Youthful Skin Secrets: How to Get, Keep & Maintain Young Skin

youthful skin

We all know that we can't stay young forever, but wouldn't it be great if we could keep the radiant skin of our twenties?

Of course, skin aging is a natural part of life and we shouldn't be ashamed of getting older. But when we look at celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez we can't help but wonder how they manage to keep such a radiant glow in their 50s. Not to mention Meryl Streep, now in her 70s yet looking as radiant as ever! What's their secret?

We've done the research. It starts with the best skin care products, but there are also lifestyle factors, diets, exercise regimes, and trips to the dermatologist that come together to create that wow factor.

So are you ready for your ultimate anti-aging guide to youthful skin? Keep reading to discover 14 secrets that will help you amp up your skin care routine and achieve younger, more radiant skin!

 

More helpful reading: Skin care for women over 50

 

What Causes Skin Aging?

 

Before we dive into the things you can do to help your skin look younger, it's important to understand a few basic facts about why your skin starts to wrinkle, sag, and become duller with age.

Your skin ages in two ways: the intrinsic aging process is caused by the passing of time and your body naturally slowing down, the extrinsic aging process is caused by external factors like sun damage, toxins, and pollution.

So why do we get wrinkles? Here are the main reasons that your skin begins to lose its youthful appearance:

  • Loss of collagen – young people have a plentiful and quickly replenished supply of collagen, a protein that gives strength and structure to the skin. As we age, the body slows down and we produce less and lower quality collagen proteins.
  • Loss of elastin - Elastin is the protein responsible for how stretchy and bouncy your skin is. As we age, elastin production slows down and skin begins to lose its stretch.
  • Free radicals & inflammationFree radicals are unstable molecules produced in the body by exposure to toxins and pollutants. They wreak havoc by causing inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which damages collagen and elastin proteins in the dermis and makes your skin age more quickly.
  • Sun damage - Sun exposure produces free radicals and speeds up collagen and elastin decline in the dermis, causing the skin to dry out, wrinkle, and sag.
  • Poor diet – A diet high in sugar and processed foods generates free radicals in the body and negatively impacts your skin's strength, quality, and texture.
  • Unhealthy habits – Cigarettes and alcohol expose your body to harmful toxins, generate free radicals, and speed up the formation of wrinkles.
  • Stress – Stress produces cortisol, a hormone that impacts sebum production and causes inflammation in the skin.
  • Hormonal changes – The sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone during menopause greatly accelerates the formation of wrinkles, age spots, and sagging skin.

So it's not just the passing of time that makes your complexion age, all of the above factors contribute to how young or old your skin looks. Now let's look at how we can fix it!

 

More helpful reading: Natural remedies for menopause

 

14 Secrets to Achieving a Youthful Appearance

 

The best way to fight the signs of aging and get healthier-looking skin is to develop a powerful beauty routine that you can stick to. Here are our expert tips for making your skin appear youthful and radiant for years to come:

 

1. Protect Your Skin From the Sun

 

We can't stress this enough – the number one way to keep your skin looking younger for longer is sun protection. Photoaged skin will suffer from more pigmentation issues, have a higher risk of skin cancer, and be quicker to wrinkle and sag than the skin of people who protect themselves from the sun's UV rays.

In fact, a 2013 study of 298 women suggests that 80% of visible signs of aging on the face are caused by UV exposure. That's a whole lot of damage! 1

The best ways to keep your complexion safe from the sun's rays are:

  • Stay in the shade – Avoid direct sunlight when it is the strongest, which is between 11 am and 4 pm. Seek shade where possible during those hours for maximum protection.
  • Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen – A broad-spectrum sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Aim for a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, even on cloudy days.
  • Wear sun-protective clothing – Wear loose, natural fabrics that cover your skin on hot sunny days.

To maintain a youthful appearance, it's important to remember to look after more than just your face. Your neck, hands, and shoulders are particularly vulnerable to sun damage and these areas tend to show the signs of your age first.

 

More helpful reading: How to apply sunscreen

 

2. Cleanse Twice Daily

 

It's important to keep your skin clean to keep excess oil, dirt, and bacteria at bay, all of which can give you duller, older-looking skin. Remove your makeup with a gentle cleanser or makeup remover every night without fail to avoid blemishes and breakouts and to limit dead skin cell buildup – the antithesis of a radiant, youthful complexion.

You should also use a gentle cleanser with a pH balance of 5.5, which will protect your skin barrier and keep your complexion resistant to damage. Active ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid can help with that.

Be sure to keep the water lukewarm, not hot, when washing your face and removing makeup, as hot water can dry out your skin and cause harm to your collagen supplies.

 

We review the best facial cleansers here:

https://www.renewskinco.com/blogs/i/best-face-wash

 

3. Exfoliate to Remove Dead Skin Cells

 

Exfoliating can give your skin an instant shot of youth and vitality. If you have any dead skin cells lingering on your face, they will make your complexion look dull, lifeless, and old. That's true whether you're in your 30s or your 60s!

Exfoliating with toners or treatments containing alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) will help dissolve the bonds that keep dead skin cells on your face, allowing them to slough away and reveal a more youthful complexion. If you have an oily skin type, look out for products containing salicylic acid (BHA), or if you have a more dry or sensitive skin type, AHAs like glycolic or azelaic acid are best.

 

More helpful reading: What do dead skin cells look like?

 

4. Boost Collagen Production With Supplements

 

Collagen is the fibrous protein responsible for the strength and structure of the dermis, which is the foundational layer of your skin. Without it, the skin would wrinkle and sag, and this is exactly what happens as we get older and our bodies produce less and less of this important protein.

A high-quality supplement like Taut Liquid Collagen can support your body's natural collagen production process. It works by using a high dosage (13,000 mg per bottle) of hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides, which enter your bloodstream and trigger your skin cells to make more collagen fibers and repair damaged collagen molecules.

Alongside this collagen boost, Taut's premium formula also contains elastin peptides, for skin elasticity; hyaluronic acid, for plumping hydration; grape seed extract and vitamin C, for brightening and protecting; and ceramide, to protect your skin barrier.

Our signature liquid collagen drink is a natural, powerful, and effective solution to fight the signs of aging and restore your youthful healthy skin from within. 

What are the top collagen drink benefits? RenewSkin Inc. investigates.

 

5. Increase Skin Cell Turnover With Retinol

 

Retinol is an ingredient derived from vitamin A, and it's extremely effective at fighting the signs of age because it can speed up skin cell turnover, increase skin elasticity, and support collagen production. This in turn helps fade sunspots, reduce fine lines, minimize blemishes, and increase radiance.

Before you rush into using it, you should know that retinol has a catch. Have you heard of retinol burn? It's a common reaction to this potent ingredient, which causes redness, dryness, and peeling on your skin, especially when you first start using it.

When you start out with retinol, make sure to use it at night before you go to sleep, and start with a low concentration just once or twice a week. Follow up the next morning with sunscreen SPF 30 or higher, too, because retinol can also increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun.

 

Learn more about how retinol serum benefits your complexion here.

 

6. Hydrate With Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

 

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a humectant that can attract and retain up to 1000 times its weight in water in the dermis. As you can imagine, this has a seriously plumping, smoothing, and hydrating effect on your skin!

You'll find this natural moisturizer ingredient in everything from cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and even dermal fillers. A daily moisturizer with HA is a great tool to keep in your skincare routine, as long as it contains a high-quality HA and is not contaminated by unnatural, harmful ingredients like sulfates.

Our secret to youthful skin, however, takes hydration one step further with hyaluronic acid pills. Taut Hydrate is our hydrating supplement containing 99% pure, plant-based hyaluronic acid along with grape seed extract.

What makes supplements like this so special? By ingesting this hydrating acid, you are providing your skin with moisture and plumpness at a deep level, where topical products and fillers can't penetrate.

Two capsules per day will help combat thin skin, dryness, wrinkles, and sagging, enabling you to plump, smooth, and fill out your complexion from within. For younger-looking skin, without the fuss!

 

Wondering how to plump skin? RenewSkin Inc. explains here.

 

7. Brighten With Vitamin C

 

Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is a key ingredient in combating premature skin aging because it is a cofactor in collagen production and it has powerful antioxidant properties, meaning it can stave off free radicals and keep inflammation and oxidative stress at bay.

The benefits of vitamin C for skin include:

  • Brighter, more radiant, and more even skin tone
  • Protection against pollution, toxins, and UV rays
  • Faster collagen production
  • Improved skin texture
  • Faded acne scars and reduced pigmentation

Try a serum or daily moisturizer with 5-20% ascorbic acid, with the lighter formulas being more suitable for sensitive skin types. If you use your L-ascorbic acid in the morning, it will add an extra layer of protection against UV rays and pollution throughout your day.

 

More helpful reading:

https://www.renewskinco.com/blogs/i/best-face-serum

 

8. Protect With Antioxidants

 

Antioxidants are so important to include in your beauty products because they combat one of the key factors of skin aging that we mentioned earlier: free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in the body, preventing them from harming collagen and elastin in your dermis. This adds an extra layer of protection that can make or break how light, bright, and youthful your complexion looks!

Some important antioxidants to include in your skincare regimen include:

  • L-glutathione – the "mother of all antioxidants" that flushes toxins from your body. 2
  • Green tea – an anti-inflammatory agent that can help reduce redness, irritation, and swelling.
  • Grape seed extract – a powerful bioflavonoid that helps protect skin and its collagen from free radicals formed at the cellular level.
  • Vitamin E – helps reduce UV damage and soften skin.

Antioxidants in serums, essential oils, and masks can help tackle sunspots, pigmentation issues, and fine lines to give your skin a more youthful glow.

A supplement like Taut Bright can help tackle more stubborn pigmentation problems, using an expert formula containing 7 antioxidants and active ingredients to protect against cellular damage, inhibit melanin production, fade hyperpigmentation and age spots, and lighten your skin naturally.

 

More helpful reading: How to remove age spots

 

9. Treat Yourself to Regular Face Masks

 

Aside from your daily skin care products, it's important to treat your skin to a little TLC every now and again. Our favorite way to do this is with a relaxing face mask, which will infuse your complexion with a potent dose of nutrients and some much-needed hydration.

An indulgent sheet mask such as Taut Collagen Mask can help you to relax, destress, and nourish your skin in one 15-minute treatment. Our luxurious formula is infused with collagen peptides, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and botanical squalene, which work synergistically to hydrate, tone, and brighten your complexion.

The results? Plumper, smoother, and more radiant skin that feels red-carpet ready!

 

10. Strengthen & Tone With Facial Yoga

 

We've all tried a version of yoga at some stage in our lives, but have you ever heard of yoga for your face?

We have 57 muscles in our face and scalp, and the idea behind facial yoga is that these muscles can be toned and tightened just like any of our other muscles. By toning and tightening these muscles, we can help improve the structure of our faces and get what feels like an all-natural facelift.

If you can commit to daily facial exercises, facial yoga can help tone and tighten sagging skin, wake up some underused facial muscles, and improve blood flow for a healthier complexion. Combine your exercises with some lymphatic drainage massage to really feel the benefits!

 

More helpful reading: How to get rid of jowls

 

11. Make Some Healthy Lifestyle Changes

 

Aside from your anti-aging skin care routine, it's important to remember that healthy skin starts from within and that looking after your physical and mental well-being will go a long way in keeping your complexion fresh and youthful. Some basic principles include:

  • Exercise – a regular exercise routine will boost your circulation and increase radiance. That post-workout glow will shave off years!
  • Drink plenty of water – boost your water intake for a more hydrated, smooth complexion.
  • Get your beauty sleep – your skin repairs and regenerates at night while you sleep. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night to avoid puffiness and keep your skin feeling fresh as a daisy.
  • Reduce stress – minimizing stress will help reduce cortisol levels and keep inflammation at bay. Try practicing mindfulness and self-care, spend some time in nature, pour a bubble bath or even try a DIY spa day.

how to get youthful skin

 

12. Cut Back on Bad Habits

 

Some of the key contributors to premature aging come from bad habits we pick up over the years. The most important changes we can make in the name of youthful skin are:

  • Stop smoking – cigarette smoke contains over 4000 chemicals that cause the skin to become dull, wrinkle, and sag. It has been scientifically proven by multiple studies that smokers will look years older than their non-smoking counterparts! 3
  • Limit alcohol intake – alcohol is a toxin that dehydrates and weakens your skin's elasticity, causing premature sagging and wrinkles.
  • Reduce your sugar intake – sugary foods and refined carbohydrates cause a process called glycation, which is when sugars attach to your collagen and elastin fibers and weaken their structure.

By curbing some of these common cravings and habits, you can give your skin its very best chance at youthful radiance.

 

More helpful reading:

https://www.renewskinco.com/blogs/i/sugar-skin

 

13. Eat a Healthy Diet

 

The foods we choose to eat play a big role in the appearance of our skin. It's not all about avoiding sugary foods either, some key food groups can seriously contribute to the radiance of your complexion:

  • Healthy fats like salmon, avocado, and nuts help keep skin plump and youthful, reduce inflammation, regulate the skin's oil production, and they may help reduce redness, dry skin, and acne.
  • Protein-rich foods like bone broth, eggs, and meat contain essential amino acids that support collagen and elastin synthesis in the skin.
  • Colorful fruits and veggies provide vitamins and minerals that support your body's ability to produce the proteins needed for younger-looking skin.

A well-balanced diet high in fiber will also do wonders for your hormonal balance and your gut health, helping you feel as good as you look!

how to have youthful skin

 

What are the best foods for healthy skin? RenewSkin Inc. investigates.

 

14. Visit a Dermatologist

 

Of course, as much as your home skin care products can do, sometimes a professional helping hand is just what your skin needs. Deep skincare treatments at the hands of a board-certified dermatologist can give your complexion a new lease of life, and they can be tailored to tackle your specific skin concerns.

Some top examples of anti-aging facials and treatments you can ask for include:

  • Chemical peels – a more potent version of your AHA and BHA exfoliating treatments, a chemical peel is a deep exfoliating treatment that will remove the top layer of your skin, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and fade pigmentation and scars.
  • Microneedling – a facial treatment that uses a handheld tool to roll tiny needles over the surface of the skin, creating pinprick wounds that stimulate collagen production and plump up the skin.
  • Vampire facial –a spooky-sounding facial that combines microneedling with an extract from your blood called platelet-rich plasma, which leaves you with plumper, smoother skin.
  • Dermal fillers – injections that use a filler substance such as hyaluronic acid to fill in wrinkles and make skin look more firm, full, and youthful. You can also try injectable collagen nowadays!
  • Botox – a cosmetic treatment that injects a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin into certain areas of your face to block nerve impulses and prevent certain muscles from contracting, which in turn prevents wrinkles from forming.

youthful skin secrets

 

More helpful reading:

https://www.renewskinco.com/blogs/i/types-of-facials

 

Fight Aging Skin in Three Weeks With Taut

 

As you can tell, it's not rocket science. The key to younger-looking skin is using some good quality skin care products with hydrating ingredients and antioxidants, wearing plenty of sunscreen, getting eight hours of sleep, drinking lots of water, and eating a well-balanced diet.

Of course, the real secret to maintaining that radiant glow is to create a routine that you can stick to, nourishing your skin inside and out on a daily basis. One of the best things you can do for your complexion as you get older is to replace some of the collagen and elastin proteins that have been lost due to intrinsic and extrinsic aging factors, and luckily this is easy to add to your routine.

Here at Taut, our signature skincare bundle is the Intense Transformation Program, which contains a three-week supply of Taut Liquid Collagen Drink. A daily dose of our collagen drink (and its 13,000 mg of marine collagen peptides) will help kickstart your body's collagen production and replace some of those important proteins that you have lost.

On top of this, each bottle's combination of elastin, hyaluronic acid, grape seed extract, vitamins C and B, and ceramide work synergistically every day to restore skin elasticity and thickness for a smoother, fuller, and firmer complexion.

Maximize your skin health and fight the skin's visible signs of aging with Taut's bestselling transformation program, and everyone will be wondering what your secret is!

Don't miss out! You can save up to 15% on your Transformation Program when you subscribe to our auto-ship service:

https://www.renewskinco.com/collections/auto-ship-service

 

References:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3790843/
  2. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/glutathione-the-mother-of_b_530494
  3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/654484