brains need to be worked out too! Keeping our minds active by learning new things, reading, and doing puzzles helps to keep us sharp as we age.
- Have meaningful relationships. Connecting with others is an important part of our mental and emotional wellbeing.
- Keep on finding your sense of purpose. Doing things that we are passionate about or that make us feel good helps to keep us motivated and engaged in life.
Now that we know how to start this journey, let's talk about how to take care of our skin. As we age, our skin becomes thinner and less elastic. We lose collagen and hyaluronic acid, which are responsible for our skin's plumpness and hydration. We become more susceptible to damage from the sun and environmental toxins. And, our cells turnover more slowly, so it takes longer for us to heal from wounds.
So, what can we do to help our skin cope with aging?
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Hydration is key to keeping our skin supple. As we age, our skin produces less oil, which can lead to dryness. Drinking plenty of water and using products that help lock in moisture are important for keeping our skin hydrated.
Using a facial mist then, is a must, not a nice-to-have. It helps to set your makeup, provides an instant pick-me-up and most importantly, it helps to keep the skin hydrated throughout the day.
Our Wild Algae Super Skin Tonic is a calming toner-essence hybrid that is great as your first step in your morning ritual. While it is not a mist – it is best spritzed on your hands then massaged on your face – it does wonders in prepping the skin for makeup. This multitasking tonic powered by MicroSilver BG is especially formulated for sensitive and oily skin and works wonders in protecting the skin against maskne.
Our Bulgarian Rose Everything Elixir is a refreshing face mist and cleansing micellar water in one. Powered with BHT-free Retinol and Bisabolol, it is great for prepping the skin for your bedtime ritual and is best to be followed by a very hydrating serum such as the Bulgarian Rose Sublime Serum.
There are also a lot of Elixir fans who use it all throughout the day, making sure they are religious with the second key to well-aging: sunscreen!
Not just for beach days
Sunscreen is very important for protecting our skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. UVA and UVB rays can cause damage to the skin, leading to wrinkles and age spots.
Living in the tropics with the sun beating down on us everyday, we were only used to slathering on sunscreen when we are on vacation somewhere, like the beach or up mountains. However, studies have found that we should be wearing sunscreen every day, regardless of whether we are exposed to the sun or not. This is because harmful UV rays can penetrate through clouds and glass, and even when we are indoors.
Remember, choose a non-nano mineral-based sunscreen that's safe for you and our oceans, and use it every single day!
Mindful skincare ritual
Finally, a skincare ritual that is good for you and the planet is important for aging well. Using natural, non-toxic products that are gentle on the skin can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age spots. But beyond that, choosing products that are designed, manufactured, packaged and shipped mindfully does not only help our bodies and community, it also helps our overall wellbeing – strengthening our relationships and our purpose.
Why do we encourage shifting mindset from a skincare routine to a mindful skincare ritual? Because it reminds us move away from treating skincare as a chore and really treasure the time to turn it into a ritual of peace and solace. The activity then becomes true self love. It helps us pause at the beginning or end of the day to be grateful, to be intentional. And ultimately, it helps us understand that we are all connected.