For many people, slightly elastic, firm skin signifies youth and good health. As people age, their skin often loses its collagen—the fibers that keep skin young and supple—and begins to sag, stretch, and wrinkles appear. If you want to keep some of your skin’s elasticity, there are a few simple steps you can take, including quitting smoking and eating healthy. Also try retinol creams and anti-aging creams that are high in antioxidants to keep the collagen in your skin healthy.
Method 1. Maintain skin elasticity through lifestyle changes
Wear sunscreen and a hat when you go out in the sun.
Over time, exposure to the sun’s UV rays affects the firmness of your skin. The best way to keep your skin looking youthful is to protect it from the sun. If you’re going to be outside for more than 15-20 minutes, put on a high SPF sunscreen and wear a hat to protect your face and scalp.
- These protective measures will also protect your skin from melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.
stop smokingto prevent wrinkling and sagging of the skin.
The chemicals found in cigarettes and other smoking devices accelerate the aging process of the skin throughout the body. Heavy smokers as early as the age of 30 may begin to notice that they are already losing skin elasticity and developing wrinkles. To reverse this unhealthy process, stop smoking as soon as possible, even if you smoke infrequently.
- Fortunately, your skin can repair itself and regain some of its youthful elasticity within weeks and months after you stop smoking.
Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night to allow your body to regenerate collagen.
While you sleep, your body produces collagen and fights free radicals that would otherwise break your skin’s elasticity. If you are an adult between the ages of 26 and 64, try to get a full 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
- If you regularly sleep less than 6 hours a night, you will soon begin to notice that your skin has lost elasticity and looks older and more wrinkled.
2. Diet and exercise for smooth and even skin
get busy sports for 30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week.
Weekly exercise will strengthen your muscles and tighten your skin, making it more youthful and supple. Regular exercise also helps your skin by increasing circulation, which in turn brings more blood to your skin and speeds up collagen production.
- To keep your skin supple, try moderate-intensity exercise such as running, swimming, or jumping rope.
- If you have a busy schedule, try to find 2 short periods during the day in which you can exercise. For example, visit your office gym for 15 minutes on the treadmill during lunch and swim in the community center pool for 20 minutes in the evening.
Supplement your diet with foods rich in zinc and vitamin C.
In general, a healthy diet rich in whole grains and lean meats will keep your skin healthy and supple. More specifically, zinc and vitamin C are great nutrients for your skin as they allow the skin to repair itself from damage (due to sun exposure, for example) and regenerate new collagen.
- Vitamin C is found in oranges (and orange juice), sweet peppers, Brussels sprouts, kiwis and strawberries.
- Zinc can be found in foods such as oily fish (such as salmon), walnuts, almonds, dairy products, eggs, and green leafy vegetables.
Excellent nutrients for skin elasticity are omega-3’s.
In addition to getting more vitamin C and zinc, aim to eat more fish, walnuts, avocados, and flax seeds to increase your omega-3 intake, keep your skin healthy, and improve skin elasticity.
Keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water every day.
Moisturizing your skin isn’t just about creams and lotions. It is also important that your body is hydrated in general. If your body is dehydrated, then your skin will suffer and lose some of its firmness. Dehydrated skin will look dry, flaky, and will also show signs of wrinkles earlier than well-moisturized skin.
- Adult men should drink 15.5 cups (3.7 L) of water each day, while adult women should drink at least 11.5 cups (2.7 L).
Limit your intake of foods rich in sugar and corn syrup.
While sugar-sweetened foods are among the tastiest, they tend to be unhealthy and low in healthy nutrients. Also, when sugar, corn syrup, and dextrose build up in your bloodstream, they create molecules called “glycation end products” that break down cellulose in your skin. As a result, your skin may begin to wrinkle and lose its elasticity.
- Adults who eat an average of 2,000 calories per day should limit their intake of sugar and corn syrup to only 200 calories per day.
- 200 calories equals about 12 teaspoons (48 grams) of added sugars per day.
Using anti-aging creams for more perfect skin
Use anti-aging creams that contain a lot of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are very beneficial for your skin. They preserve collagen and keep your skin supple. Make sure the cream you purchase contains both vitamin C and vitamin E, as these antioxidants work best in combination. Follow package directions and apply antioxidant anti-aging creams daily for best results.
- Purchase anti-aging skin creams at any major pharmacy
- Please be aware that because these products are not technically drugs, they have not been subjected to the rigorous testing that drugs have and may not meet all packaging requirements.
Look for anti-wrinkle creams that contain retinol
If you’re less concerned about the elasticity of your skin in general and more concerned about preventing facial wrinkles, a retinol cream is your best bet. Retinol is a vitamin compound that, when applied daily to the skin, can improve skin elasticity. The blend works by breaking free radical isolation in your skin and preserving collagen in your skin cells.
- Apply the cream 1-2 times a day as directed on the face. Use it for at least a month as it will most likely take that long for you to notice any results.
Use hydroxy acids to remove dead skin and improve elasticity.
Skin care creams and other products containing these…
