How To Recognize the Signs of Aging and Get Serious About Your Skincare in 2022

January 5, 2022

2022 is here! If you are anything like me and love to create lists and keep yourself accountable, I’ve got a challenge for you! This time of year we start thinking about hitting the reset button and try to get serious in certain areas of our lives. For me it’s staying committed to my physical workout goals; it is really hard to stick to the gym! I also try to be mindful about my relationship with my husband and children and be present with them. Another area of life that can be difficult to balance – but that’s a different blog.

We Are Always Aging

Maybe you’ve started noticing some lines around your eyes or a bit of lackluster skin tone. If you are interested in taking better care of your skin but unsure where to start – keep reading! Perhaps you are turning 40 this year – like me! Or 30 or 50. Whichever milestone it is, you surely want to preserve your youth or increase your self-confidence. Then make this the year you are serious about your health, maybe weight or physical fitness and your skincare – because it is kind of a total package. Let’s say you are still fairly young; you don’t really see any lines or wrinkles but you have noticed skincare products advertised in your news feeds and think you probably should do something other than simply wash your face with that cleanser you carelessly picked up at Walgreens. Okay yes you’re right! We are aging at all times, even my 7 year old is aging, right? You better believe he washes his skin, moisturizes twice a day and applies SPF (with my help and nagging of course). But I’m hoping I’m setting him up for good habits and healthy skin in his future. Genetics do play a role however having the tools of know-how can help manage any skin conditions.

What to Look For

Recognizing the signs of aging may not always be obvious, alot of what is happening as we age is internal and on a celluar level and then gradually we start seeing the external signs. And it’s in those stages that make it much more difficult to treat aging, not impossible but expectations must be lessened.  Additionally, our lifestyle plays a large part in our skin appearance. Try this excerise to recognize some signs of skin concerns. Take a close look at your skin, free of products and makeup, no magnification required. What do you see? Write it down. Note what you like and what you would like to change about your skin. Don’t forget your neck and chest area. Do you see large pores? Do you see puffy undereyes? Do you like your cheekbones? Now with clean fingers gently feel your skin. Does it feel smooth or bumpy? Does it feel dry or slick? These are all properties of identifying specific skin conditions or types and they are all signs of aging.

By beginning with with proper cleansing and moisturizing you can be doing so much for yourself. But that is just the start. As you’ll see incorporating some technologies and maybe even making additional lifestyle changes may be necessary. The absolute #1 practice you can be doing for slowing down aging and protecting your skin is wearing SPF everyday! So many times in our practice we meet clients that do not wear SPF for a myriad of reasons; “I don’t like the way it looks or feels”, “I work inside”, I wear it when I’m at the pool”, I have it, I just forget to put it on”, “I use the spray one at the beach”, “I’m too sensitive for it”  and the excuses go on and on and my brain just hears wah wah wah wah wah and I just see lips moving. Ok I digress, my point is SPF is so critically important to our everyday lives and there are many different types of SPF products on the market – we can find one that you’ll love wearing just as much as your favorite pair of Nikes. 

I mentioned that cleanser from Walgreens – I absoultely shop there, however, professional skin therapist and companies do not use or produce mass products found in big box stores. It is rare that a quality brand created with the highest-grade ingredients or unnecessary fillers or irritants be sold at those stores. We study clinical and professional brands that were created out of necessity. Purchasing your products that are recommended by a trained skin therapist not only supports us but you can feel confident knowing it was selected specifically for your skin type or condition and not just by what the believalbe marketing on the box or label reads.

Now let’s tilt the scale a bit more and let’s say you’re older and can see signs of aging such as dark spots around your eyes, deeper lines on your forehead. Perhaps you have noticed some fine lines around your eyes which is likely dehydration and you’re thinking, “I guess it’s time for Botox?” Well pump the breaks before we dive right into injections. Have you tried facials with microcurrent or microneedling or ever had a chemical peel or used LED? There are many more non-invasive options available before jumping right into Botox – which I’m not saying should never be an otpion ever. But let’s create a plan and a healthy routine, maybe Botox can be incorporated with facial treatments because I’m here to tell you there are no real secrets, no magic potions and lotions, no fountain of youth other than practicing healthy skincare. You must do it and do it constitently to see changes. You must discover what products you should be using that are appropriate for your skin, not JLo’s skin – love her! You must seek out a professional skin therapist that can make those recommendations and again you must be consistent in both professional treatments and home-care. 

Now here’s the tea…if you truly want to make 2022 the year to hone in on your anti-aging goals and see real changes then start with asking some friends or family members who they see for professional treatments; practices like ours grow tremendously from referrals and plus your friend will probably benefit as well. Or search in your area for practices with 5 star Google reviews, make sure they have a professional website, learn about the therapists beforehand to make sure it’s a fit. A consultation is the first step and typically a good therapist will take care of the rest. Here at Amazing Face Spa we will talk with you about your concerns, make recommendations for both treatment plans and homecare all while creating a plan that is manageable. The last thing we want to do is create a 12 step routine when you are the kind of person who likes to keep things simple. Or maybe you already have a decent regimen at home, you are the kind of person who doesn’t  mind spending 15-20 minutes with homecare – in that case we will fine-tune your existing routine. Either way it all starts with a conversation.

Let me finish by sharing my belief in skincare and beauty. We all age and we are all imperfectly perfect. I believe in the science of skincare and I find it so interesting and fascinating that our living body can evolve and we can experiment with ingredients and technology to actually slow down aging and manage acne. While these things help us to feel better about ourselves, I also believe that we shouldn’t loose sight of natural beauty and the importance of loving the skin your in.

If you are local in the Phoenix area, please consider Amazing Face Spa for your 2022 skincare goals. Our consultations are always complimentary and we even offer discounts for first time guests. Schedule here!

article post written by Angela Miles on behalf of Amazing Face Spa

copyright Angela Miles – All Rights Reserved