7 Healthy Habits That Make Us Look Younger

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Worried about encroaching crow’s feet? Starting to notice dark circles beneath your eyes? Are your skin and hair looking a little duller than you’d like these days?

Take heart, because if you’re concerned about maintaining a youthful appearance, there are many ways you can take control of the aging process.

Your quality of life is affected by many factors, some of which you can’t do much about—your genetics, for example. But there are others, such as your diet, propensity to exercise and sleep well, and water intake, that have a huge effect on how you look.

The problem is, most people simply don’t pay attention to these details, much less form healthy habits out of them.

But you want to look your best. You want to be more beautiful than “most people”. And if you make habits out of all of these tips? You will be.

So to help you look your best, let’s check out 7 healthy habits that will make you look younger and feel great.

Care for Your Face and Hands

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There are two areas of the body that signal age more than any other. The first is the face, but everyone knows that. The second is a little less known—your hands.

The skin on the back of your hands is thin, easily damaged by sunlight and time. And where the face is usually slathered in sunscreen and moisturizers, the hands are often abandoned to the elements.

But when you focus on caring for both of these important areas, you’ll look years younger.

Start, of course, with sunscreen—every single day. Research has proven that this is the single most important step you can take to preserve your youth. Don’t skip it.

Next, use an exfoliating agent on your hands and face—something like a sugar or Himalayan salt scrub. This removes the top layer of dulled, dead cells, leaving your skin vibrant, youthful, and outbreak-free.

Keep your face and hands clean and protected, and you’ll take years off your age.

Drink Water

So you’ve taken care of moisturizing and protecting the outside layers of your skin, but what about the inside?

For this, you’ll have to turn to water.

You’ve probably heard all about how water can make your complexion positively glow. Well, that’s true, but do you know how it does this?

Your skin is made up of 64 percent water, so when you’re low in H2O, your skin appears thinner, and any wrinkles and blemishes are magnified. But when you drink at least 9.5 cups of water a day, your skin is hydrated from within, and plumps up, lessening many common signs of aging and making dryness and cracking much less likely to happen.

In addition to this, studies have shown that drinking 2 cups of water increases blood flow to the skin, lending it a more youthful, rosier hue.

So as easy as it is to forget, don’t let a day go by without drinking those 9.5 cups. You’ll have consistently better-looking skin if you stay well-hydrated.

Exercise

Okay, okay—you’ve been told this one a thousand times. But let’s take a deeper look at what exercise does for your body that can take years off your appearance.

First, and most obviously, weight loss can make you appear far younger, especially if you pair your new bod with well-fitted clothing. A streamlined silhouette can go a long way toward a youthful look.

But exercise has even more benefits for those concerned with beauty. Exercise strengthens the heart, and so improves the circulatory system. This helps reduce undereye bags, and may actually reverse the signs of aging on the skin.

To get full benefits, you’ll need to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. Make it a habit, just like drinking water—you’re doing that, too, right? Anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time works, including walking, running, and taking the stairs.

Engage in this healthy habit, and you’ll not only look younger, but feel it, too!

Eat With Beauty in Mind

We all know that eating well contributes to a beautiful, youthful glow, but do you know exactly what foods help the most?

If you want to look younger, you need lots of protein, and lots of greens.

Protein serves as the fundamental building block of strong, healthy hair, and great hair makes you look much younger. Women should eat around 46 grams of protein a day—56 for men—and more if you’re engaging in regular exercise. Contrary to popular belief, protein won’t bulk you up and turn you into a muscle-bound freak. Instead, it will give you healthy hair and a more resilient body.

The second group of youth-granting foods is fiber-rich leafy greens such as broccoli, lettuce, and especially spinach. A diet that includes at least 2.5 cups of these a day will make for a healthy and attractive skin tone, and the fiber they contain can leave you feeling full for a long time, staving off cravings for sweets and snacks.

A youthful look really can be as easy as a plateful of delicious fish and greens.

Brush Those Teeth

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After the hands and face, your pearly whites are one of the most immediate signifiers of youth when someone looks at you. Keeping them clean and white can not only make you appear younger, but can help you maintain good health and even improve your social standing.

A study conducted by Oral B revealed that having whiter teeth can make us look up to 5 years younger—that’s nothing to sniff at.

Teeth are the human equivalent of a peacock’s tail—they’re a sign of vitality and genetic health. Those with white chompers were, according to a study conducted by an independent research firm, more likely to be hired, received larger salary offers, and had better luck with love than those who had yellower teeth.

With all those benefits, why not take a little extra time to brush your teeth at least twice a day, for two minutes each, and to floss once a day.

And don’t forget the mouthwash! These germ-killing rinses can flush away food caught between teeth, and clean the gums.

If you want a quick and easy way to look much younger, grab a brush and get going.

Sleep Well

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Want an easy way to look younger in just a couple of days? Get more sleep!

During sleep, your body produces hormones that amplify your body’s natural repair mechanisms—that’s why people who regularly get more sleep have a certain glow about them.

Most of us feel like sleep is a waste of time when we have hundreds of other things that require our attention. But, in reality, a full 8 hours of sleep is absolutely vital—for our looks and our health.

When we sleep, our bodies produce human growth hormone, which helps maintain skin elasticity, preventing and delaying the appearance of wrinkles.

And have you ever had problem with puffy eyes? You might be lacking sleep. The areas beneath the eyes are particularly susceptible to changes in health, including a lack of sleep. Poor sleep results in a less efficient circulatory system, which causes blood to pool beneath the eyes. This is the cause for the classic dark circles that people try to avoid by pressing bags of frozen broccoli to their faces.

Don’t do that. Just get your 8 hours of sleep, instead.

Stay Positive

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Finally, one of the most powerful and healthy things you can do to retain your youthful beauty is being happy.

Yep—that’s it. Be happy. It’s simultaneously the easiest and most frustratingly difficult youth and beauty tip to put into regular practice.

Allowing yourself to descend into negativity ages you through inflammation—a physical condition brought on by prolonged stress that causes your body to, essentially, attack itself.

Stress activates your body’s natural defenses, which isn’t a bad thing by itself. But when that defense system remains “on,” never turning off, the body can be worn down, exacerbating conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

Engage in relaxing activities like reading, journaling, and walking outdoors. Give yourself space to breathe by meditating in the mornings before you leave for work.

And don’t forget your social support structure! Friends, family, and other loved ones can make a huge difference in your stress levels, keeping you happy and thriving, even in the worst of times.

So put that smile on and treat yourself to a relaxing spa day. You’ll look all the younger for it.

Staying Sharp as We Age

As we age we do lose our ability to think quickly or remember things like we used to. Staying sharp as we age is possible if you’re proactive. Read next feature >

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