How to Look Younger at 40

There's no antidote for aging, but there are things you can do to keep your glow. Looking for ways to look younger at 40? At 50? Here are 6 tips:

In this article you'll learn:

1. How to trap water in your skin

2. Why a beard ages you — and keeps you young looking

3. The sun wants you to age faster

4. How to best regenerate fresh skin cells

5. 12 minutes of yoga every day can prevent aging skin

6. Even if you decide to do Botox treatment, you should start a skincare regimen.

Moisturizing every day traps water in the skin, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and make your skin look brighter and more youthful. Hyaluronic acid — the king of hydrators and the chief ingredient in our vital morning face cream— both slows the evaporation of water from your skin's barrier and makes stores of hydration available, like time-release moisture. Here's the reward for moist skin: When it's plump and hydrated, the chances of it cracking into fine lines decreases.

Here are some other great moisturizing options.

A beard can be sexy, distinguished, even dominant — in fact, Darwin thought beards evolved because our prehistoric female ancestors liked them, giving bearded men more success in procreation than their smoother competitors. But it doesn’t make a guy look younger, especially as you age and gray hairs start popping up. A 2012 paper published in the journal Behavioral Ecology concluded that beards made men look “significantly older.”

Same with the five o’clock shadow. It can look cool — when you’re in your twenties. In your thirties and beyond, scruff gives you the overslept, overworked, or drank-too-much-liquor-last-night look. Keep it smooth, they call it “baby face” for a reason.

There is a conundrum here, though: Beards reduce your risk of serious skin damage by blocking up to 95 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays. So what makes you look older, can help keep you looking younger!

A long-term play for keeping your skin looking fresh and young is to use SPF every day — more than 90% of skin aging occurs as a result of sun damage. “Lifestyle factors such as extended periods of time in the sun or wind can exacerbate the proliferation of wrinkles,” said Dr. Steve. “Sun damage happens on an hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute basis.”

Try the Unisex SPF30. It's broad spectrum sunscreen with a moisturizer.

And check this blog post for the science on how UV rays alter your skin’s ability to repair itself.

Retinol can help give you a more vibrant, youthful look. Try the Repairing Night Cream, it'll accelerate production of healthy skin cells while preventing dead skin cells from clogging pores. When your face is producing healthy, hydrated skin cells, it maintains your skin's elasticity, thus stalling the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

Be cognizant of irritation that may occur in the first couple weeks. It's called "retinol burn" but it's totally normal.

Hit the gym: Increasing blood flow to your body’s largest organ (the skin) can do wonders for your appearance. Science tells us that exercise increases blood flow, which carries oxygen and nutrients to skin cells throughout your body — face included.

Meditate: Researchers at UCLA found that just 12 minutes of daily yoga for eight weeks lowered the body’s inflammatory response — reducing the markers for stress, aging skin, and several chronic diseases.

Sleep: Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you sleep, giving you a healthy morning glow. Skimp on sleep and your complexion can look drab, i.e. old. “Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face," said Dr. Steve.

When wrinkles start appearing, some guys go for the quick fix. “I see mostly guys 50 and older coming in for Botox, but it’s really a small percentage overall of guys in that age bracket,” said Dr. Steve.

The procedure, which costs about $500, requires re-treatment every four to six months. The most common places men get treated are:

• in the corners of the eyes to prevent crow’s feet
• between the eyebrows to target frown lines
• in the forehead to reduce creases
• around the mouth to target laugh lines

Dr. Steve tells these guys that 50 is not too late to start a skincare program, even if they decide to go with a botox treatment. “Most of these guys don't want to look like their dads, so they’re interested in knowing if they can maintain the way they look now."

In a word, the answer is absolutely. "I tell them that there's no silver bullet. Rather, it's about maintenance, choosing a program with ingredients that work that will reward your efforts."

Give us a call and let's get started with a 30-day trial. We’re here to help — whenever you’re ready.