Collaborative / Partnered Post - Tips And Tricks For Dealing With Ageing Skin And Wrinkles*

When I look in the mirror I see a lot of things that I'm not happy with but when you look at sensibly and logically I'm actually pretty pleased with what I see. I am 43 on my next birthday and whilst I'm not keen on my facial paralysis, open pores, the redness or the broken capillaries, my face is still by and large wrinkle free. I have an occasional brow furrow, a few necklace lines, and a few fine lines under my eyes but by and large, thanks to my oilier skin, and some obvious genetic help from Mummy Lou, I'm not doing too badly on the wrinkle front.

At some time in your life though, be it sooner or later, wrinkles, or experience lines as my mam likes to call them, will make their presence felt. The first place that you'll probably notice them, like me, is around the eyes, and as time progresses they will gradually spread towards the outer edges of your face. They aren't that noticeable at first, unless you really look in the mirror but for most of us they will gradually get deeper and more obvious, and spread across your face and neck.

People can be quite self conscious about them at least at first, but what you need to remember is that wrinkles are 100% part of life, it's natural and it's normal and it's nothing to worry about, and you shouldn't let it affect your self confidence in any way.

As much as they are just something that we all have to look forward to, there are little things that we can do to minimise their appearance and to keep our skin looking as youthful as possible. Some of the more obvious things you can try include using sunblock, establishing a good skincare routine, and drinking more water, but there are a few more left field wrinkle busting tricks to try.

Start Eating More Herbs

It goes without saying that a healthy diet can help improve your skin, you know the drill eat less fatty and sugary food and eat more fruit and vegetables but If all the usual creams and serums aren’t working and your skin it ageing faster than you would like then it’s time to turn your attention to herbs and spices.

It sounds a little strange but for hundreds and hundreds of years, if not more, people relied on natural ingredients for their health benefits. Herbs like parsley, rosemary and basil are known for their skincare benefits, and anti-inflammatory properties,

You could start by adding some extra herbs and spices to your diet every day. Sprinkle them into your soups or over your roast vegetables, or better still add some of the leafy herbs, like parsley raw to a salad, and then enjoy all of those extra vitamins. There are are no guarantees obviously but fingers crossed you’ll notice that after a couple of months your body feels lighter and your skin looks better. and even if you don't see any real visual differences, your food will taste better, and you're also adding some extra vitamins and minerals to you diet. There is lots of information online about the benefits of herbs and spices, so do your research and start adding some to your diet today.

Try An Amla Mask

Now, you should know by now that I love a good face mask but have you ever used one made out of Amla? 

I personally haven't but I'm curious - Amla - sometimes called Amalaki or Indian gooseberry is one of the central pillars of Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient approach to health, life and wellbeing. With such a reliance these days on science, it's easy for some people to be cynical about Eastern traditions, treatments and more natural ingredients, but I think we should all keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. Researchers are still discovering the true power of Amla, and its high anti-oxidant and Vitamin C content, and trying to find just exactly what it can do when it comes to its health and skincare benefits. Putting Amla on your face can help you to get some of the benefits of a full-blown facelift without the expense and the recovery time. Apparently it can burns a little (so do a patch test first) but with regular use over the following days and weeks, you should notice that your skin should start to look fresher and smoother. Again do your research, I've seen it both an oil, and in powder format which you can use both to make both a mask, and as an exfoliator x

Use Fillers

Now there is no way that I could write a post about wrinkles without mentioning some form of cosmetic surgery, whilst facelifts normally deal with issues such as sagging, there are a whole range of less invasive injectables that can make a huge difference to the smoothness of your skin.

I've personally not gone down that line yet, because I don't feel I need to too but fillers can be quite amazing things. They’re not just random chemicals that plastic surgeons inject under your skin. They are usually natural compounds that both plump and rejuvenate the skin at the same time. 

Remember, most fillers are mainly hyaluronic acid. When you inject this into the skin, it tells skin cells that they are living in a more youthful environment. This, in turn, tells the skin to produce more collagen - the antidote to deep furrows around eyes, brow, forehead and mouth. 

When done well they can make a real difference to your face, but that's the key when they're done well. If you're thinking about cosmetic surgery, fillers, botox, or any injectable or procedure then do your research. Don't just pick someone on Facebook market place doing fillers in their dinning room, look at their qualifications, their experience, their aftercare policies, and don't just go with the first company you see, get a range of opinions, and quotes before you go ahead. Oh and remember with some thing you get what you pay for.

Eliminate The Stress From Your Life

Did you know that stress is a major reason for wrinkles? Your lifestyle plays a major role in your skin and added stress is no different. Stress creates the stress hormone cortisol which breaks down the collagen fibres that hold your skin together and make it look more youthful. 

In this day and age it's nearly impossible to avoid stress altogether, but try to minimise it as much as possible. There are loads of hints and tips on this blog to deal with stress but in short find ways to escape, try to get as much sleep as possible, and above all talk to someone if you need to x Don't let your worries consume you,

So if you are bothered by ageing skin, then there are definitely things out there to try but if you don't want to do anything about your experience lines then that's fine too. Everything changes as we get older including our skin, and that's perfectly natural, you can't stop the ageing process. Do what you want to do and don't let anyone ever make you feel less than because you have a few character lines here and there x What's your attitude towards wrinkles - leave them be, or obliterate them completely? Let me know in the comments x

*Collaborative / Partnered Post