There are plenty of ways women can take years off their age, from wardrobe revamps to makeup hacks to fresh hairdos.
Indeed, according to an expert, there are five specific haircuts that can make women over 50 look younger than they are.
But the right skin care regime can also have a transformative effect. A plastic surgeon shared the two-minute routine that can take at least five years off a woman’s appearance in as little as two months.
Dr Anthony Youn, known as America’s Holistic Plastic Surgeon, stressed the importance of “cleansing your skin with the appropriate cleanser for your skin type”.
A solid skin care regime can be transformative
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Women with oily skin were advised to go for foaming cleansers, while women with dry skin were recommended hydrating cleansers. Alternatively, a “general cleanser” is good for all skin types.
Dr Youn shared an important tip: “Your cleanser should leave your skin feeling clean, not tight.”
After cleansing, women should apply an antioxidant serum such as vitamin C. The expert said: “Antioxidants fight free radicals, and vitamin C is the most common one used in skin care.”
The skin experts at Curélsaid: “Free radicals are responsible for breaking down our skin’s collagen, resulting in unflattering skin blemishes like wrinkling, dark spots, fine lines and loose, saggy skin.”
Dr Youn continued: “The key to a good vitamin C serum is to make sure that it hasn’t oxidised.” The expert advised that if it has turned brown, you should throw it out. For the best results, go for a product that combines vitamin C and vitamin E.
Next, women should apply an SPF of at least 30. SPF has incredible anti-ageing benefits. Dr Youn explained that using a good sunscreen to block UV radiation “is the most important thing in reducing the chance that you get premature ageing and wrinkles”.
Women should also ensure they take care of their skin at night for ultimate anti-ageing benefits. He said: “I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to remove the day’s worth of dust, grime, oil, pollution and makeup from your skin.
“Not cleansing your skin at night can be one of the worst things you can do to cause breakouts.”
After cleansing, women were advised to apply an anti-ageing cream that contains a retinoid. The expert revealed that this is the “most scientifically proven anti-ageing ingredient”.
Retinoids come in two strengths: prescription-strength tretinoin and over-the-counter strength retinol. For people with access to a doctor who can prescribe tretinoin – and who have thick or oily skin -prescription-strength tretinoin may be a good option.
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Every morning, women should apply an SPF of at least 30
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Dr Youn continued: “For everybody else, there is retinol. Retinoids do a tonne of different things. They exfoliate the skin, they thicken the dermis (or the deeper level of the skin), they can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and can even help with age spots.”
The doctor then touched on the importance of exfoliation. This should not be done every day, but two to three times per week if you have normal skin, and once a week if you have sensitive skin.
Exfoliating helps to “remove the upper layer of dead skin cells and cause your skin to turn over more quickly”.
Testing this morning and evening skin care routine out with his own Youn Beauty products, participants looked “upwards of five years younger” after just two months.
