3 Things That Are Ageing Your Skin Faster Than You’d Like
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Have you heard the news friends???
In case you were too busy eating pasta, sipping on cocktails and gallivanting around Europe the last few weeks, let me catch you up to speed my beauty-obsessed friends because you may have just missed the biggest beauty news in Australia!
(Or, if you’re about to hop on a flight to Europe, I’ve got your in-flight entertainment and beauty fix sorted).
Back to the exciting news…
We have just doubled your dose of unfiltered beauty with an extra Beauty IQ podcast episode every Wednesday!
Every week, skin therapist Tegan Mac and I will be in your ears to bring you hot beauty takes, expert beauty advice as well as our favourite juicy segments including ‘Adore Anonymous’ where we anwser the questions you might be too afraid to ask out loud like, “How do I tell a friend they have bad breath?” or “How do I help eyelid sagging?” and there’s even more juicy ones on the way.
We also have another fun segment called “Win, Bin or Recycle” - you’ll have to listen to find out more.
On our second Beauty IQ Expert episode, we take you through some lifestyle habits and factors you probably didn’t know were ageing your skin.
I’ve shared three of them with you below as well as Tegan’s expert tips on how to slow down the accelerated signs of ageing by adopting or letting go of some of these habits.
Of course, you’ll have to listen to the episode (you can do so on Apple podcasts here or wherever you get your podcasts!) to find out the rest.
1. Not Wearing Your SPF Even in Winter and Even Indoors.
If you cast your mind back to Adore Beauty’s SPF 365 campaign, it was basically a not-so-gentle-reminder that you should be wearing your SPF all year round. A non-negotiable!
Yes, even in winter and yes even if you’re indoors.
Why? Because as Tegan explains, “Any sun exposure will come through windows in your house and even your car when you're driving around.”
She recommends applying your sunscreen daily even when indoors (especially if you’re exposed to windows) as “you’re still being exposed to UV.”
Tegan also warns not to solely rely on the SPF that's formulated in your makeup and moisturisers, this is *secondary* and you still need your standalone SPF 50+ protection folks!
Here are some SPFs you may want to try:
- AB LAB by Adore Beauty Dewy-C SPF50+ Facial Sun Milk 75mL - Has a dewy finish and works well under makeup.
- Beauti-fltr Feather Light SPF 50+ - Want a budget-friendly SPF you can wear at home or indoors everyday? This one is only $25 for 75g, is lightweight, oil-free and comes in recyclable packaging.
- Ultra Violette Fave Fluid SPF50+ Ultralight SKINSCREEN 75ml - delivers a soft, natural finish and the highest SPF 50 protection with no heavy or sticky feeling (perfect for indoors).
2. Blue Light Exposure.
“We’re living in such a big tech world. We’ve got phones, we’ve got laptops, TVs etc. we have to think about the effect that's going to have on our eyes, our skin and our sleep.” says Tegan.
Why should you avoid a lot of blue light exposure particulalrly before bed?
“UV light exposure in high amounts can accelerate ageing, cause hyperpigmentation and damage the eyes.”
NO thank you!
So what is Tegan’s expert advice for avoiding this as much as possible?
We know this is one of the hardest things to do, but Tegan suggests limiting tech items before bed so that you can have a better sleep at night.
Because lack of sleep can also lead to fast-ageing skin.
Did you know there’s also an “optimal temperature” for good sleep?
It’s not what you’d expect (frankly, I was quite surprised by the answer) so you’ll have to listen to the whole episode to find out what that is!
Need help winding down after locking your screen?
Try these:
- Kitsch Satin pillow eyemask - charcoal - One of our lovely AB staffers Div shared that he bought this in his recent staff order as he finds it hard to shut off. This not only makes for a relaxing experience, it also shuts out all traces of light.
- L'Occitane Cocon De Serenite Relaxing Pillow Mist 100ml - Summon a restful sleep with a relaxing mist like this one. AB Customer Pooja says, “It makes the body feel relaxed and I can sleep so easily when I spray it on my pillow."
- Weleda Relaxing Body Oil - Lavender, 100ml - There’s no better feeling than coddling skin in a relaxing oil post-shower before you wind down for bed. This fast-absorbing one by Weleda promotes calm in the body and mind and contains a light blend of sweet almond and organic sesame oil that hydrates the skin, while the lavender scent helps you relax and encourages a restful sleep. AB Customer Beth says, “This lavender body oil is great to pop on before bed for a calming and relaxing sleep. Nothing helps me sleep better than the scent of lavender.”
3. Not Cleansing Properly.
I get it, when you come home after a late night out, the absolute LAST thing you want to do is cleanse your face and do your elaborate skincare routine.
I’m guilty of this myself, however, if you can be bothered you should actually take the time to cleanse your face and “Take off all the other stuff that's come into contact with your skin during the day.”
“If you were out, sweating, hands were touching your face, that's all on your skin.” says Tegan.
Listen to the episode to hear Tegan’s tip for a quick cleanse if you’re too lazy to do the whole shebang.
If you're one of those diligent people who double cleanses before bed (read why you should double cleanse here) - even better!
To make things easy, I personally love using a comforting cleansing oil or balm to melt off makeup, grime and SPF especially when I'm feeling tired.
It almost feels like a relaxing spa experience which makes me look forward to cleansing properly.
I’ll then give my face a quick rinse and swipe over my micellar water on a cotton round to whisk away any leftover residue.
Here’s some cleansing oils and balms that feel great on the skin and will make you actually want to cleanse every night:
- Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil Makeup Remover for Sensitive Skin 150ml - One of my absolute favourite cleansing oils, sensitive on the eyes and does a stellar job at melting off the day.
- AB LAB by Adore Beauty Dewy-C Enzymatic Cleansing Balm 100ml with Vitamin C and Fruit Enzymes - Why not gently exfoliate your face while your treating it to this lush cleansing balm? Two birds, one stone.
- CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser 236ml - Another personal cleansing oil favourite, this one is only $25 for 236mL so not only are you getting a gentle, effective clean, you're also getting massive bang for your buck. This one is formulated with CeraVe's 3 essential ceramides making it a perfect option for winter.
Finally...
Remember ageing is a beautiful thing, and we are so lucky to age, however incorporating these small things (plus some other tips Tegan takes us through in the episode) can help slow down premature ageing.
And if there's only one thing you take away from this (we think the most important) Tegan says, just remember to always wear your sunscreen!
You can listen to the full episode here:
Keen for more skincare knowledge and excellent skincare recommendations? Check these out next:
