Key Points
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best practices for anti-aging in your 40s include having a proper skincare routine.
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Eat healthy foods high in vitamins, fiber, and protein to look and feel young inside and out.
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Follow anti-aging tips for your 40s that involve exercise.
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Get in check with your mental health by meditating and getting proper sleep.
Turning 40 doesn’t have to make you feel like your best days are behind you. Though you're not quite elderly, your skin changes in new ways. Your wrinkles are more pronounced. Your skin is drier and less supple. You don’t have to accept this fate! If you want to feel and look younger, follow these specific anti-aging tips for your 40s.
Anti-aging tips for your 40s include changing your skincare routine, eating healthy, exercising daily, and caring for your mental health. It may sound easier said than done, but when you follow routines that better your body and mind, you feel better and look better.
Read on to learn how anti-aging works in your 40s.
Establish a Good Skin Care Routine
In your 40s, wearing sunscreen and using makeup wipes to wash your face is not enough. Wash your face with a cleanser to remove any dirt and oil that clog your pores. If your complexion looks dry and patchy, exfoliate your skin a few days a week with a scrub. Quench your skin's thirst and use moisturizers that hydrate your skin.
These facial products do wonders:
Cleanser
Cleanser does more than wash away the grime from your face. Most cleansers contain hydrating properties that nourish your skin while fighting against harmful bacteria. Choose a gentle cleansing formula that purifies your skin, like Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Daily Facial Cleanser.
by Neutrogena
This Neutrogena cleanser contains glycerin: a humectant that pulls moisture from the air and absorbs it into the outer layer of your skin. It's perfect if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Make it a habit to wash your face at least once daily to cleanse your skin of dirt and makeup.
Exfoliator
Collagen production decreases in your 40s, so your skin lacks moisture and becomes drier. Collagen is a protein that gives joints, bones, and tendons their form and moveability. When your body doesn't produce enough collagen, your skin appears less elastic and loses moisture.
by Era Organics
Find an exfoliator made to cleanse away the dead skin that makes your face look rough and dull. The Era Organics Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub contains aloe vera, manuka honey, and walnut shells. Aloe vera produces a cooling effect that calms irritated skin. Manuka honey is antibacterial and fights against germs that clog your pores and cause acne.
Instead of using microbeads, this scrub uses earth-friendly walnut shells. Walnut shells remove dead skin and leave your skin looking fresh. Use a loofah or washcloth to gently exfoliate your face.
Eye Cream
Reduce the appearance of crow’s feet with an eye cream formulated for aging skin. The skin around your eyes is thin and delicate, losing elasticity and strength over time. Eye creams benefit the appearance of your skin by reducing puffiness and smoothing out wrinkles.
by RoC
Find an eye cream with retinol like the RoC Retinol Correxion Under Eye Cream. Retinol benefits your skin because it increases collagen production and reduces wrinkle formation.
Look for eye creams that also contain emollients. CeraVe Eye Cream has hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides. Hyaluronic acid and niacinamide moisten your skin, making it softer and firmer. Ceramides form a protective barrier over the top layer of your skin to lock moisture in place.
Dab eye cream around the corners of your eyes to diminish the sight of crow's feet and other fine lines.
Day Cream
by L'Oreal Paris
Don't skimp on a good day cream that nourishes your face throughout the day. Day creams work wonders for dry skin. Some creams, like the L'Oreal Paris Skin Care Revitalift Triple Power Moisturizer, contain hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. If you suffer from dull-looking skin, vitamin C brightens your complexion. With its antioxidant properties, vitamin C fights against free radicals, which damage your skin's cells.
by Estee Lauder
Though it sounds contradictory, oily skin needs day cream to regulate oil production. If you don't moisturize your skin, it overcompensates by producing more oil, which causes breakouts. Choose a matte day cream that doesn't feel greasy, like the Estee Lauder Daywear Matte Oil Control Anti-Oxidant Moisture Gel Cream.
Some active ingredients in the Estee Lauder day cream are glycol and glycerin. Both are humectants that enrich your skin with hydration. Pat a quarter-sized amount of day cream onto your cheeks, chin, and forehead as part of your skincare routine.
