With age comes wisdom, right? For us, that wisdom includes knowing there’s absolutely nothing to fear from growing older. In fact, it’s something we should celebrate.

For a long time, the beauty industry has brainwashed us into believing that our age is something we must control. With the right face cream, injection or spa treatment, we can remain as youthful as the day we arrived on earth - or so they say!

As enticing as this fantasy world may be, we can’t remain young forever. Wrinkles, fine lines and not-so-plump skin are simply inevitable. And you know what? We would rather spend our time enjoying life instead of counting the candles on our birthday cake.

But who’s to say we can’t learn how to embrace our changing skin? Hint: It’s as simple as adopting a few healthy lifestyle habits. After all, there’s no amount of foundation that can make up for a lifetime of poor food choices and unprotected sun exposure.

Read on for our expert-approved tips for long-term beauty!

1. Prescribe yourself regular beauty sleep

Sleeping might be best-kept beauty secret out there. And now there’s proof to back it up! A study at Cleveland’s Medical Center found that women who slept more than seven hours a night had less fine lines, uneven pigmentation and saggy skin, compared to women who slept fewer than five hours.

Everybody loses sleep here and there, and your body can handle these little slip-ups. But if you develop a chronic pattern of sleeping too little, you’re sabotaging your skin’s much-needed window of repair.

2. Protect yourself from the sun

When it comes to keeping your skin supple and radiant, nothing can derail your efforts like overexposure to the sun. The sun emits two types of ultraviolet radiation; UVA and UVB. Both of which can inflict serious, life-long damage to your skin! UVA rays (the ones that cause you to turn a bright shade of red) penetrate deep into the skin where wrinkles are formed, where they break down collagen and elastin production.

No matter what season it is, limit your exposure to the sun, stick to the shade and always bring a hat on your outside escapades. Even if the sky is grey and gloomy, these skin-sabotaging rays can seep through clouds and even glass!

3. Opt for natural, cell-boosting ingredients in your makeup

The skin is essentially one giant sponge and it will absorb everything in its path. Including the chemicals inside conventional beauty products. A simple way to safeguard your complexion from nasty toxins? Triple-check the ingredients label before you buy. As a general rule of thumb, stay away from any ingredients listed on our ‘no-go ingredients list.’ 

To give your skin the best care possible, look for products containing natural ingredients that help your skin’s cellular metabolism. That’s right, your skin actually has its own metabolism! Skin metabolism refers to the biological processes that take place in our epidermal and dermal cells to regulate cell turnover, collagen production and repair any environmental damage.

At Aleph, our makeup is infused with only the most powerful ingredients to help your skin’s cells function at their best and keep your skin gorgeous. Inside our range, you’ll find hard-working nutrients like CoQ10 - a potent vitamin containing many antioxidant and skin-boosting properties!

4. Increase your H20 intake

It goes without saying that water is the ultimate hydrator. Nothing else - and we mean nothing else - replenishes the body like water. Ever noticed that your skin goes dry and flaky when you forget to drink enough water? Drinking plenty of it every day will flush out toxins from your system, giving you ample energy and ensuring your skin remains radiant. We like to combine ours with herbal tea for an extra antioxidant boost!

5. Add antioxidants to your skincare regime

The sun, pollution, radiation and other environmental troublemakers can trigger the production of free radicals. Not unlike Pacman, these free radicals chomp away at healthy molecules and wreak havoc on your skin (and insides).

Fortunately, antioxidants like Vitamin C help battle free radicals before they can lead to wrinkles, spots and even cancer. Shop around for a great antioxidant skincare supplement - be it a serum or oil - to add to your skincare routine. For the best results, apply yours to clean skin in the AM before you put on makeup.

6. While you’re at it, add antioxidants to your diet

Antioxidants are the Achilles heel to free radicals, so the more you can get, the better. Not only do they neutralise free radicals but they also help brighten your skin, calm irritation and smooth fine lines. What’s not to love?

Vitamin A, C and E are the best skin-boosting antioxidants to stock up on. They provide a recipe for smooth, clear and happy skin. Try incorporating foods like salmon, broccoli, leafy greens, grapes and citrus fruits into your weekly shopping list. These foods are packed with radical-fighting-nutrients and best of all, they’re super easy to find in the supermarket!

Ageing gracefully doesn’t necessarily mean looking like you did in your twenties. Instead, it’s about approaching ageing with a healthy and holistic point of view. Once you realise it’s actually possible to halt the ageing cells in your body, you’ll not only flourish from the inside out but remain radiant-looking for longer!