Angelina Jolie is a good example of how amazing aging gracefully can be. She is a renowned actress in Hollywood who seems to be getting younger over the years rather than older.
At 46 years,
The age where fine lines start becoming more visible, her skin looks as bright and as radiant as when she was 20. Some might say it’s because she has the finances for it.
Leading me to my question today. Is it possible to achieve this without breaking the bank? Yes and yes.
Therefore I present to you, the budget ways of aging gracefully.
Dipping your face in ice-cold water every morning
Dipping your face in a bucket full of icy-cold water might not be your idea of an ideal morning. Well, I doubt it’s anyone’s at all but it works wonders for your skin.
The cold water has tons of benefits on your face. Some of these are:
- It reduces skin inflammation.
- Promotes faster cell turnout by enabling new cells to be formed.
- It makes the skin more firm.
- Reduces the appearance of large pores
A bonus benefit is that it awakens you fully, surely no one can go back to sleep after that.
If this is too sudden for you, you could start by using actual ice cubes. Wash your sleep-stained face with your usual cleanser. Cover your hand with a clean cloth and pick an ice cube. Rub it in circular motions on your face.
Do this for all areas of your face. Pick another and rub it on your neck. Most people neglect their necks when carrying out their skincare routine forgetting that the neck is like the cherry on top of the cake, the cake is your face.
Drinking lots and lots of Water
This is the most basic yet the most overlooked beauty tip. I personally thought it was a bit overrated until I decided to try it for a week. This meant that I had to take two liters of water each day. After the week was over, I was pleasantly surprised that my skin had gotten clearer.
Of course, I was going to the ladies’ room a bit more than I’d like to admit but I chose to see it as a way of my body releasing toxins. Without a continuous outlet, the toxins in your body accumulate in your skin and seek release through forming pimples and inflammations.
Water might just be the most inexpensive thing on this list. It plums your skin up, making you look youthful. When you are dehydrated, your skin looks dull and a bit scaly, instantly adding to you a couple of years.
How should you do this?
By taking sips of freshwater throughout the day. Gulping down the entire two liters won’t do your body any good and it will all just come out. In order for the water to be fully utilized by the cells, take it in small quantities throughout the day.
However, too much of something really is poisonous. Don’t take more than three liters a day. By going overboard, you end up diluting the sodium in your cells. If the Sodium levels drop too low, you become at risk of having seizures as it disrupts normal brain functioning.
So, how many glasses have you had today? And no, tequila doesn’t count.
Surrounding yourself with positive thoughts
If you’ve ever had acne you know how stressful it can be. Some days are better than others but some you can’t bear to leave the house. This is mostly during an active breakout, scared and embarrassed, sure that people will stare at your face in disgust. Promising yourself to go out when your skin ‘behaves’. This was my teenage story.
What I didn’t realize was that stressing about my acne only gave me more acne. It was also impossible for me to change how I looked at that specific moment whether I worried about it or not. What I could’ve instead done was to formulate a plan on how to deal with it.
I also noticed an increase in acne when I had dark anxiety-driven periods about certain aspects of my life. So I sat down and did some research.
This is what I discovered.
Stress increases the production of sebum in our skin. This leads to the clogging of hair follicles hence causing skin inflammations and creating pimples.
If you have acne, try not to stress about it and instead look for its root cause and possible ways of eliminating it. You have to remember that it doesn’t make you any less beautiful or any less worthy of anything.
Push the negative thoughts away and choose to see the glass as half full instead of half empty. This will not treat acne but prevent it from worsening, hence giving you the opportunity to treat it as soon as possible.
Pampering yourself with milk baths.
In ancient Egypt, there was a queen both noble and beautiful who is remembered upto date, Queen Cleopatra. She was very famous for taking milk baths that contributed immensely to her flawless skin whose praises were sung by those within her land and those far beyond.
In our Modern Era, milk baths are being popularised and many people try them out every single day. The bath has tons of benefits for the skin, not to mention how relaxing it is. Some of the benefits are:
- Milk gives you a better, more radiant complexion.
- It is one of the best natural cleansers
- Gives your skin a natural glow.
- It shrinks large pores that make your skin look dull.
Before you hop into this, try a patch test to see if you’re allergic to milk. Pour a few drops at the back of your hand and wait a few seconds. Proceed if there is no irritation.
Now the big question is, how exactly do we make this bath?
Here’s what to do.
- Fill your tub with warm to hot water, not too hot though. You could also light some nice scented candles to create the perfect ambience
- Pour in the milk.
The amount of milk you pour in should depend on the amount of water in the bath. Ideally, one or two cups should be enough. You can use fresh milk or milk powder. For some dramatic and aesthetic effects, add some rose petals. - Essential Oils.
Pour in the essential oil of your choice. Some great ones include coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and jojoba oil. - Get in and unwind.
Put some soft tunes on and get in the water. Let your troubles soak away and just relax as you clear your mind and focus on your breathing. Don’t use soap, just soak and after thirty minutes, rinse off and shower with soap.
Do this at least once a week to reap its full benefits.
These four ways ensure that you have no excuse anymore. Yes, it’s nice to get the best products but even when you don’t, these should suffice and give you. You have to be consistent though. And to quote Dr Karen Grant
