5 Anti-Aging Tips Every Busy Singaporean Needs

Time is precious. With each day, you find yourself chasing a never-ending list of tasks. You actively seek out hacks to make your workday more efficient. While it may seem that you have gotten a grasp on time, you have not. Time continues to slip away, leaving behind its effects on your skin. While you search for tips to make work efficient, we are here to provide you with 5 quick anti-aging tips you can easily implement to help fight the effects of time and to keep your skin youthful. 

Tip #1: Swipe and Exfoliate  

Healthy skin has a cell renewal rate of 28 days. This means that it takes 28 days for new skin cells to generate and reach the surface of your skin. As you age, this cell renewal process slows down, leaving behind a dull and rough complexion with visible fine lines and pigmentation.   

Including regular and proper exfoliation into your skincare routine aids in speeding up the process while also helping:  

• The skin stays soft and supple  
• Stimulate cell renewal  
• Minimise dullness, fine lines and wrinkles  
• Boosts the skin’s absorption of products  
• Increase collagen production in the long run  
• Unclog pores, minimising the frequency of breakouts  

With all these benefits in mind, you might think regular and proper exfoliation would take a lot of effort. Contrariwise, all you need is an effective chemical exfoliant and a cotton pad to swipe and exfoliate.   

Effective chemical exfoliants can be AHAs (like Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid) that have concentrations below 2%. Any higher concentration would be too strong for daily use and may require an expert’s opinion for its suitability to your skin.   

Therefore, add the simple step of swiping your chemical exfoliant nightly to counteract signs of aging! 

Tip #2: Stay Hydrated  

The most effective tips are ones that are easy to implement and can help to tackle multiple issues. Although this tip may seem blatantly obvious, it serves as a good reminder to do the things that are so obvious that they are often forgotten. Additionally, dehydrated skin is often less elastic, has more obvious fine lines and is rough to the touch.   

On top of keeping the skin hydrated and plump, keeping hydrated provides a whole host of benefits – from promoting cardiovascular health, lubricating joints, and easing muscle fatigue to helping the body drain toxins. This makes drinking water a multi-functional anti-aging technique.   

 Aim to drink an average of 2.5 to 3.5 litres of water per day. To minimise the time spent walking to and from the water cooler, keep a large water bottle or water jug close by. Besides, the water bottle/jug can serve as a visual reminder to stay hydrated!   

Tip #3: Do Not Strip Your Skin of its Moisture  

After a long day of work, all you want to do is to step into a hot shower and wash away the grime of the day. Unknowingly, you are stripping your skin of its natural moisture, causing it to become dehydrated. As relaxing as a hot shower can be, hot water damages the epidermis of our skin, preventing the cells from locking in moisture. A lack of moisture in the skin often results in dryness and irritation that can cause signs of aging (like fine lines, wrinkles, dull skin tone and rough skin texture) to be more obvious.  

Thus, all you need to do is to simply swap out your hot showers with lukewarm or cold ones.   

Tip #4 Slap on the Sunscreen  

UV exposure is inevitable, even though you may be working from home or in an office environment with no windows nearby. UV rays comprise of UVA & UVB Rays. UVAs penetrate deeper into the skin to cause cell damage and often result in premature aging, sunspots, and wrinkle formation. UVBs are responsible for giving sunburn and largely contribute to skin cancers.  

Avoid the aging effects by simply applying a Broad Spectrum SPF before starting your day. If you’re rushing for time and cannot afford the extra step in your skincare and makeup routine, search for tinted Broad Spectrum SPF to emerge with protected and airbrushed skin. 

  

Tip #5: Fuel Your Body with the Best  

Much like drinking sufficient water, fuelling your body with the right food does wonders in the realm of anti-aging. Here are some of our favourite skin-loving foods:  

Fatty Fish

Fish like Salmon, mackerel and herring are great for skin as they contain Omega-3 Fatty acids which are vital to keeping the skin thick, supple, and moisturised. Plus, they strengthen the skin against harmful UV Rays. Fatty fish also often contain Vitamin E – a potent antioxidant that can help protect against the aging effects of free radicals.  

Need a vegan/vegetarian alternative? Try out Avocados and Walnuts!   

Sweet Potatoes  

Rich in beta carotene, sweet potatoes fuel your body with anti-oxidants while protecting your skin from damage caused by UV Rays. Plus, beta carotene adds a nice warm, orange tone to your skin, giving you a healthier and glowing appearance.  

Soy   

Soy contains isoflavones – a plant compound that mimics or blocks estrogen in the body. Isoflavones have been shown to improve wrinkles, collagen, skin elasticity and skin dryness. All the anti-aging benefits contained in a tiny soybean!  

Red or Yellow Bell Peppers  

Like sweet potatoes, red and yellow bell peppers are a great source of beta carotene. They are also one of the best sources of Vitamin C which are necessary for creating collagen.  

Just with these 4 ingredients, you prepare a multitude of meals in advance for an entire week: time saving and good for the skin! In addition to this list of skin-loving foods, always remember that a balanced diet is best. Minimising sugary or fried foods can also help in anti-aging as they impact your body’s ability to receive nutrients and can break down vital proteins like collagen and elastin.  

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While there are many other tips and tricks you can apply to start your anti-aging journey, start with small, easy steps to establish key routines, and build a strong foundation for a healthy body.