By Cindy Guo
Living in the Silicon Valley, we are struggling to stay afloat in a pool of stress and pressure. For me, that didn’t help when California’s weather started acting up. My system couldn’t take it and I would get terrifying hives for no good reason. I got hives if I was too hot, too cold, too stressed, too relaxed, too tired—pretty much “too” anything. I became really scared and became obsessed with skincare.
As a child, I never wore sunscreen, never put on lotion, and for the most part, didn’t even bother to wash my face. But now I’m in high school, and it’s time to start paying attention to my skin. High school brings us a lot of laughter and a lot of frowns, and with all your time running on the field or your face buried inside a textbook, maybe you haven’t stared at yourself in the mirror in quite a while. Or maybe you do that everyday… but for the most part, you probably will find small lines appearing under your eyes. There’s nothing wrong with having these fine lines, but it does make you look a lot older than you are. And if you’re okay with that, then carry on with your life. But if you aren’t, then keep on reading!! There are a few ways you can prevent aging at a young age. Doctors recommend women to start using anti-aging products at age thirteen (no age is too late to start, though)!
A major stress reliever would be to put on a face mask. Not only does it hydrate your skin to prevent wrinkles, it also allows you to take a break from life. There are many types of masks such as clay masks, rubber masks, wash-off masks, etc. It’s a great way to spend 15 minutes doing nothing, but at the same time, you’re rejuvenating your brain and your skin. If 15 minutes “wasted” is too much, do not fret. There is a product called a splash mask where you splash it onto your face for 15 seconds in the shower, and it does exactly what a 15 minute long sheet mask would do! Magic.
Speaking of skin products, if you aren’t a fan of heavy creams or super strong smelling products, or non-scented products, then aloe should be your best friend. Sure, you can drink it, but all the extra sugar isn’t going to help you. At your local drug store, you can purchase a tube/bottle/jug of aloe. It has a light, refreshing scent and it hydrates your skin more than any other skincare product. Aloe is completely natural, and inexpensive, so it beats all those super expensive products that don’t even work as well.
Another thing you can do is to avoid products with drying alcohols. A lot of face washes, especially, give you a deep cleanse, but strip away ALL natural oils, leaving your face dryer than the sahara desert. The most important thing is to keep your skin hydrated.
If purchasing skin care products and putting them into your day is too much for you, don’t worry. A good alternative is just to drink a lot of water. Also, sleeping on your side and tummy can also result in a lot of wrinkles because your face is continuously wrinkled as your face is buried into a pillow. Drinking water and sleeping on your back is something you can do (for free) to prevent/get rid of fine lines. For me, sleeping on my back is the hardest, so I like to put a stickier mask on my face to prevent me from rolling into my pillow.
The main point is to keep your face hydrated and controlled at night. Don’t let wrinkles scare you from getting a good night’s sleep, and don’t be compelled to smile less so you don’t get fine lines. That’s ridiculous. Everyone will get wrinkles as they get older, so don’t feel bad about yourself if you are starting to get them. In fact, fine lines and wrinkles make people look friendlier and more approachable! Think of wrinkles as dimples. Dimples are essentially a hole in someone’s face, but it makes them look cuter and friendlier. It’s just a matter of looking at things from a different perspective! No matter how stressed you are, take a break and pay a little extra attention to your beautiful face.
