Here are some tips to keep yourself healthy and youthful as you age! If you have any tips or personal experiences of your own, please share them in the comments!

1 Sunscreen:

• Sunscreen use is key in preventing premature aging, sunspots, sunburn and skin cancer.

• Find a sunscreen that is at least spf 30 for your face. Spf 50+ is ideal for face and body. Some popular facial sunscreen brands are:

LaRoche Posay Mineral Ultra Fluid spf 50 sunscreen (comes in tinted and untinted)

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun spf 50

Elta MD UV Clear spf 46.

Note: The brand shouldn’t matter as long as it has high UVA, but beware that some sunscreens leave a white cast or pill.

• Reapply your sunscreen every two hours. If you don’t want to put liquid sunscreen on top of your makeup, then consider buying the Shisedo sunscreen stick. You can also apply the sunscreen stick on your hair parting on hot summer days.

2 Tretinoin:

• Tretinoin is a derivative of Vitamin A. It is a retinoic acid and is a stronger form of the retinols being sold over the counter. It comes in a cream, gel, or microgel form. Users typically start at a lower concentration (0.025%) and slowly work their way up to 0.05% or 0.1% as needed, but this is not necessary. You’ll see the same results at a lower concentration, but it’ll just take longer to see them. You may experience more dryness and flaking at higher concentrations Note: Tretinoin is available by prescription only.

• Why do people love tretinoin? Because studies have shown that tretinoin promotes skin cell turnover which helps with treating acne. It also has anti-aging benefits by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

3 Sleep well:

• A lack of sleep affects your physical and mental health. You want at least 7-9 hours a night.

• Most of us are magnesium deficient. Taking magnesium bisglycinate (not citrate or oxide) before bed can give a more restful sleep.

4 Supplements:

• Take a blood test to find out what vitamins and minerals you’re deficient in. It’s common to be deficient in vitamin D, B12, and iron. If you’re low, supplement daily or eat foods containing these vitamins and proteins. You will see a boost in energy.

• Vitamin D is important in metabolic pathways, bone health, reducing inflammation and improving mood. Vitamin B12 is important in DNA synthesis, nervous system functioning, and red blood cell maturation. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron. As you may know, anemia is a symptom associated with a lack of iron, causing tiredness, shortness of breath, and feeling weak.

• There has been some talk about supplements such as NMN and resveratrol being holy grail anti-aging supplements. NMN (Nicotinamide mononucleotide) is the precursor to NAD which is involved in metabolism and energy production. Resveratrol comes from the skin of grapes and berries and it is an antioxidant with neuroprotective, glucose and lipid regulatory and cardiovascular protective effects. How effective these supplements really are, I’m not so sure.

• L theanine and Ashwanganda are natural supplements known for reducing stress and anxiety. Matcha also contains L theanine.

5 Skincare:

• Vitamin C serums are beneficial in promoting collagen production, reducing hyperpigmentation, brightening complexion, and protecting against free radical damage.

• If you have dark under eyes you can try using a caffeine eye solution.

• Make sure you adequately moisturize your face and body everyday.

6 Lasers and Facials:

• CO2 Fraxel laser can be used to improve skin texture, minimize sun ☀️ damage, fine lines and wrinkles.

• Hydrafacials help infuse hydration into your skin and make it appear plumper.

7 Collagen Powder:

• This is a controversial one but hydrolyzed marine collagen peptides can help to grow healthy hair, skin and nails. It could potentially help with collagen production, but the studies on this are conflicting.

• Collagen is a protein so you could just increase your regular protein intake if you want to see hair, skin and nails benefits (not necessarily anti-aging).

8 Botox:

• Botox is an option for those who have wrinkles in their problem areas - forehead, smile lines, frown lines, etc. Don’t overdo it.

9 Eat clean and exercise:

• Limit sugar intake because it can increase inflammation and breakdown collagen. You also don’t want to increase your risk of being insulin resistant. Limit high sodium and fried food intake as well. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are prevalent in south Asian populations.

• Limit alcohol intake and processed foods.

• In addition to its physical health benefits, exercise can also reduce stress.