Can You Really Get Rid Of Wrinkles?
Skincare, diet, sleep and exercise are important factors when it comes to how your skin ages. But can you completely erase your fine lines and wrinkles with smart lifestyle choices alone? Short answer: no. But are there ways to reduce them and even slow down the signs of visible ageing while learning to love your lines? Absolutely! …
Fine lines and wrinkles are all part of your skin’s ageing process. They’re an important part of who you are and tell an amazing story of how far you’ve come in life.
At 68, Belgian-American fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg put it perfectly, in her 2014 memoir, The Woman I Wanted To Be.
“In my older face, I see my life. Every wrinkle, every smile line, every age spot… Your wrinkles reflect the roads you have taken; they form the map of your life… My face carries all my memories. Why should I erase them?”
Hear hear, Diane!
However, accepting your crow’s feet and forehead crinkles, and not being angry about what time has done to your skin is easier said than done. And when there are so many options out there that really can erase your wrinkles (think Botox, fillers and face lifts), it’s hard to turn a blind eye to skin ageing and learn to love your lines.
So, what’s the happy medium? Well, we truly believe smart lifestyle choices, effective skincare and emotional wellness are the absolute key to minimising the visible signs of skin ageing. Of course, they won’t wipe them out completely. But that’s OK. We’re here to help you achieve your best skin, as naturally and as healthy as possible.
Below, ten of the most effective ways to maintain plump, firm skin and simultaneously help your inevitable wrinkles look softer for longer – without eradicating the real ‘you,’ of course.
1. Wear Sunscreen
Daily sun protection is so obvious… yet it’s the skincare product that’s most often forgotten about. And that’s a massive mistake.
UV radiation is the biggest cause of premature wrinkles, so if you’re serious about maintaining your youthful good looks, you’d be mad not to apply a broad-spectrum sun cream on your face (and neck) every morning. Not only will this keep new wrinkles from forming, but it’ll stop the ones you already have from getting worse. Win-win.
Apply our fan-favourite MOISTUREBURST SPF30 every morning as the last step in your routine. No excuses.
2. Love Your Antioxidants: Inside & Out
Antioxidants neutralise free radicals which form in your skin when you expose it to environmental bad guys like pollution, toxins and of course, that pesky sun. Free radicals are your skin’s enemy, weakening its structure and elasticity, and accelerating the signs of ageing without a second thought. Want to win the war on ageing? Then antioxidants are key.
You can up your antioxidant game in two simple ways. 1. Eat more antioxidant-rich foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, green tea, whole grains, beans, nuts and spices. And 2. Apply topical antioxidants to your skin in the form of synthetic ingredients like vitamin C and E, plus natural botanicals.
Our powerful Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil is a great addition to your regime – the clue is in the name, after all! It’s packed with vitamin C as well as 20 plant oils which are extremely high in natural antioxidants. Quite frankly, free radicals stand no chance.
3. Apply Moisturiser Twice Daily
Skin that’s poorly moisturised will lack both water and oils which spells disaster for your complexion. An effective moisturiser like our Imperial Moisturiser seals in hydration to keep your skin soft, plump and supple, and by doing so temporarily smooths your lines and helps slow down the formation of new ones. Can’t say fairer than that.
Whatever your skin type, moisturise every morning and night after cleansing, toning and applying your treatment serum.
4. Don’t Smoke
Smoking is seriously bad news for your skin. Cigarettes are packed with more than 4000 chemicals that destroy collagen and elastin, accelerating the formation of lines, wrinkles, sagging and dark spots.
Nicotine also causes your blood vessels to narrow, depriving your skin of invaluable oxygen and nutrients. Oh, and need we mention the deep lines smoking causes around your mouth and eyes due to all that repetitive squinting and lip pursing?
We repeat, seriously bad news.
5. Exfoliate Regularly
One of our favourite ways to help soften wrinkles is through regular, but gentle exfoliation.
Exfoliating your skin not only accelerates cellular turnover for glowing, smoother skin, but it boosts circulation, promotes healing and helps the rest of your skincare products penetrate your skin more easily, enabling them to do their job better.
For beautifully exfoliated skin, without causing dryness or irritation, apply Natural Luminosity Scrub daily. Work it gently over moist skin for around 30 seconds before rinsing thoroughly.
6. Look After Your Barrier Function
The uppermost layer of your skin is what’s commonly known as your skin’s barrier and it’s vital for the health, look and feel of your skin as it works hard to keep moisture in and damaging toxins out. This means if you want to keep lines and wrinkles at bay, you have to look after your barrier function.
One of the most important ways to do this is to treat it kindly. Of course, the aforementioned sunscreen and moisturiser are vital, but you must also be careful about how you cleanse. Cleansers can be packed with synthetic fragrance and stripping chemicals like sulphates which break down your skin’s barrier without you even knowing it.
Instead of using a harsh, astringent face wash, stick with our gentle Crystal Cleanser which is sulphate-free and cares for your skin as you cleanse.
7. Go Subtle With Your Make-Up
Heavy make-up can seep into your wrinkles, making them appear worse than they really are. Kind of counter-productive, don’t you think?
We believe the best kind of make-up coverage is the kind you can barely see. Keep foundation to a minimum – applying it only where you need it – or better yet stick with Organic Tinted Moisturiser With SPF 25 which protects your skin while giving you subtle, radiant coverage.
8. Up Your Quality ZZZs
Getting less than your recommended eight hours of kip messes up your hormones, slows down collagen production and reduces the rate in which your skin turns over. All this seriously affects the youthful appearance of your skin, so look after yourself and get thee to bed. That last episode of your favourite Netflix show can wait until tomorrow.
To help your skin rejuvenate and heal as you sleep, cleanse, tone, treat and moisturise with Night Elixir before turning in. Oh, and overnight is also a great time to care for the skin around your eyes with Imperial Eye Gel. Just saying.
Need some tips for a better night’s sleep? We can help with that, right here.
9. Embrace Retinol
Retinol works harder than almost any other ingredient to keep your skin looking younger for longer. And decades of research prove it. Retinol works by ‘communicating’ with your skin on a cellular level to accelerate collagen and elastin production, repair connective tissue, nullify free radicals and stimulate turnover. Honestly, it really is that good.
Retinol can be very potent, however, so tread carefully, especially when using it for the first time. Instead of full-on retinol, we use retinyl palmitate in our Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum which is gentler, but still mightily effective. Introduce it slowly into your routine – once or twice a week is ideal – then increase to daily as your skin gets acclimated.
10. Curb Your Sugar Cravings
High sugar and high-glycemic foods are extremely ageing because they damage your skin through a process called glycation. This is when excess sugar molecules attach themselves to fats and proteins (namely collagen), causing them to stiffen and weaken. And when this continually happens you can say goodbye to plump, strong skin and hello to sagging and fine lines.
Reduce the amount of refined sugar and bad carbs in your diet, swapping them out for honey and good carbs like brown rice and wholemeal bread.
Be afraid, fine lines and wrinkles, be very afraid.