If you’re in your 30’s and 40’s and have started to notice some significant signs of early skin ageing (tears) we feel you. From dryness to loss of elasticity, wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles and more, skin ageing is unfortunately inevitable. The great news is, however, that it’s possible to slow down the rate in which our skin ages by simply following a few key steps.

From anti-ageing skincare to lifestyle choices, follow these top tips and help prolong your healthy, youthful glow naturally!

1. Get serious about sunscreen – protect your skin from the sun every. single. day.

The sun is THE no. 1 cause of premature ageing (amongst other serious issues) so you need to get serious about sunscreen from an early age! I’m talking about religiously applying it daily even when it’s cloudy! Just as you use a cleanser to wash your face, apply a sunscreen to protect your face! The harmful UV rays from the sun causes proteins in our skin to deteriorate, leading to the loss of our youthful appearance over time but a good sunscreen can help to prevent this!

Fortunately, there is a myriad of products out there with SPF, from sunscreen to daily moisturisers, foundations and more, and many are now formulated to work with specific skin types, so if you are a sensitive skin sufferer and the idea of slathering on sunscreen scares you, worry no more! We love The ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day protection SPF 50, it’s light and smooth on the skin and hydrates, protects and corrects skin!

And when it comes to foundation, we highly recommend ELES Cosmetics best-selling Age-Defying BB Cream 30. multi-tasking makeup miracle, suitable for all skin types! Your moisturiser, primer, sunscreen and foundation in one! It primes, tints, nourishes, protects, blurs and evens out your skin tone for a truly, natural, flawless finish. And thanks to its skin-loving ingredients including Vitamin E, Goji berry, Squalane; its multi-mineral complex, and age defying peptides, over time it will help to promote cell health, strengthen elasticity, reduce the appearance of fine lines and restore that natural glow you once donned! What’s more, you’ll feel as though you aren’t even wearing makeup, no easy feat for a foundation or any product with SPF for that matter! Genius!

2. Cleanse correctly

In the quest for a clear complexion cleansing is a must. But cleansing with conventional, harsh products can simply dry out skin which will age you! Worse, it can make skin over-produce oil so you could be hit with rather a few pesky pimples too!! Teenage acne? No thanks.

So be sure to use a cleanser specific to your skin type. Beauty Collective has a myriad of cleansers for every skin type and concern so get searching!

3. Don’t forget to exfoliate your skin once a week

Dry, dull skin lacks youthful luminosity, so exfoliating is a necessity! We’re not talking daily though, just once or twice a week depending on your skin type will suffice, as too much exfoliation can be counterproductive. It can actually increase the aging process of the skin. If you exfoliate too much, too often, you’ll end up with thin, dry skin and wrinkles!

A good weekly exfoliation will break up dead surface skin cells and improve circulation to your skin revealing a fresh glowy complexion. But that’s not all! Exfoliation can also help your body produce more collagen and elastin, keeping your skin extra plump for longer! This makes exfoliating a great way to slow down and even delay the appearance of wrinkles!

If your skin is a little on the sensitive side, exfoliation is still important just be sure to opt for a super gentle formula – we LOVE Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, it gently polishes your skin with its unique creamy, granular texture. But if granules scare you, we also highly recommend Phytomer’s Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes. It’s a soft exfoliant for even the most sensitive or rosacea prone skin and uses natural enzymes to encourage cell turnover without scrubbing or irritating your skin.

4. Moisturise your skin daily morning and night

Moisturisers trap water in your skin which can actually help your skin look more plumped and youthful. Moisturiser can also reduce appearance of fine lines exacerbated by dry skin.  Using a moisturiser with anti-ageing properties such as retinol which can stimulate collagen production, hyaluronic acid which traps moisture in skin, vitamin C which is a natural antioxidant that helps produce collagen, and peptides which is tied to the body’s production of collagen and elastin, will hugely benefit the skin and help in the path to preventing premature ageing. Formulated with both Retinol and Vitamin C to help boost collagen production  (the oh so important protein for prolonging youthful skin) we highly recommend Vie Collection’s Retinopur Wrinkles Imperfections Fluid.

