Getting older has its perks. You make your own decisions, get into clubs legally, and actually enjoy barrel-aged whiskey.
However, for men, getting older also can also come with skin that looks like patinated leather luggage. Why? Most guys don’t take care of their skin like they should.
There’s a difference between aging gracefully and completely ignoring skincare. You can age gracefully and still be proactive in the fight. Simple lifestyle adjustments and using real, actual skin care formulated especially for the pH balance of a man’s skin can help you look as young as you feel (or at least as young as you act).
If you’re noticing signs of aging-fine lines, slack skin, uneven skin tone, or eyes that look like you haven’t slept in a few nights (or years), we can help. We’ll cover why you look as old as you do and give you three tricks to help you fight back.
How’d I Get So Old?
At some point you look in the mirror and see a different face. Your eyes look tired, you begin noticing your skin isn’t as vibrant as it used to be; to be honest, your face looks hungover. Maybe you just need coffee… or a facelift.
Before you consider extremes, let’s find out what’s making you look older in the first place.
Sun Exposure
In your teens and twenties you spent every summer day outdoors, and unless your mom insisted, you never wore sunscreen. Those days spent roasting in the sun may have made your skin peel as a kid, but the real damage is only visible now.
Photoaging is the result of sun exposure and can include premature wrinkling, loss of skin elasticity, and sunspots. Not only can sun exposure age your skin faster than it would normally age, it can also cause skin cancer.
The foremost cause of premature aging is sun exposure, which is why it’s so crucial to wear sunscreen and protective gear when you’re outdoors.
Excessive Alcohol Use
We like to party as much as the next guy, but excessive, long-term use of alcohol isn’t just bad for your life, it’s bad for your skin. Even one night of boozing it up causes your skin to become dehydrated, which makes fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable.
Keep binging every week and you could even end up with broken blood vessels on your skin that cause your face to look like a roadmap.
Excessive alcohol consumption can also aggravate other skin conditions, like eczema and rosacea, all while robbing you of deep REM sleep (causing eye bags) and leaving you feeling like trash the next day.
Dietary Demons
Maybe ten years ago you could eat and drink whatever you wanted without any repercussions, but as you age, your body handles calories and dietary ingredients differently.
Sugar, especially, is really bad on your skin. It can exacerbate underlying skin conditions like acne and rosacea, but it’s also a major contributing factor to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in your skin.
Collagen is what keeps your skin looking youthful and firm, so when you lose it, the result is older looking skin.
Smoking
You already know it’s a bad habit, but aside from major health concerns, smoking also ages your skin and hurts your complexion.
Smoking a chemical-laden cigarette pollutes your skin and causes blood vessels to constrict, robbing your skin of oxygen. The chemicals in cigarettes are also so toxic they can permanently damage your skin’s elasticity and overall health.
Additionally, repetitively pursing your lips to inhale will cause you to develop fine, vertical lines around your lips and mouth which are anything but sexy.
3 Tricks on How To Age Gracefully
You know what’s making you look older, so what can you do to change it? The good news is, a lot. In addition to some lifestyle changes, taking good care of your skin can keep it in prime condition.
Here are 3 tricks on how to age gracefully you can use right now.
1. Take Advantage of SPF 30
Sunscreen has been referred to as the most effective anti-aging product available. Simply using sunscreen (every single day) can dramatically reduce the amount of fine lines and wrinkles you see as you get older, and can definitely reduce your risk of developing skin related cancer.
When you’re in direct sun, wear a hat and glasses in addition to sunscreen and make sure you reapply according to the package directions.
2. Clean Up Your Act
If you really want to get serious about battling premature aging, you’re going to have to make some lifestyle changes. Reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet (FYI, the recommended daily allowance is about 36 grams for adult men).
Cut down on alcohol consumption. Limit yourself to 1-2 drinks when you go out and you’ll not only look younger, you won’t feel dead the morning after you go out.
Stop smoking. You know it’s bad for you, and the sooner you stop the sooner you stop the better. Trust us, future you will thank you for it.
3. Use Good Skincare
Man up and get some decent skincare. The same soap and water routine you’ve had since childhood doesn’t work for adult skin. Get into the habit of using a bare minimum three-step process of cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing with something containing some good oils like macadamia oil. to develop a good skincare routine Here’s how.
Let’s Disco
If you want to stay looking forever young, you have to put in some effort in, in terms of skin care, and that means more than splashing water on your face in the shower.
Lucky for you, Disco’s entire skincare line is just as easy.
Cleanse
This ain’t your sister’s face wash. Disco’s Face Cleanser Stick digs deep into your manly pores to scoop out dirt and oil while phytic acid helps supercharge your skin’s cellular turnover.
Phytic acid, which is a mild alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) helps accelerate the skin cell cycle.
Faster skin cell cycle = new skin cells.
New skin cells = younger skin.
Our cleanser also contains coconut oil so it won’t leave your skin feeling dry and dehydrated, which can make fine lines and wrinkles more prominent.
Exfoliate
One of the most age-defying actions you can take is exfoliating your skin at least twice a week. Exfoliating removes the top layer of dead skin cells and dirt, which encourage your skin to make new skin cells faster. It also leaves your skin cleaner, smoother, and helps you get a better shave.
Disco’s Exfoliating Face Scrub contains papaya to gently exfoliate your skin. Aloe and apricot oil hydrate your skin leaving it feeling refreshed, also helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Moisturize
Skin that is dehydrated will naturally look older. In addition to hydrating your body properly, you need to hydrate your skin. Disco’s Hydrating Face Moisturizer is packed with ingredients that penetrate the skin deeply, leaving it hydrated all day.
Our moisturizer contains vitamin E to protect your skin against age-causing free radicals, macadamia nut oil that has anti-aging properties, and a healthy dose of vitamin C to help brighten and even out skin tone.
The Eyes Have It
Nothing shows your age more than your eyes, and you can fight back against fine lines and wrinkles by using an eye care product that’s powerful enough to make it look like you’ve never gone to bed past 9:00 p.m.
Disco’s Repairing Eye Stick not only helps visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes, it also contains ingredients like caffeine to help depuff your eyes and help you look more refreshed and alert.
If you’ve got dark circles under your eyes from a late night of -- ahem -- “studying,” the Repairing Eye Stick can help. Pycnogenol is a French maritime pine tree derivative that helps reduce the appearance of dark circles.
Keep It Natural
When approaching your skin from an aging perspective, it’s crucial to use products that work synergistically with your skin, not against it. Most of the stuff you find on store shelves is packed with harsh chemicals that could irritate your skin or even be toxic.
Using Disco’s skincare is the equivalent of living in a leaf covered lean-to by a lake where you catch your own meals. In other words, our products are natural, and the ingredients in them are derived from nature.
We don’t include harsh chemicals or known toxins in our products, and we’re specific about what goes into them. When you read the ingredients label, you can be sure everything listed has a specific, skin-beneficial purpose, including helping you age gracefully.
You don’t have to spend a ton of time or money to look good. You just need to take better care of yourself, and your skin. Now get off your device and get outside; just put some sunscreen on first.
Sources:
https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/sun-damage
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drinking
