Whether we want to admit or not, we all feel a little uneasy deep down about getting older. We want to age gracefully and naturally, but the fear of aging can haunt us at times.

How can we stop aging? Can we prevent premature aging?

In this article, I’m going to share the EASY anti-aging techniques that I’ve been doing since my teenage years. I learned them from my mother, and they cost nothing!

When it comes to anti-aging,

it’s never too early to start. And it is never too late to start. 

So, start now 🙂 It doesn’t matter if you are in your 20s or 50s. The techniques below work for all ages, and we all should do them daily.

Let’s dive into the 7 simple steps on how to get younger looking skin! They cover some of the major signs of premature skin aging – dryness, sagging, dullness.

How To Get Younger Looking Skin For FREE

[For Dry Skin]

Dry skin is the primary cause of premature skin aging. Never forget to moisturise and start early. To avoid dry skin, do the following!

#1 Cleanse with Milk or Cream Type of Cleansers

If you want to delay the ageing process (who doesn’t?!), the best way to cleanse your skin is to apply a milk or cream type of cleanser on your face and massage without ANY pressure. 

You can put a little more than the recommended amount to make sure your hands touch the skin as little as possible.

You could be scratching and rubbing your skin too much when you are too eager to remove makeup quickly and wash your face in a hurry. Always make sure you put as little pressure as possible when cleansing your face.

Scrubbing your skin will eventually cause wrinkles! So, be gentle.

#2 Wash Your Face with Lukewarm Water (30°C/86°F)   and Rinse 20 Times or More

From my personal experience, the older you get, the more you want to be careful with the water temperature upon cleansing. 

I always loved having a hot bath and having a hot shower, but my mother always said “If you want soft skin and keep it youthful-looking, don’t increase the temperature above 37 degrees, especially shower. Your skin gets so dry, and you get wrinkly otherwise!”

She was right!

Hot water was causing dryness in my skin. The dryness led my skin to produce more sebum and develop acne. That was when I was a teenager and in my 20s, but as I got older, it ended up as fine lines although they are not so visible.

Another thing my mom often said “Wash your face 20 times or more but do NOT rub your face when doing that. Gently splash water and make sure no makeup or dirt left.”

Any makeup or dirt left on the skin will also cause dryness. You may not need to wash 20 times to cleanse, but the most important is your face has no makeup or dirt left afterwards.

Also, if you are using a shower to wash your face, you need to stop that immediately! The pressure from the shower makes pores open.

For anti-aging, a rule of thumb is to apply anything from skincare products to massages, or even water from the bottom to the top (chin -> forehead) and never rub or scratch the skin ever. I grew up practising this principle too in Japan.

It is also recommended you use a very soft and high-quality towel, so you don’t damage the skin.

#3 Hand-Press Facial Lotions

Do you use a toner or an essence? For this, Japanese women use a facial lotion which is a unique skincare concept in the Japanese skincare routine.

If you are not familiar with Japanese lotions, no worries! But if you are using a cotton pad to apply a toner or an essence, you may want to be careful. 

Patting can cause your skin irritation and sensitivity. If you like using cotton pads, only use high-quality ones.

If you like to do the J-Beauty way, switch to a Japanese facial lotion and hand-press it. Warm up the lotion first in the palm of your hand and hand-press (gently!) like almost wrapping your face with your hands. 

If I use cotton pads, I only use them to make mini masks for my eyes or some dry areas of the skin. I remember my mom was putting them on for about 10 mins to give extra hydration for the skin. 

I personally try to avoid any toners or lotions, which I have to use cotton pads to apply. It is one of my skincare rules to keep my skin texture as supple as possible like a baby (so I wish…!). 

[For Sagging Skin]

As we age, we all worry about sagging skin. I’m no exception! Believe it or not, sagging skin can easily make you look 10 years older. Try some techniques below to combat this!

#4 Correct Your Posture When Looking at Your PC or Smartphone

When you look at your smartphone or laptop, your neck is creased, and the skin is sagging. The problem is that we are repeating this like crazy every single day, many times a day. So, if you want to avoid unwanted premature aging, you need to correct your posture!

A study suggests that looking down at a mobile phone is the equivalent of placing a 60-pound (approx. 27kg) weight on one’s neck. 

It is scary to think what the heavyweight is doing to our neck, facial expression and the skin. So make you have a good posture at any time.

In Japanese, a bad posture is called “Nekoze (猫背)” It literally means a cat’s back. It’s rounded!

When I was little, I don’t know how many times I got told off by my mom to correct my posture. It was like once every 10 minutes. I’m not even kidding! 

My mother used to say:

“Posture! (shouting), posture! (louder), correct your P O S T U R EEEEE! You would get older faster if you didn’t. Bad posture, no manner and bad attitude too. You need to straighten your back NOW!!!”

It turns out she was right! Yet again 😉

Keep your back straight and your chin up! Adjust the PC monitor’s height, lower your seat, and sit straight at work. Also, pay attention to your posture when eating and watching TV, videos or any screens.

#5 Massage Your Scalp 

Since the scalp and face are connected by a single skin layer, massaging the scalp can give the skin several benefits.

Scalp massages promote blood circulation and can help prevent wrinkles and sagging skin. Gently rub the scalp in a small upward motion. It can also help lift the corner of eyes.

[For Dull Skin] 

#6 Introduce More B vitamins, Vitamin C/E in Your Diet

There are two major causes for dull looking skin.

1. Dryness caused by keratinocytes in the skin lacking moisture

(keratinocytes which are said to be 95% of the cells in the epidermis)

2. Poor blood circulation which makes the skin turn bluish

In this case, it may be the slow skin turnover is the one to blame.

Take B Vitamins to boost your metabolism and Vitamin C and E to improve the blood circulation!

It’s easy – you can get these Vitamins by eating more leafy green vegetables, walnuts and hazelnuts.

#7 Massage Your Ears

Many nerves are running around the ears, and ear massage stimulates the sense in the body.

Rub, tug, pull or roll the ear cartilage and lobes. Massage behind your ears too! You can experiment with what feels right for you: the strength, with oil or without oils, which part of the ear.Ear massage is powerful because the skin around the ear is very sensitive due to its having many nerve endings.

It helps boost the immune system, release toxins and improve the blood flow. Having a healthy digestive system enables you to keep your skin free of acne and have beautiful skin. It also helps you to relax and reduce stress and anxiety. So, there’s no reason not to do ear massage!

It is free, and you can start right now too!

Anti-Aging Starts from Home

I hope my tips are useful and easy to implement for you!

Before splashing your money onto skincare products that barely promise you any results, start from what you can do at home. Look into ways in the daily life that can help you age slower like the techniques above!

I love using quality anti-aging skincare products too. But, I can say my disciplined lifestyle in doing these seemingly trivial things from an early age has made a big difference in my skin and body.

The little effort you make every day makes the difference. You will see a huge difference in 10 years.

So, start today ❤️️