(And how to improve the appearance of aging, damaged, ‘crepey,’ discolored and wrinkled skin. Yes, it IS possible)
Whether we can improve the appearance of crepey, aged, sun-damaged, and sagging skin is a multi-billion dollar issue in cosmetics, plastic surgery, and skincare.
Aging is a part of life and there’s nothing we can do to completely stop it. Older Men and Women that still look desirable are held up as shining examples of “aging in style.”
It’s simple. Radiant, beautiful skin signals health, vitality, and virility. A recent IG video sweeping the internet shows a vibrant and sexy 56! Year old Salma Hayek.
(Picture: Instagram/salmahayek)
There are many "older" men and women that look fantastic. Their “secret” is not a secret at all. There are many factors, but the main one is how we care for our overall health and wellness over time.
Since we can’t stop the process, are there actions we can take to slow the aging and still look our radiant best we can for our age?
The answer is surely YES! We can look our best and improve our skin and beauty no matter what our age by focusing long-term on Three Fundamental Areas:
1 Internal
2 Holistic
3 External/Topical
Remember that skincare is a holistic endeavor, as is our overall health and wellness. Years of poor diet, lack of exercise, unhealthy sun exposure, neglecting skincare, lack of hydration, unhealthy alcohol use, heavy smoking etc. will not be repaired overnight.
Like staying physically fit, proper skincare is a never-ending process. And that’s a good thing! So let’s get rolling…
First, INTERNAL:
Proper skincare is not just slathering on some magical topical elixir—it’s EVERYTHING:
Diet. This is incredibly important. What you put in your body will determine the health and beauty of your skin. Period. End of story. If you eat junk, it’s going to show up in how you look and feel. Clean up your diet and clean up your skin health and vitality.
(And don’t forget about your “gut” health. This can be a VERY long blog article by itself. This is critical and there are many resources on how to properly maintain optimum gut health)
I also study and write a lot about foods and natural compounds with amazing healing, anti-oxidation, and body and skin friendly properties.
See these recent articles for example.
https://noble-body.com/blogs/news/9-of-the-best-natural-oils-for-beautiful-glowing-skin
https://noble-body.com/blogs/news/five-of-the-best-essential-oils-for-healthy-glowing-skin
Supplements. Even a great diet can use some “supplementation.” Supplements are just that, they can be looked at as the icing on an already healthy diet. Again, a huge area of study with ample resources on what will work best for you. (To name one, I’d highly recommend a collagen supplement. Or, put it in your diet in the form of quality bone broth.)
[See Also: https://noble-body.com/blogs/news/seven-popular-dietary-supplements-that-are-also-great-for-topical-skincare]
Quality Hydration. This is super important for skincare. The type and amount of your hydration over time can make or break your long-term skin health and beauty. Filtered water [NOT TAP WATER], coconut water, and pure mineral or spring water are excellent choices.
[And another note on water: Get a quality shower filter. Many recent studies and lawsuits confirm how toxic our municipal water supplies are. It’s yet another factor ravaging our skin and overall health.]
Next, HOLISTIC:
Facial massage: A quality facial massage can smooth wrinkles, increase circulation, relax muscle tension, aid in lymphatic and waste drainage. Just like a body massage, it can have many long-term benefits. Also look into the Gua Sha massage therapy for improving circulation.
Facial exercises: Our faces have about 20 “craniofacial muscles” under our skin that control many functions, especially facial expressions. With certain movement exercises, we can keep these muscles taut and toned, just like any other muscle. And don’t forget to Smile!
Minimize stress: Bear with me for a second. Feel your face. Are you feeling stressed, angry, sad? All of those emotions will show up on your face over time as a deep scowl or a furrowed brow. Your face is a mirror of your long-term emotional state. (Have you ever heard of RBF? ;) Mind your mindset because it will become carved into your face like stone over time.
Regular Exercise: What’s a key factor that signals whether someone is “hot” or “sexy?” You know it, a fit, virile and healthy body. Fitness and muscle tone/mass signals health and beauty in our DNA. If you’re fit, you are also most likely living a more healthy and holistic lifestyle, which leads directly to great skin health and beauty.
