Laugh and the world laughs with you! Frown and your face may wrinkle!

In our ongoing series of beauty tips, Paul Penders has lots of great advice about good skin and hair care to share on this blog. Do you have questions? Write to us at info@paulpenders.com. We love to hear from you!

What are some of the main causes of skin aging?

Paul Penders says:

Stress: Stress and worry can cause frowning -- and over time, the muscles in the face actually get fixed in that pattern. Be aware of your stress levels. And don’t frown!

A beneficial anti-aging program should include meditation, yoga, gentle exercise or other relaxation techniques. Trying to keep stress in check will help one to look and feel younger.

Sun exposure: Sun exposure is aging to skin. Unprotected skin exposed to the sun becomes more mottled in appearance. Freckles can turn into brown sun spots. Skin takes on a dry, leathery appearance, and wrinkles and sagging of skin increases.

The risk of skin cancer is significantly increased by sun exposure. But the good news is that sun damage is avoidable, and if one starts early, one can improve the condition of sun damaged skin. See your health care provider to assess the amount of sun damage you may have, and to rule out possible skin cancers. He or she may be able to prescribe medication that can help to reduce existing sun damage.

If you want to avoid aging skin but don’t want to avoid the sun, make sure you use sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher, and use it all year-round, even on cloudy days. Clouds do not protect you from ultraviolet ray exposure. Also try always to wear head covering as much as possible.

Lack of exercise: Living a sedentary life contributes to aging skin, because exercise helps to tone your muscles and to get blood flowing. Exercise is an important part of every anti-aging skincare programme. Physical benefits of exercise will show on the face in a younger looking appearance. Having a bright smile and lots of energy will help one to feel younger at any age.

Alcohol use: A limited amount of red wine can be beneficial to many. However too much alcohol contributes to aging skin by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin's surface where these blood vessels can become permanently damaged, creating a flushed appearance and broken blood vessels on the skin’s surface.

Cigarette smoke: Whether you smoke, or even when you spend time with a smoker, cigarette smoke is damaging and aging to your skin. Research has shown that exposure to cigarette smoke significantly increases skin wrinkles and dryness. This is partly due to the fact that smoking depletes your body of Vitamin C which is a key ingredient for keeping skin plump and moist.

Lack of sleep: Too little sleep makes one look and feel tired. One of the first places a lack of sleep shows up is on the face, with dark circles and bags under the eyes and sagging skin. Lack of sleep is also a factor in memory loss and symptoms of depression that include low interest in daily activities and negative thinking. Most adults function best with 8 hours sleep.

There’s a lot one can do to look their best at any age. Taking good care of yourself is a most important step in any anti-aging skincare program.

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To keep your skin looking its best, try Paul Penders line of skincare products including our popular Chamomile & Moringa Skin Toner.

By Paul Penders
Based on an article published in Sisters Magazine, Malaysia

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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