As we enter into our fourth decade we can often feel as though it is time to up the ante on our beauty routine.

As I write this, I am 39 and now understanding some of the pressures women feel in their early 40s to “stop the clock”. I am here to say that we want the clock to keep ticking over! But, we just want it to tick smoothly and effortlessly, so that we can embrace ageing, fine lines, pigmentation and so on, along with the clarity and fun which comes with being a little bit older and wiser.

Here are a few tips I am personally practicing and recommend others to take on to ensure their skin ages in the most graceful way available to it…

6 holistic beauty tips for ageing skin

1. Sunscreen is your new best friend. 

A study conducted on 298 Caucasian women from the ages 30 to 78 in 2013, found that ultraviolet exposure is responsible for 80% of visible facial aging signs[1].

So, if you are to take one thing away from this blog post, it is to ensure that you are applying sunscreen whenever you are exposed to more than 20 minutes of direct sunlight.

If you are wondering which sunscreen to be using, I encourage you to look beyond chemical sunscreens to a physical sun protectant like our Basking Beauty SPF50 Sunscreen. The safety of chemical sunscreens is currently in question, with zinc and titanium oxide the only 2 sunscreen ingredients considered safe for general use.

2. Start a collagen supplement.

As we enter our 30s, we start to lose 10% of our collagen each decade.

Whilst we do not necessarily want to stop this process, we do want to be ensuring that our body is being provided with everything that it needs to build collagen and prevent collagen from breaking down.

My stance when it comes to collagen is to use a natural vegan collagen that does not contain animal derivatives. Animal derived collagen can be highly processed to allow it to be absorbed by the gut. They also do not contain antioxidants to prevent existing collagen from breaking down.

Our Collagen Building Blocks bundle is a fantastic trio of wellness supplements that provide amino acids, Vitamin C and silica along with an abundance of antioxidants to support your body’s natural production of collagen.

 3. Start layering your serums.

I tend to have a minimalist approach in life, however when it comes to serums I am a huge believer in layering.

One of my favourite serum layering duos, is using our Deep Sea Collagen Elixir Serum and No.3 Exotic Goddess Ageless Serums together. To apply, use the Deep Sea Collagen Elixir on cleansed and toned skin. Wait for this to dry, then apply our No.3 Exotic Goddess Ageless Serum.

Our Deep Sea Collagen Elixir is targeted to firming the skin and fine lines whilst also providing the ability to reverse cellular damage. This is due to the vegan collagen and the amino acid seaweed that it contains.

Our No.3 Exotic Goddess Serum is an essential antioxidant serum that we recommend for everyday use. It contains an abundance of Australian natives with high levels of vitamin C (Australian Kakadu Plum, Riberry and Desert Lime) so helps to boost collagen production and brighten.

In addition to this the hyaluronic acid in the formula helps to plump and hydrate whilst white tea extract helps to protect the skin from UV damage. The duo works so nicely together to plump and rejuvenate the skin.

 4. Eat 2 serves of phytoestrogens daily.

As we enter our 40s, perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause, we see a drop in our oestrogen levels. Oestrogen is a key hormone in propping up our skin and giving it that bouncy and springy appearance.

To naturally maintain oestrogen levels, ensure your diet includes at least 2 serves of phytoestrogens daily. This could a serve (1/2 cup) of legumes or edamame beans, 2-3 tablespoons of flaxseed meal, 1 serve of oats or barley, or ½ cup of tempeh or miso soup.

Doing so means that your oestrogen levels are naturally being maintained, without adding to any risk associated with synthetic oestrogen exposure.  For more information on which foods to eat for healthy hormone balance read my blog post here.

 5. Use a natural retinol

Using a natural retinol like Bakuchiol which you will find in our Beauty Reset Drops, allows you to access the benefits of retinol without the irritation and pigmentation which can come along with it.

This special plant-derived ingredient has antioxidant properties along with an ability to slow down the activity of MMP enzymes that breakdown collagen and elastin.

A 2018 study which compared the benefits of Bakuchiol to retinol had very promising results. 44 participants that were asked to apply either bakuchiol 0·5% cream twice daily or retinol 0·5% cream daily for 12 weeks.

A facial photograph and analytical system was used to obtain and analyse high‐resolution photographs of patients at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. The results showed that both bakuchiol and retinol significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation. However, the retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging highlighting the benefits of Bakuchiol without the side effects[2].

6. Start rolling.

We spend a lot of time exercising the muscles of our body, but generally forget that there are over 42 facial muscles on our face.  

Regularly massaging our face with our hands or a roller/Gua Sha tool like our Beauty Tool can really assist to promote oxygenation to the surface of the face, enhance lymphatic drainage and refine lines.

What I truly love about this practice is also that it has an incredible ability to ease tension and promote relaxation.

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[1] Effect of the sun on visible clinical signs of aging in Caucasian skin (nih.gov)

[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjd.16918