If you're out of shape, get motivated and get after it. There’s a bazillion resources out there, but it all starts with YOU. I’d highly recommend lifting weights or some sort of resistance training.
I would also HIGHLY recommend a regular routine of stretching and mobility. As we age, our bodies get stiff and pain begins to set in. The more flexible and mobile our bodies are the more likely we will remain limber and in great health. So get moving!
QUICK UPDATE: Resistance Training makes you look younger. Really!
A recent study concluded that resistance training shows "significant improvements" in skin elasticity and dermal thickness. Check it out:
"Resistance training rejuvenates aging skin by reducing circulating inflammatory factors and enhancing dermal extracellular matrices"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10290068/
Sweating/Sauna: This ties in closely with exercise, since exercise should involve perspiration. Hey, sweating is great for your skin!
Your SLEEP habits and cycle: This is incredibly important. Have you ever heard of “getting your beauty rest? Of course you have. Poor sleep habits, especially over time will RAVAGE your looks, health, and skin health. If your sleep is off, get it fixed.
(I shouldn’t have to say this, but also regularly change sheets & pillowcases and try to stick with cotton fabrics or silk. Stay away from the polyester.)
HEALTHY sun exposure: I don’t know where the whole “sun is bad for you” thing started, but I believe it’s mostly nonsense. In fact, I believe some healthy sun exposure is essential for optimum human health.
I live in the Sonoran Desert, go into the sun for a bit every day, and I never burn and never wear sunscreen. The sun controls many metabolic functions and has vast health benefits. (Of course you're aware of the importance of vitamin D...) Get some healthy sun exposure in your life, but without ANY burning.
Last, but not least, EXTERNAL/TOPICAL
There are MANY compounds and ingredients that can improve the health and beauty of our skin and even repair existing damage. Much of what works for you is based on your skin type and some testing. Longer term, a huge factor is consistency.
There are so many topical skincare products it can make your brain freeze up. We have cleansers, toners, exfoliators, serums, oils, lotions, creams, sunscreens, face masks, eye creams, “active” ingredients like retinoids, vitamins, hyaluronic acid, peptides… and on and on…
It comes down to this: What does the product promise, does it deliver on its promise, and what ingredients does it contain? Unfortunately, there’s lots of puffery and fraud without real results in the world of cosmetics.
As consumers, we need to be able to discern what’s true and what’s nonsense. There’s lots of products that deliver on their promises and there’s lots that don’t. Do some homework, look at the integrity of the companies, and choose wisely.
(Also: Learning how to read an ingredient list is a great skillset these days!) There are lots of bad/toxic ingredients out there that you want to avoid. Here’s another blog on that topic:
The key is finding what works for you that won’t harm you or your skin and sticking with it. At a minimum, find quality moisturizers for face and body and use them religiously.
I’ve thought about these issues so much [I am getting older too [cough] that I recently launched a product to target wrinkles, sun-damage (aka photo-aging), ‘crepey’ skin, uneven skin tone, and stretch marks.
Check this out:
I wish I did a before and after, but my forearms had some quite severe photo-aging/sun damage from years of working in the sun and now living in the desert. I tested this formula on myself before it hit the market for several months and look at my skin now (from a recent podcast episode.)
I do take great care of myself, but YES, I believe and I’m living proof that it is possible to improve the appearance of some of these condition--no matter our age.
Here’s a link to the product page with lots of information on Evolve Skin Repair and the rock-star list of ingredients including elastin, squalane, Coenzyme Q10, olive oil extracts and many others...
https://noble-body.com/products/evolve-skin-repair
AND ONE MORE THING: It’s 50% off for a short time if you’d like to try it. NO CODE NEEDED. (And don’t forget my ‘insane’ six month 100% satisfaction guarantee on all products).
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Regards and many thanks for reading.
Peace, good health, and Love to everyone.
Johnny Noble, July 2023
©Noble Body LLC 2023