I’m also personally in love with Pevonia’s best-selling Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream. It’s a gorgeously rich, yet fine cream that feels amazing on application and leaves skin super soft, supple and like it’s had that much-needed boost of moisture, a feeling that lasts all day! I swear my 42-year-old self has less visible lines and wrinkles thanks to this superstar cream!

5. Always remove makeup before going to bed!

From a few too many wines to being just plain old exhausted, sometimes it hard to peel yourself off your bed to go and remove your makeup but remove your makeup you must!

Cleansing your face especially at night to remove not only your makeup but any remnants of the days sweat, dirt and grime is imperative for healthy skin. Not removing your makeup means your skin is unable to regenerate effectively while you sleep, pores clog, and fatigue (ageing!) signs start to appear.  For a fantastic makeup remover which effectively melts away makeup and grime with minimum effort try Phytomer’s Doux Contour Eye and Lip Waterproof Makeup Remover. Combining the effectiveness of an oil (a trio of oils in fact) and the gentleness of a lotion, this ultra-hydrating makeup remover, eradicates even the most stubborn of lips and eye makeup fast!

To read more about sleeping in makeup and what it really does to our skin click here.

6. Don’t rub your eyes!

When we are tired it’s easy to fall into the trap of rubbing our eyes, hey I’m told I’m guilty of this by my husband all the time! The problem is the area around our eyes is the most delicate on our face and tugging, rubbing or pulling at your eye area can cause tiny blood vessels to break resulting in dark circles that make you look older and tired All. Of. The. Time. Instead, start applying an anti-ageing eye cream morning and night pronto! I am currently loving Vie Collection’s Chrono Eyes Puffiness-Dark Circles Wrinkles Cream. It’s a beautifully fine cream enriched with moisturising ingredients to nourish the eye area.

7. Indulge in an antioxidant rich diet

Antioxidants are SO important when it comes to protecting our DNA from damage – they are the last line of defence against premature ageing. Thankfully our bodies produce antioxidants on their own, but we can definitely strengthen our protection against ageing by eating an antioxidant-rich diet. So what foods are rich in antioxidants? The favourites in our house include raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, spinach and kale!

8. Eat less sugar

A diet high in sugar can accelerate aging! This is sadly true. Although quitting sugar may not reverse signs of aging that have already manifested, it can slow their progression.

9. Cut down on alcohol

While a glass of red wine can be good for our health, excess alcohol will damage and dehydrate your skin making you look older! So if you love a drink or 5, try to cut down your intake.

10. Exercise daily

Exercise is good for your health as well as your soul! Moderate exercise every day can improve circulation and boost your immune system oh and it releases endorphins which make you feel pretty good too. This is turn can give your skin a more youthful appearance.

Exercise can also improve conditions that are damaging to the skin, like eczema and acne.

11. Try to reduce stress in your life!

When you’re stressed your body releases cortisol (the stress hormone). Sadly, it’s infamous for breaking down collagen, the protein which keeps your complexion supple and firm! If like me, when you’re stressed you’ll also be more guilty of frowning, which unfortunately can lead to deeper, permanent wrinkles in these areas over time. Eek.

Gentle exercise or relaxation activities such as yoga, meditation or even just walking has been shown to reduce stress so practice these on a daily basis and help prevent premature ageing.

12. Get enough shut eye

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a hundred times, and we all know it’s the truth, not enough shut-eye can have serious ramifications on our skin! From premature ageing, to dermatitis, eczema, acne, loss of collagen and more! Scary right? So we need to think of sleep as an essential step in our daily skincare routine. Not only will plenty of shut-eye let skin cells regenerate overnight, it will also help prevent dark under-eye circles which can really make us look so much older than we are! We know, no one is choosing to be sleep deprived, the stresses of everyday life can seriously prevent us from getting the amount of sleep we crave, but if it’s possible to try and get our heads down at a reasonable time (I’m talking to myself here too!) and stick to it nightly, it’ll improve quality of sleep and in turn have a positive impact on our complexion too!

For more information on what really happens to your skin while your sleep, click here.