Before Botox: 13 Age-defying Routines You Can Do at Home

There’s no doubt that Botox and other cosmetic treatments have served many individuals well. But when you hear people as young as Kylie Jenner getting cosmetic surgery, it makes you ask, “why?” They obviously don’t need a Botox filler to fight the signs of facial skin aging.

Well, that’s Kylie. An Instagram model. She lives for a Botox before and after image. Plus, she doesn’t need to worry about the costs or consequences. But what if you’re not as young (like in your late 20s or early 30s), not as wealthy, and not as open to invasive procedures? What can you do to keep looking young?

Here’s good news. You can look better than Kylie at age 40 with just these everyday routines.

Cleanse

1. When you wake up, clean your face with water and a gentle cleanser. Do the same at night or after removing your makeup. If you’re all day and sweat a lot, wash your face with water only to keep dirt, smoke, sweat, and oil out of your skin. Avoid soap, astringents, and alcohol-based toners that make your skin dry.
2. Exercise four times a week. Workouts make you sweat, clean your skin, and keep your blood pumping. It improves your circulation and promotes better sleep. By doing a combination of cardiovascular workouts, strength training, and stretching, you get the most out of your exercise.
3. Dermatologists advise wearing less makeup as you age. The skin loosens as you grow older. The more makeup you apply, the more it moves and cracks. Light and thin makeup adheres more to mature skin. Light and natural colors also bring out a youthful glow.

Moisturize

1. Cleaning your face is not enough. Moisturize twice a day—first thing in the morning and before retiring at night. Use a moisturizing lotion or cream after washing your face and removing your makeup.
2. Eat lots of fruits like grapes, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, and apricots that are rich in sorbitol, a type of carbohydrate or sugar alcohol. Sorbitol is a humectant, a moisturizing agent that gets moisture from the air and into your skin. Lotions and shampoos contain humectants, too, but natural is always best.
3. Drink water instead of juice or soda to replenish the liquid in your body. It helps hydrate your skin and makes you feel full. Water reduces your cravings and raises your energy level, signaling to your body that it doesn’t need new energy (food). It helps when you’re trying to maintain weight or a diet.

Exfoliate

1. Blackened parts of your skin, called age spots, are often results of sun-damaged skin. Exfoliation helps remove or lighten these spots. Although chemical peels and whitening serums may help, home remedies are just as effective. Use lemon juice to lighten sunspots.
2. They say hands are one of the most revealing signs of age; the older you are, the more wrinkled your hands and the more prominent your veins. With an effective hand care routine, you can cheat on your age. Exfoliate by scrubbing your hands with lemon juice and rock salt. Then apply a moisturizing cream or lotion with at least SPF 30.
3. Placing cucumber or sweet potato slices on your eyes to reduce puffiness isn’t a myth. It does work, doctors say. And so does an egg white mask to firm up skin after exfoliation.

Protect

1. Nutritious food is the best protection for your skin and must be done over time. Don’t expect to eat tomatoes now and get radiant skin tomorrow. It’s a process. Ensure beautiful skin at 50 today. Start with a healthy dose of colored vegetables. The vitamin K in kale and other leafy veggies helps with blood clotting, allowing wounds and bruises to heal faster. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which protects the skin from the harsh rays of the sun.
2. Consume more antioxidant food, including spinach, bell peppers, black grapes, blueberries, strawberries, and oranges. These protect skin from inflammation, which promotes skin aging. Antioxidant diets also help fight the risk of cancer from free radicals.
3. Lessen sugar and salt in your food. Although salt helps retain water in the body, too much salt increases inflammation, which in turn destroys collagen in the skin. Studies have found that high salt intake in overweight individuals accelerated cell aging, and people with higher levels of blood sugar looked older than their age.
4. Find vitamin-rich skincare products with the right ingredients to fight skin aging. These should include the proper SPF (at least 30 for indoors, 50 for the outdoors), retinol, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, and alpha-hydroxy acids.

Botox injections and other quick treatments don’t necessarily make you look younger. They may succeed in removing wrinkles and tightening facial skin, but the results can be temporary. Young people should explore more preventive—and permanent—ways to fight skin aging.