When you look in the mirror, do you pull at the skin to make it appear tighter? Do you wonder why there’s lines where there never used to be, or why your skin doesn’t cling to your muscles? Perhaps people keep asking whether you’re OK, or commenting that you look tired, “refined” or “mature” – even though you feel fine inside.
Your imagination isn’t playing tricks on you. Whilst you and the rest of your body may still appear, act and look youthful: your skin is letting you down. The effects of sunshine, gravity and aging are having a noticeable effect on your skin. Too often it unfairly effects people who have led active, outdoor lifestyles or lost lots of weight the most.
This article explores the causes of sagging skin, and how you can apply natural and risk-free techniques and tinctures to help your skin reflect how you feel inside. Fear not: the effects of sagging skin can be beaten!
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Causes of Sagging Skin
If you’re skin is sagging, there’s almost certainly not one single factor you can blame: there’s several factors you should consider.
Your skin’s biggest battle is with aging. As you get older, your skin’s support system deteriorates. The collagen and elastin – that gave you youthful, soft skin – decreases and becomes less effective. Your facial muscles also lose their strength, meaning their less able to fight the effects of gravity.
Next on the battle line is sun exposure: which, like aging skin, becomes worse as the years go by. Sunshine might give you a glowing tan when you’re younger, but over time its effects are breaking down the collagen and elastin – effectively accelerating the aging process.
Finally, and possibly one of the most dramatic, is weight loss: especially if large amounts of weight are lost in short periods, meaning your skin doesn’t have time to adapt to the change. Whether through a gastric band, bariatric surgery or going from an unhealthy lifestyle to eating the right foods and exercising – it is unfair skin can’t always change as quickly as your body shape.
Thankfully, there are lots of ways to help your skin rebound. Whilst they may take time, they will give you the skin your body deserves.
First Principles: A Healthy Lifestyle
The saying “you are what you eat” holds true for your skin. If you’re scoffing sugar, smoking cigarettes or drinking too much alcohol: you’re giving your skin even more enemies. Both smoking and drinking cause your skin to age faster, accelerating the onslaught of sagging and wrinkles. So, if you’re wanting smoother skin you’ll need to quit smoking and cut down on alcohol.
Soft, smooth skin depends on being adequately hydrated. Whilst creams help addressing areas of dry skin, if you’re wanting smooth, soft and blemish-free skin: you should be drinking plenty of water. You should aim for about seven glasses of water a day. If you’re wanting something a little different, you could try herbal tea. Remember, caffeine dehydrates your skin, so try avoiding excess caffeinated tea and coffee.
Most forms of exercise will also help your skin tighten too. Exercise that pushes your muscles, such as weight lifting or resistance training, help to add muscle mass and tone: rebuilding healthy tissue beneath and to support your skin. Running, cycling and other forms of cardio exercise – and more gentle exercise, even yoga – help improve your circulation, providing your skin the energy it needs and giving you a healthy complexion.
Finally there’s food. Some foods you should avoid including salty, sugary and processed foods. These all dehydrate your skin increase the toxins in your blood, making it harder for your skin to recover. Foods rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E are especially good at helping remove free radicals and returning your collagen and elastin to their former, springy self. Citrus foots, berries, seeds, brightly coloured vegetables (like carrots, peppers and tomatoes), nuts and leafy greens will all help make you healthier and your skin glow .
Treating Your Skin
There are various skin-specific treats to help you on your journey to tighter skin. Some of the best and most relaxing are face masks, which we’ll come on to later. But there are other treatments you should build in to your routines, if you’re wanting younger and tighter skin.
Firstly, make sure you’re not treating your skin with care. Make sure you protect it from harsh sunshine with sun-cream, and avoid using harsh chemicals. Even using harsh soaps too often will damage your skin, as they remove your skin’s natural protecting oils.
Instead, try to help your body’s efforts to keep your skin moisturised. A simple trick involves applying baby oil to your skin after you’ve washed, helping lock the moisture in. You can also add essential oils to your bath, which not only lock the moisture in but also help repair your top layers of skin.
Exfoliating your skin whilst washing also helps. Whilst you can buy exfoliating pads and soaps, there are cheaper home-made alternatives: try using a dry body-brush before washing, or making your own body scrub for when washing. Used coffee grounds work well, as does olive oil mixed with salt.
Finally, try treating your skin to a massage. Moving the skin together with the tissue beneath helps strengthen its connection and, if you’re oils (especially those containing A and E) are used, it can also help moisturise it. You can gently massage your own face and, if built into your morning routine, will help keep the signs of aging at bay. Use a little olive oil if you’re doing this, and you could add some of the ingredients listed in the face masks below for added benefit.
Natural Face Masks to Make At Home
Our faces are one of the areas we all feel most protective and sensitive about. Rather than plastering on unknown chemicals contained in an artificial face-mask, you can make face masks yourself using only natural ingredients.
Everyone should have an Aloe Vera plant in their house. Not only is it a great home-remedy for burns and stings (just snap a succulent off, and apply the gel that oozes out to the burnt area) – it’s also a natural moisturiser and helps increase your skin’s elasticity. You can apply it on pure for 15 minutes to your face, or mix it with a little mayonnaise (because of the egg whites – see below) and honey.
Beauty connoisseurs often apply thin slices of Cucumber to the eyes when applying a face mask. This is because excellent at soothing and moisturising skin, and less lucky to get stuck in your eye lashes! You can also juice it using a blender, and apply this tincture to your skin – letting it dry naturally, before washing off. It can also be blended with yogurt or egg whites, to make a creamier face mask that should be washed off after 15 minutes.
Egg whites are a natural astringent, helping tighten up wrinkles and sagging skin. Try whisking egg whites till they’ve got a foamy consistency, and applying it the mixture to your face and neck for fifteen minutes before washing off. They can also be combined with yogurt and honey, to make a creamier and soothing consistency.
The reason honey has been mixed with many of the above face-masks is its skin supporting properties. It’s naturally hydrating and an antioxidant. Lemon juice is also full of antioxidants, thanks to its vitamin C. Pure lemon juice will need rinsing off after ten minutes, but it can be a great addition to other face masks.