Spring is just around the corner, which means there’s a whole host of factors that can contribute to the aging process.
The greatest contributing factor to the aging process in spring is the increased exposure to the sun. The days get longer, and with better weather people are naturally spending more of their time outside.
With more sun exposure comes more perspiration, which creates the potential for dehydration. Dehydrating can lead to damaged skin as well as other things, if you don’t stay adequately hydrated. In addition, more outings in spring can lead to greater use of skin products. It’s important to be mindful of the ingredients in the products you’re using, because some can lead to you stripping your skin of its natural oils and moisture.
In this post I will go over some of the precautions you can take to combat the problems mentioned above and prevent aging a single day this spring.
5 Tips to Prevent Aging This Spring
- Protect Against Sun Exposure
With the right amount of sun exposure you can nourish the skin due to its ability to deliver Vitamin D. However, too much sun exposure could cause significant damage to skin and speed up the aging process. Prevent aging by limiting the periods of time you spend out in direct sunlight especially between the hours of 10AM to 2PM when the sun’s rays are strongest. Use sunscreen and apply it liberally and frequently.
- Be Aware of Chemicals
Chemicals in soaps and skin products can irritate the skin. When a strong antibacterial agent is present in skin care products it can damage the enzymes that trigger absorption and moisture. Using skin care products with harmful chemicals can exacerbate the damage caused by sun exposure by making your skin more sensitive to sun damage. When selecting skin care products, it’s important to look for products that are free of sodium laurel sulfate, which is the ingredient that causes dry skin. Other chemical such as parabens and phthalates can disrupt hormones.Avoiding chemicals is not just limited to skin products. To prevent aging, you must also be mindful of the chemicals going into your body from the food you’re eating. In the spring, dinner parties, BBQs, and lunch meetings become more common. That means you have to keep your guard up and be especially careful of the food you’re putting into your body. Whenever possible, opt for fresh, unprocessed, and unpackaged foods to keep your skin at its healthiest. Eat plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant content.
- Keep Stress Levels at Bay
When seasons change, life tends to change with it. In the spring you may find yourself stressed from new challenges at work, restless children, or even something like getting your lawn and garden back in order after the winter snowfall. Emotional stress, no matter what it is caused by, can affect the skin. If spring causes you stress, take stock of the main stressors and create a plan for limiting the stress caused by them. It may also help to add in a little meditation to your daily routine. Hundreds of scientific studies have shown meditation is the most effective technique to alleviate mental, emotional, and physical stress.
- Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Sun can dehydrate the body from the inside out. Prevent aging this spring by keeping yourself thoroughly hydrated. You can keep the outside of your body hydrated by routinely using a chemical-free moisturizer on your skin. Keep your body hydrated on the inside by drinking lots of water. Adding plenty of juicy and delicious fruits to your diet can also help keep your skin moisturized.
- Anti-Aging Medicine
When you think of medicine you likely think of something that comes in a bottle at a pharmacy. That couldn’t be further from what anti-aging medicine is. Anti-aging medicine is a healthcare model based on a healthy lifestyle and how how factors such as diet, exercise, stress and attitude age you or anti-age you. If you really want to be your best self this spring, I invite you to contact me for an anti-aging medicine consultation. Through working together I’ll evaluate the effects of your environment and lifestyle on your overall health and wellness.
The time to get healthy and stay healthy is NOW. Don’t suffer any longer. Schedule an anti-aging medicine consultation. Call 973-218-1199. You will get a customized program to meet your individual needs.
She is a recognized and award-winning holistic, functional, integrative and anti-aging healthcare practitioner, speaker and author, and has been featured in ABC News, Forbes, WOR Radio and many media outlets to spread the word that you can live younger and healthier at any age.