Skincare: Turning Back The Clock on 42 Years
Bags. Lines. Sags. Blemishes and zits. I always had a bit of a baby face, but after a divorce, 20 years of being a parent and a lot of time spent running outside, my face was looking VERY 40. I was resolved to turn back the clock and have dialed in a regimen that simply works .
“There is hope to keep looking good!”
I’m outlining my daily and weekly habits that keep me looking damn good. And while I didn’t do any official before photo, if you doubt my methods, I’m posting a completely un-retouched, naturally lit photo for your viewing pleasure. The only caveat is that I’m a man, and we know that hormones and chromosomes affect your skin, so today I’m speaking to men who look in the mirror and wan to turn back the clock and those who want their partner to get back their glow.
How to keep your face looking young…my actual plan.
1. Sleep
Sleep is important for basically everything and you can add skin rejuvenation to the list. It’s important for blood flow and collagen production which slows down as you age. I aim for 8+ hours each night.
2. Wash your damn face
I wash my face twice a day. This was maybe the single biggest level up I incorporated into my routine in the beginning. Men are notorious for neglecting things like this. Washing my face in the morning and before bed ensures no excess oil buildup.
I use a hyaluronic acid foaming cleanser to keep my skin moisturized and during my nightly wash, I use one of those exfoliator gloves to lightly exfoliate my face. Be careful when doing this in the beginning, the skin on your face is delicate and you can irritate it pretty quickly. The goal here is to keep dead and dry skin at bay and stimulate circulation and allow the new, younger looking skin to shine through.
3. Moisturize
I have both a daily and weekly regimen that alters by season.
Summer morning: I’m typically not needing any morning moisturizer. I throw on some vitamin C serum, wait for my skin to dry and then some SPF (see below).
Summer evening: I alternate days between Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream: Rich Cream to Hydrate, Plump and Protect Dry and Combo Skin and Olay Regenerist Retinol Moisturizer, Retinol 24 Night Face Cream. This works on eliminating the fine lines and increases the firmness of my skin overall. I also use Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum every evening.
Winter morning: I use a light application of OLAY Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream along with the Olay Eye Lifting Serum to further reduce fine lines around those super sensitive areas. Do NOT use retinol too close to your eyes. That skin is very thin and you might irritate your skin.
Winter evening: I alternate between Olay Nighttime retinol cream and the Tatcha dewy skin cream.
Weekly year round: Once a week, I exfoliate with Paulas Choice — SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Exfoliant by putting some on a cotton pad and distributing on my entire face (except my eyelids) before putting on my Tatcha skin cream. Don’t do this before retinol, you’ll regret it.
Anyone who tells you that cheap products work the same is simply full of crap. I’ve tried using many products and you simply get what you pay for. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
4. SPF, hats and sunglasses
I’m a runner and I’m outside a lot. I typically avoided using a ton of SPF on my face because my skin feels horrible, or the sweat washes it into my eyes…ouchie.
Here’s the thing, collagen evaporates with sun exposure, so throw on a lightweight SPF and a hat if you’re going to be out and about. You want to cherish collagen in your face like liquid gold.
Wear some sunglasses. Those lines you get from squinting aren’t doing you any favors.
5. Food and supplements
I take a 1oz shot of apple cider vinegar each morning. The additional glow I get with my skin is indisputable. You’ll notice results after 7–10 days.
Intermittent fasting has also made a BIG difference on skin firmness and has reduced fine lines and wrinkles even more than with hygiene and products alone. I fast for 16 hours a day.
Eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible and throw in a scoop of collagen powder every other day. Alcohol? I keep it to 2 drinks per week. More booze means more dried out skin and circles under my eyes. As much as I love my Manhattan, I’m not willing to accept the bags that come with too many.
6. Exercise
Sweat it out, the more you move it, the better circulation is and my face is always looking less tight if I don’t get enough movement.
Everyone’s skin is different, but this system absolutely works and I couldn’t be happier with my skin texture, tone and firmness. Feel free to comment with any questions!
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