Fighting the inevitable onward march of time can feel like a futile exercise, but there is no reason we can’t decide to age gracefully and look – and feel – pretty darned good while doing it.
There are a number of professional anti-aging techniques that can help you turn back the hands of time, but for now we have a few ideas on how to pamper yourself in the comfort of your own home. Here are the top 5 natural anti-aging treatments that will help you love the skin you’re in.
Tea Time. It’s no secret that many teas are jam packed with a whole host of antioxidants, but it may come as a surprise that there are other ways to reap these compound’s age-fighting properties other than sipping a cup over a plate of crumpets. Mix green tea powder into brewed and cooled white tea and use as a face mask to help combat wrinkles, boost your skins elasticity, and promote a more youthful appearance.
Tend To Texture. Exfoliating is an ideal way to ditch complexion-dulling dead skin and add a youthful glow no matter what your age, but as you get older your skin begins to require a gentler approach. Skip harsh abrasives and instead mix together crushed walnuts, a splash of coconut oil (at room temperature so it’s liquid), and a few tablespoons of yogurt. The yogurt’s lactic acid is actually an alpha hydroxyl acid, which is used topically to reduce fine lines and symptoms of sun damage, while the coconut oil hydrates and the walnut buffs without pulling, scratching, or otherwise breaking down sensitive tissue.
Soak Up Moisture. Dry skin is more susceptible to signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturize your way to dewy skin using a mashed up mixture of one whole avocado and a tablespoon of raw (unprocessed) honey – simply apply it to your face and leave it on for up to an hour (we’ve gotten good results using far less time, but this feels so good on you won’t mind letting it soak in while you luxuriate for awhile in a bubble bath). Avocado is a nutritional powerhouse, rife with Vitamins A, Bs 1 and 2, D, and E, and lecithin and honey is a natural humectant, so this combo is especially effective for moisturizing, but thanks to honey’s antibacterial properties, this mask will also combat and prevent acne and clarify your pores.
Cue the Cucumber. Turns it that ubiquitous image of a woman relaxing with cucumber discs over her eyes has some substance behind it. This humble vegetable moisturizes skin but also helps to prevent water retention, making it useful for relieving inflammation, irritation, and puffiness, such as the kind everyone occasionally gets under their eyes. Use in simple slices or grate or blend the cucumber and pat on affected areas (mix in aloe vera gel, honey, or yogurt as a bonus treatment), wait 30 minutes, rinse with cool water, and pat dry.
Brighten Up. Lemon is high in vitamin C, an age-fighting antioxidant, and anyone who ever squeezed a bit of the fruit’s juices in their hair hoping for some DIY summertime highlights knows that lemon has lightening powers, too. Combine a half a lemon’s worth of freshly squeezed juice and an egg white, apply for 30 minutes, and then rinse with warm water. This daily protein-rich mask works to repair tissue, moisturize, fight free radicals, and reduce the appearance of age spots. Sounds pretty good to us!