In the world of restoring youth, there are so many options from natural to experimental lab concoctions. For me, the best advice is to keep it simple.
I am 32 and this is my bare face. I started my new routine a few months ago.
What do you think? Is it pretty good or bad for my age?
Sometimes when a light shine on my face, my skin shines back! Which is really cool, it is something I've never had happen before.
I see it on my girlfriend, but I assumed women simply have nicer skin. I drink, smoke, and party like my life is about to end. My face was getting that spotty, wrinkly, dull, dried out old look. There was no way a guy could accomplish the same thing, until I saw my friend... he had the same naturally glowing skin my girlfriend did. And that in turn sparked an idea.
So that's when I popped the question:
"Hey man, what do you use on your face!?"
How To Get Younger And Healthier Looking Skin
Really it isn't that much work!
Some people think it isn't masculine or have some other reason to not take care of themselves. But trust me, by the time you realize you don't look as good as you did 10 years ago, the only option left is to fight a very steep uphill battle.
I am sure you will love seeing what your body is capable of. I used to think I was very ugly, but as I got older, I tried a little bit of this and some of that. Eventually the cumulative effort turned me into a totally different person. Also, no matter how bad you feel about yourself in the moment, remember that you still have certain beauties. Gifts which you did not even realize you had, until they're gone. For example, I hated being skinny until I started gaining weight. Now I wish I could go back to being lean and slim... but I can't. All those beers and burgers got me, now I am hooked.
The best time to start taking care of yourself was yesterday, so get started ASAP. When you look good and feel good, other people will notice. But the most important person to impress is... you. When you are proud of the person in the mirror, nothing in the world is more reassuring or inspiring.
Don't be scared of self-love, maintain your body and mind. Think about this, would you rather wake up tomorrow old and still look young or young but look old?
Moisturize
You can buy the fancy Korean stuff like my girlfriend and that buddy with the shiny face. But you don't need it. I just use the stuff you can find at your local supermarket. Nothing fancy. Just make sure you get what feels good for you. The lighter it is, the more comfortable you will be having in on your face all day. I feel you can get away with thicker stuff during winter. My skin dries and cracks like crazy when things get chilly.
Make sure you spread it down to your neck, as we get old, the neck is the first thing which gives away your age. And for some reason, it is the one thing everyone ignores.
Clean Your Face
Get a good gentle cleanser which works for you. One thing I have learned over the years is that what works for one person definitely is not the answer for another. I prefer a gentle moisturizing face cleaner, not every single day, but whenever my face feels like bucket of bacon grease. For me, it doesn't matter how powerful a cleanser I choose. If I use it too often, my face seems to break out or get irritated. So use your best judgement and don't think that more is better!
The main idea is to keep your skin clean and clear. We are overly complicated bags of sweat, grime, and grease... and require constant maintenance. Just like the wheels on your car, you don't just clean it once and it stays shiny forever. Driving around dirties them up quick, so every couple weeks you gotta get in there and put in some elbow grease. Same for your face.
Use Sunscreen
This is a funny one, I had always assumed sunscreen is for the beach or somewhere where there is lots of scorching sunlight. But that is the wrong answer, you should actually use sunscreen daily.
We underestimate how much UV light we are exposed to on a daily basis. And not just from the sun, but EVERYTHING! That is my final tip, to wear a light sunscreen every single day. I was surprised how much better my skin looked after a couple weeks.
And protecting your skin from daily damage will pay off many times over as you get older.
Traditional Remedies
I am blessed in the fact that my mom has very nice skin, so I inherited that from her. Although my lifestyle and diet kind of ruined it for a while, I am trying to get it back. The women in my family unfortunately do not share that blessing, so I remind them of that. Then they remind me that they still have more hair than I do. Fair enough!
Back in Vietnam during the old days, we did not have access to all these luxuries. Many of today's products were something only the rich had access to or they simply did not exist yet. My family was in the farmlands to the south. So the things my mom used were simple and basic, such as lemon juice. Even to this day her skin is pretty much flawless. If she had access to collagen and things of that nature, her results would have been even more impressive.
You know how there are face steamers now? Back then my mom boiled a big pot of water and made a steaming tent using a blanket. Just sit in there for a few minutes and close your eyes, then come out looking brand new!
