Here are 6 reasons your face is aging faster than it should.
1. Stress
Yes, stress is a natural part of life, but too much robs your body of nutrients that are essential for healthy skin. Stress causes the body to use up nutrients (like magnesium, vitamin C and collagen to create stress hormones such as cortisol, telomeres, adrenaline, and noradrenaline all of which not only age you, but can make you sick.
2. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Your cells rejuvenate as you sleep. If you have insufficient sleep, or sleep that isn’t deep, you disrupt that process. You also produce more of a hormone (ghrelin) that makes you hungry and crave carbs. Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. 8 hours is even better. If you have insomnia and not getting enough sleep try taking some magnesium. Also try to restrict the use of your computer and all electronics (yes, even your phone) right before bed. Read a book instead.
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3. Drinking Too Much Alcohol
You may have noticed your body no longer processes alcohol the way it used to. At least I have. Alcohol dehydrates the body and depletes it of vitamin B and magnesium, which you need for good skin. If you are going to have a night out make sure to have a full glass of water with every glass of wine or cocktail you drink. Also try not to have more than 2 mixed drinks (2 drink maximum). I take Milk Thistle to help my liver process alcohol better and protect it from liver disease. Too much alcohol causes damage to your skin’s texture and color and can make your eye sockets look more sunken or bulged. Excess drinking causes a toxic breakdown in the deeper skin layers. Ever seen someone with broken capillaries all over their nose and cheeks? Chances are they drink too much.
4. Sun Exposure
By now everyone should know sun is murder on our skin. Some of us (ahem) did the damage back before we knew just how bad it really was. Too much sun exposure causes sun spots (age spots) and wrinkles not to mention it ruins skin’s elasticity. Sadly about 70% of our skin’s aging process depends on the amount of sunlight our skin is exposed to throughout our life. Yep, I’m screwed. Sun accelerates the destruction of collagen fibers in our skin. Even worse, is the risk of skin cancer. It’s not too late. Stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen and sunglasses and get laser treatments to rid yourself of sun spots.
5. Your Diet Sucks
A diet high in simple sugars and sweets causes the connective tissue of the skin to become rigid and less elastic. Not eating enough protein depletes skin of hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin fibers. Fruits and vegetables are a vital source of antioxidants. If you don’t consume enough daily your skin will suffer. While eating too much saturated fat is hard on the body, eating too little unsaturated or monosaturated fat has negative effects. Olive oil, nuts and fish contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which act as antioxidants in the body and slow down the aging process. Hydration also plays a major role as it allows your skin renew itself. Drier skin wrinkles and sags more easily. So make sure you are getting at least 8-10 glasses of water per day to keep that youthful glow and to flush out toxins from your body.
6. Your Hormones Are Out Of Whack
Whether you’re dealing with PMS, para-menopause or menopause, if you’re binging on refined carbs and sugar to boost your mood and energy, you’re triggering surges in hormone insulin. This will cause inflammation in the body and produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, which leads to more lines on your skin, Have your OBGYN do blood work to check your levels. You should also avoid added sugars and starches if you want to restore hormonal balance naturally.
Here are some related posts you might enjoy The 12 Best Facial Cleansers For Aging And/Or Sensitive Skin and The 10 Beauty Mistakes That Make You Look 10 Years Older!
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