Night Cream
Replenish your skin while you're counting sheep. While day creams protect your skin during the day against pollution and sun rays, night creams repair your skin from daytime damage. One significant difference between day and night creams is that day creams contain SPF. Unlike day creams, night creams feel thicker and creamier.
by SheaMoisture
Look for a night cream with shea butter, like the Shea Moisture Even & Radiant Raw Honey Night Cream. Shea butter provides many benefits to your skin by calming irritation and protecting against environmental pollutants.
by L'Oreal Paris
Another ingredient of effective night creams is vitamin E, an antioxidant that reduces facial inflammation and the appearance of dark under-eye circles. The L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Anti-Aging Midnight Cream is perfect for nighttime use. Smooth the cream onto your cheeks and forehead to lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as you sleep.
Serums
Facial serums are different from regular skin creams. While both have hydrating properties, facial serums are oil-based, lightweight, highly-concentrated formulations.
by Elastalift
Your face loses volume, and your skin starts to sag because collagen production declines in your 40s. Pick a facial serum, like Elastalift Collagen Facial Serum, that plumps and lifts aging skin. Rub a few drops of this anti-aging serum into your cheeks and forehead.
by Jolie
If you have uneven and rough skin, check out an exfoliating serum that contains lactic or malic acids, like Jolie Glycolic Serum. Both are alpha-hydroxy acids that exfoliate your skin and eliminate dead skin cells. Put a few drops of Jolie serum on your face daily to revitalize your dull skin tone.
Face Masks
Face masks, including clay, mud, or gel, come in all forms. They aid in anti-aging by reducing the appearance of pores, clearing way bacteria, and healing dry skin. All skin types benefit from using face masks, whether your skin is combination, oily, or dry.
by New York Biology
The New York Biology Dead Sea Mud Mask exfoliates dead skin cells and clears away pore-clogging bacteria. This mud mask contains aloe vera, calendula oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E. Calendula oil heals skin abnormalities like eczema, whereas jojoba oil prevents breakouts.
Establish a Healthy Anti-Aging Diet
The saying, "You are what you eat," is true. Once you hit 40, the comfort foods you once loved affect your health and weight faster than in your younger years. When you eat healthy foods, you fight against aging, boost your immunity, and provide sustainable nutrients for your body.
Seldom are healthy foods made with saturated fats and lots of sugar. Anti-aging foods contain fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Build a healthy diet by eating these foods:
Avocados
Smooth and buttery, there's nothing better than eating avocado toast with yoked eggs on top sprinkled with sea salt and pepper. Avocados are more than just a trendy food item. They're rich in vitamins C and E and filled with fiber. Fiber regulates your blood sugar and maintains your bowel health.
Eating avocados benefits your heart because they contain beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that fights against high cholesterol. Avocados also support bone health because their vitamin K content enables calcium absorption within your body.
Berries
Berries come in all varieties, like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Dress up a bowl of cereal or oatmeal with a mix of raspberries and blueberries. Chop strawberries into small pieces and toss them into a homemade parfait with granola bits.
Whatever berries you choose, they all contain antioxidants that fight against disease. Common vitamins in berries include vitamins A and C. Vitamin A has many anti-aging advantages like minimizing lines, healing wounds, and banishing hyperpigmentation.
Beans
Beans are good for your heart. A bowl of beans fights heart disease and high cholesterol. Beans are a healthy choice as a side dish or a main dish.
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, eat beans with protein substitutes. Slice up bits of tofu into a saucepan filled with beans for a protein-rich, fiber-filled meal.
Garbanzo beans are among the healthiest because they're low in sodium and cholesterol. They contain potassium, iron, and fiber. Potassium aids muscle contraction and normalizes blood pressure, and iron supports your cognitive and musculoskeletal functions to stabilize your body.
Walnuts
Go a little nutty and munch on walnuts as a healthy snack. Walnuts are great by themselves or chopped as seasoning on top of a salad or steak. One benefit of walnuts is that they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which fight against dementia. High levels of omega-3 fatty acids inside your brain cells' membranes work with other cells that benefit your mental cognition.
Another advantage of omega-3 fatty acids inside walnuts is that it prevents the development of irregular heartbeat. Omega-3 fatty acids also lower unhealthy cholesterol while maintaining healthy cholesterol.
Vegetables
Vegetables don't need to be boring. Chew on some crunchy carrots, or gnaw on some sturdy broccoli stalks. Add more fiber to your dinner plate with vegetables, or create a salad filled with a colorful bouquet of tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, and peppers.
