Ways to Stay Looking Young

As 30 has come and gone and 40 creeps up on me, I’ve been thinking a lot about the best ways to keep my look fresh. Our culture is certainly youth-obsessed and everyone likes to look their best. However, it’s also important to explore your style and look in a way that reflects your true self, rather than the latest runway trend. Here are some tips for looking as good as you feel:

Protect and Love Your Skin

It’s easy to think that a new eye shadow or better blush will make your skin look better, and it might. But it’s also important to focus on the bare bones of skin health and protection. Often, as we get older, we fall into a skin care routine that we developed at a younger age. It’s time to stop and think about the products you’re using and if they’re really doing as much for your skin as you’d like.
Personally, I’ve struggled with adult acne and, until about a year ago was using an acne-fighting cleanser on my whole face. I hadn’t realized the drying effects this had until I stopped using it for a week; my fine lines and wrinkles were much less apparent as the drying effects of the cleanser subsided.
Your own skin’s issues might be different, but a little scrutiny can help you identify problems that the products you’re using might actually be exacerbating. Personally, I prefer gentle cleansers, such as Neutrogena’s natural line or even Johnson & Johnson’s baby wash, paired with a sensitive skin moisturizer with sun protection, like something from Oil of Olay. Facials with extractions from a cosmetology professional every few months can help clear up chronically clogged pores. A spot treatment for acne, such as Persa-Gel 10 can be a better bet than an acne-specific face wash.

Play on Popular Styles

While we all have our own individual styles, it’s fun to keep up with trends as they come and go. As I get older, I’m realizing that true style consciousness doesn’t necessarily mean adopting every single look I see on the runway. It means selecting pieces and accents that fit my current style and my professional life. For example, this spring, chunky, ankle-strap white heels are all the rage, and these are something I can easily adopt into my wardrobe; long, see-through embroidered gowns – not so much.

Invest in a Quality Foundation

Drugstore foundation has its place, but the skin of the adult woman isn’t it. I know that high-quality foundation is expensive – costing $40 and up for a little bottle, but trust me, it’s worth it (and it will last a while). The professionals in Sephora and high-end department stores can also help you find the perfect match for your tone and color, which you definitely can’t do at the neighborhood pharmacy or grocery store. I personally like the brand Makeup Forever HD, but there are many good options out there.

Love Your Muscles

Incorporating light yoga and stretching into my life on a regular basis has completely changed the way I see my body. While the physical effects are definitely restorative and make my body feel more alive, it’s also been great for my body image to really spend time with my body appreciating all it can do. Also great for muscles: getting a massage every few months from a trained massage therapist. What a difference a massage from someone who knows what they’re doing can make. I highly recommend it!

Sources

Fashionologie (2012)
Princeton University Health Services (2012)