For many people, the festive season has had a decidedly unglamorous impact on our appearance. Lack of sleep combined with too much alcohol and high-calorie food mean we often spend January feeling tired and bloated.
Skin can suffer too, as extremes of temperature take their toll. Wintry air outside and stuffy, centrally heated rooms indoors cause a loss of water from the cells – the keratinocytes – that make up the outer layer of the skin.
When skin is dry and under-nourished, wrinkles are emphasised and we’re more prone to spots and eczema breakouts. All in all, this may be the time of year when you look in the mirror and feel less than overjoyed at the reflection staring back.
Of course there’s no shame in looking older, but there’s no denying that we feel more confident in day-to-day life when we’re comfortable with our appearance. Fay Watt from natural skincare company Eternal Skincare commented:
“At Eternal Skincare, we’re firm believers in celebrating age, experience, and fantastically healthy skin, whether you’re nine years old or ninety! Ageing is a natural process and although there has been a notable increase in people choosing to use chemically laden injections to smooth out lines, there are natural ways to help your skin look fresher and more vibrant.”
So, how can we look youthful without resorting to drastic measures? Drinking water and eating plenty of fruit and veg is advice we’re all familiar with, but here Fay provides five more all natural tricks to help kickstart a youthful new year.
1. Get rid of dead cells
“When skin is dry and itchy, people often think that exfoliation will only cause more discomfort, when in fact the reverse is true,” said Fay. She added: “Moisturiser will penetrate the deeper layers of the skin far more effectively when dead cells are gently exfoliated away. Remove that clogging layer and skin will start to generate new cells, giving a healthier and altogether more radiant look.”
2. Keep moving
Whether you opt for a bracing walk or twenty minutes on the yoga mat, it’s well-documented that exercise improves everything from heart health, brain power and, yes, complexion. Better blood circulation ensures a healthy, all-round glow. And there’s an added bonus: regular exercise also helps with better sleep, allowing the body to restore itself overnight.
3. Stay away from the alcohols
No, we’re not talking about giving up that glass of merlot, but have you stopped to look at the ingredients in your moisturiser? Fay said:
“It’s really easy to get stuck in a time warp and find yourself persevering with a cream that suited you five or ten years ago. As skin ages, moisturiser needs to be more nourishing than ever, and ideally it will be free from parabens and other chemicals and alcohols that can cause allergies and even disrupt the body’s hormonal balance. These include the not very natural sounding ethanol, methanol, isopropyl, butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben, as well as artificial fragrances.”
Instead, Fay advises choosing a botanically-based moisturiser that is suitable for all skin types and can be used on your face, body and hands to soothe and soften tired skin, such as Eternal Skincare’s Super Hydrating Moisturiser, which is packed full of natural skin friendly ingredients, such as aloe vera, sweet almond oil, rosehip oil, and shea butter.
4. Curled eyelashes make us look younger
As people age eyelashes thin and flatten, and unfortunately this has the effect of making eyes seem smaller and ill defined. Whether or not mascara is being used, using eyelash curlers every day can give your face a lift. You’ll be surprised at the difference this quick trick can make!
5. Lighten up your face
As skin ages, its natural luminosity starts to fade. A creamy, shimmery highlighter subtly applied to cheekbones, browbones and the inner corners of the eyes will lighten the face considerably, helping to re-capture the dewy look of our teens and twenties. But don’t be tempted to apply pressed powder afterwards, as a matte finish on ageing skin can actually make you look older. Be sure to choose an organic or natural highlighter so unwanted chemicals aren’t added to the skin.