High in antioxidant properties, vegetables fight against various cancers and diseases. Some vegetables contain minerals like zinc and phosphorus that boost immunity, heal wounds, and strengthen your bones and teeth.
Dark Chocolate
If you have a sweet tooth, dark chocolate satiates your sugary cravings. While too much chocolate isn't good for you, a piece of dark chocolate now and then isn't problematic. A piece of dark chocolate is fine after dinner or as a nighttime snack.
Dark chocolate prevents cardiovascular disease due to its antithrombotic effects, which prevent blood clots and high blood pressure. Flavanols inside dark chocolate protect your skin from sun damage, increase hydration, and stimulate blood circulation.
Exercise Regularly to Fight Aging
Break a sweat and get your body moving. New York-based dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmur says exercise keeps your skin looking clear and fresh because increased blood flow nourishes your skin cells.
Dr. Marmur explains, "Blood increases oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body, including the skin. A bout of exercise helps flush cellular debris out of the system. You can think of it as cleansing your skin from the inside."
Once you hit your 40s, weight gain is more prevalent. It's harder to keep off the weight when your metabolism slows down. Exercising prevents excess pounds from creeping onto your waistline, maintaining a healthy heart, and strengthening your bones.
Not only are you benefiting your body, but your mood also improves. Here are some exercises ideal for your 40s.
Strength Training
You won't get bulky if you lift weights. Use dumbbells to do biceps and triceps curls. Remember to begin with light weights before moving on to heavier weights. Strength training burns calories while firming and toning your muscles.
Cardio
Get your heart racing and your blood pumping by doing cardio exercises. Cardio involves anything that allows you to move your muscles in a repetitive, rhythmic way. Swimming, walking, cycling, and running are all excellent examples of cardio.
The best thing about cardio is that you don't have to purchase expensive equipment. Take a walk in the park, or join a cycling class to get your body moving.
Yoga
Yoga is more than stretching; it's about being calm within yourself. While practicing yoga enhances your flexibility, it also combats signs of aging. Since yoga puts you in a calming state of mind, it helps relieve stress, which goes a long way to explain why it improves your skin's elasticity and reduces wrinkles.
Yoga also tones the muscles in your face. Incorporate some facial yoga techniques that smooth your forehead and tone up your cheekbones.
Mental Health Techniques That Aid Aging
Keep your skin and body young after 40 by following healthy routines. Physical well-being is essential in anti-aging processes, but mental health is also important. Remember to pay attention to your mental health along with the health of your skin and bones.
Meditation
When you meditate, you calm your mind to feel at peace. Shocking as it sounds, meditation reverses signs of aging. Your concentration levels increase, reducing memory loss and preventing dementia.
Meditation also reduces blood pressure because it increases the amount of nitric oxide in your body, which enlarges blood vessels and makes blood move quickly when your heart pumps. Take a few minutes to meditate daily to clear your mind and refresh your soul.
Sleeping
As simple as it sounds, sleeping is beneficial for anti-aging. Poor sleep affects your skin, leading to dark under-eye circles, wrinkles, and fine lines. Your blood's skin flow increases, and your organs rebuild collagen within your body when you sleep. Sleep also repairs sun damage from harmful UV rays and diminishes age spots.
In addition to benefiting your skin, proper sleep keeps you focused and alert throughout the day. You're irritable and cranky when you don't get enough sleep. Lack of sleep leads to brain fog and confusion. Staying focused on household, work, and school-related tasks becomes more difficult.
Combat poor sleep by going to sleep at the same time each night. Find a comfortable temperature for your room so you sleep soundly. Turn off all electronics and manage any distractions so you sleep peacefully. You feel – and look — better after a good night's sleep.
Staying Youthful in Your 40s
Being in your 40s doesn't mean you have to look old. While you can't avoid the natural aging process, taking care of yourself is the first step in delaying it. Basic skincare routines that involve cleansing and hydrating your face prevent the onset of wrinkles, dryness, and sagging skin.
A diet full of vitamin-enriched foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts makes your skin glow. Healthy food also improves your skin's appearance and provides the antioxidants that fight diseases brought on by age.
Just eating healthy isn't enough to stabilize your weight. Regular exercise contributes to your overall well-being and a comfortable pant size. Exercise regularly by doing workouts that make you feel good. Take care of your mental health by meditating.
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