Five celebrity tips for reducing premature skin ageing

There are just a few weeks to go before summer officially starts, but South Africans are already feeling the heat! But before you make plans to lounge by the pool make sure you try these celebrity skincare tips. 

Their secrets will help you age gracefully, especially during the summer when the sun can prematurely age your skin. 

Studies have shown that overexposure to the sun not only causes damage to your skin, but it can also lead to premature ageing. 

Sun damage can accelerate changes to your skin such as fine lines and wrinkles. According to Better Health, "Sun exposure is the most common cause of skin damage and wrinkling." 

Ageing is a normal part of life - which is why we hate the word "anti-ageing" - but it is important to take care of your skin so that it remains healthy at all stages of your life. 

If you want to age gracefully then keep reading! 

ALSO READ: John Mayer shares his skincare secrets

Sunscreen, sunscreen, and more sunscreen!

It seems pretty obvious that you need to wear sunscreen during the summer, but you will be surprised by how many people don't. Many people only think to put sunscreen on their faces when they go to the beach or on an extremely hot day. But you should be putting sunscreen on your face every single day - even on cloudy days!

South African TV presenter, Ayanda Thabethe, credits sunscreen for her youthful appearance. “I never go anywhere without sunscreen. I actually think it is one of my ageing gracefully secrets,” she says.

Don't forget to add sunscreen to your neck, hands, feet, and any other part of your body that will be exposed to the sun.

Moisturise before taking to the skies

'Pretty Woman' actress Julia Roberts put the "g" in graceful ageing. The 54-year-old generally likes to keep her beauty routine simple: brush teeth, wash face, apply sunscreen. But the actress takes extra measures whenever she has to travel by plane. 

“Before I get on an airplane...  I pile up on the skincare products. You couldn’t hug me because I would just slip right away from you," she told Hollywood Life in an interview. 

Airplane cabins have low humidity which can affect your skin. “With cold, dry air on the aircraft, our skin becomes increasingly dry and thirsty for hydration,” a dermatologist told Tatler.  While dry skin doesn't necessarily cause ageing, it can give the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. 

ALSO READ: South Africa on the list of ‘World’s Most Beautiful People’

Don't forget to hydrate

Jennifer Lopez swears olive oil is the secret to younger-looking skin. The oil is the hero ingredient in her skincare line. But JLO has another secret for ageless beauty - hydration! The singer makes sure she drinks enough water to hydrate her skin from within. 

"Sorry, it’s true! I think drinking lots of water and fresh foods with lots of fruits and vegetables... all play into the quality of skin’s appearance,” she told PEOPLE magazine in 2016.  

Read your skincare labels

There are dozens of ingredients that support graceful ageing - especially in skincare. Dermatologists recommend products with ceramides, glycolic Acid, retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, lactic acide, hyaluronic acid, and more. 

The eSwatini-born South African actress, Amanda du-Pont, is a huge fan of hyaluronic acid. She loves face serums that contain the ingredient and even included it in her new skincare range. Her 'all glow'd up' serum contains vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. 

"Serum is the gold of skincare.... it has hyaluronic acid, which is all the goodness that you need," she says about the serum.  

Uhm, avoid aircons

Supermodel Naomi Campbell's raised eyebrows with this bizarre skincare tip but we are willing to try just about anything at least once. The 51-year-old says she avoids air-conditioned rooms at all costs because, according to her, they can cause wrinkles. 

“I just love this room. It’s just chilled. We have air conditioning. I don’t personally sleep in air conditioning. I don’t like it, it gives wrinkles, I believe," she said while showing off her luxury villa in Kenya

ALSO READ: How to take better care of your skin in summer

Main image courtesy of Instagram/@juliaroberts