My Top 10 Tips for Youthful Skin – Without Getting Botox or Injections!

Below are my tried and true facial skin care must haves, along with a few extra nice-to-haves too. My opinions are my own, I bought all of these products, and I am not being sponsored for my review. However, there are some commissionable links included for some of the products I love.

01.

Red Light Therapy

If you know me and we’ve have a conversation for at least a couple minutes, you know my love for red light therapy (RLT). That being said, not all red light therapy devices are created equal. The devices I love are the ones that have the closest metrics to the medical grade red light therapies that you can pay for at a spa. I have used three devices now and I have had great results with all three. After doing a lot of research on RLT, I know what to look for in a device and I will share all of that information with you in a follow up article.

But for now, I’ll share two red light therapy masks and one red light therapy light bulb device. The masks vary a bit in price, and if you can save up a little extra, I’d splurge and buy this one – simply because it’s the best one on the market right now. My number two RLT face mask is this one. I started out with this one and have loved it so much. It literally helped me age backwards! I’m not an affiliate with either of these two masks, I’m just a big fan.

If you want to try RLT without paying a lot up front to start, I recommend this device! I use it for my neck, face, jaw, knee, back, and really any body part that needs a little TLC. This device is just as effective as the two masks above, but the masks are much more convenient to use on your face. For those with thinning hair or receding hair lines, I recommend using either the masks or this device and letting it sit near your scalp for 10-20 minutes a day!

Side note here, RLT has helped me heal wounds, injuries, pms cramps, etc. and that’s why I recommend it so much! All the research says it takes around 3 months to visibly notice tightened skin, reduced wrinkle lines, etc., so just be consistent and I believe you’ll love the results as much as I do. However, regarding treating pain, cramps, colds, injuries, etc., I do notice a difference immediately or very soon after using this RLT device!

These red light devices’ that I’ve mentioned above work to renew and create healthy stem cells. Think about that?! That is nuts, but that’s why I’m always telling people about them – the right devices can actually physically help you heal and promote growth, that’s insane.

02.

My Face Wand

Funny story, I normally keep my face wand by my mirror on the floor in my bedroom – so I can be sure to incorporate it into my morning routine. I forgot about it when I hired an electrician to come over and do some electrical work – that unknowingly required us to move the mirror, and I immediately felt like I needed to explain what this device was. You’ll understand what I’m talking about once you see what this wand looks like… Anyway, I LOVE this thing. When I use the face wand daily, I love the results. I apply my facial creams or serums, then use the wand for 5-10 minutes on my face and neck (before applying makeup). I especially love to use it before going to an event or before photos. It also has attachments for your hair to help with hair regrowth. Please note, this device is NOT recommended for anyone with a pace-maker. power pose, with arms raised, chin up and chest out,” says Mr David Waters, a therapist and coach. “Emulating the posture of winners triggers a positive hormonal shift, reduces anxiety-producing cortisol and boosts confidence-enhancing testosterone.”

My face wand promotes collagen growth on the surface and even into layers beneath the skin’s surface. That’s why when used with the above red light therapy devices, you’re literally penetrating through multiple skin layers top to bottom to restore your skin and muscles.

Achieving perfect looking skin is not the goal. Aging gracefully and embracing your God-given beauty is.

Lindsey

03.

Collagen

Just like the RLT devices, not all collagen is created equal. There are certain brands that are known to have heavy metals in them, others lack third party testing, and others just aren’t as effective. This is the only collagen I use. It was recommended to me by my functional medical practitioner, and she thoroughly vets the products that she suggests to her clients. I have been using this product for the past three years and I am loving it.

Collagen is like a secret weapon. It can help strengthen bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, teeth, eyesight, and soooo much more. Collagen is most commonly known for helping with skin elasticity and hair regrowth, but it’s also super helpful for GI and gut health issues. I have celiac disease and this collagen is currently the only type of protein powder that I can tolerate, so I take this collagen daily. The generic recommended daily dose is one scoop, but when asked, I suggest two scoops daily, but do what you feel is best. I actually take 4-8 scoops of collagen daily since it’s the only protein powder source that I can tolerate in my shakes, and that’s been working great for me!

04.

Frownies

If you haven’t yet tried Frownies, it’s a must. I have been using Frownies since my 20’s. Here’s the thing, the more you frown, the more likely you will have frown lines. Frownies help keep you from frowning. I put these on at night after I moisturize my face, then take them off in the morning in the shower as I’m washing my face. If you work from home or are not on camera or around people during the day and you are doing things that cause you to frown, I’d even recommend wearing these during the day too. I mostly wear the Frownies between my eyebrows to help prevent eleven lines. Other spots I try – depending on how my face is looking, on my smile lines around my mouth and around my eyes.

When taking them off, peel them off slowly with lots of water running on your face in the shower, and be sure to take them off at least a hour before your first meeting because they will leave a temporary line around the Frownie patch itself.

05.

Tinted Sunscreen

First let me say, that I have been looking for a tinted sunscreen that doesn’t bother my skin for at least 15 years! So when I tell you that I love this tinted sunscreen, it’s true love! Until I tried this sunscreen, every previous sunscreen I tried had a very high EWG rating (which means it’s very toxic for your body), and or, it made me break out in hives, or acne. Out of frustration, and to give my skin a break, for the past ten years, I stopped wearing sunscreen altogether- which is not awesome for me. I couldn’t find anything that didn’t aggravate my skin, so this tinted sunscreen is life-giving!

I love that this clean sunscreen is tinted and has multiple colors to choose from as well. I like my skin to look more tan than pale, so I use the shade 02. I also tried many non-tinted sunscreens, but recently I was researching a bit more and learned that tinted sunscreen helps protect your skin from the blue lights that our faces are constantly exposed to via our devices, so that’s why I insist on using a tinted sunscreen always.

I also love this powder facial sunscreen – especially if I am out somewhere and it feels like my skin is getting greasy from the heat. The best thing about this powder sunscreen is it’s a powder, easy to apply over your makeup, and it has an SPF of 50!

For the rest of my body, I use this organic spray sunscreen when I need something fast or when we are golfing, and I use this zinc-based sunscreen for days when I’m working in the garden, going for a walk, or just doing projects outside. I find it easier to rub into your skin using this device – it keeps your hands from getting all greasy from the sunscreen.

06.

Facial Exercises

Our facial muscles, just like the rest of our body, need to be worked out a bit to prevent from sagging and to help keep the muscles tight. I actually have been doing facial exercises since I was 20. I find them to be very helpful, especially when paired with deep diaphragm breathing exercises too. You can do these for 2-10 minutes a day, 10 minutes being optimal of course, but these are super helpful for your face and neck tightness. I love this book for tips on what exercises to do.

07.

Daily Moisturizers

I have heard many estheticians over the years talk highly about devices and treatments that can help heal, rejuvenate, and repair the skin texture, barrier, elasticity, etc. I have also heard them say that what matters more than the expensive annual treatments is your daily skin care routine.

Similar to my sunscreen experiments over the years, I have tried almost every brand of facial cream, and they all seemed to bother me, until I found this one! It’s made by a great company and I am super happy with both the price and how it makes my skin feel. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel too heavy for me. I live in San Diego which is pretty humid compared to where I lived most of my life (in Colorado and Arizona), so I was curious as to how it do under my makeup, and it does great. I apply both creams (in the order they recommend), then I apply my tinted sunscreen, then I apply my powder foundation.

08.

Foundation

My face just feels better with makeup. On the rare times that I do go without wearing makeup, my face tends to feel oily and I don’t like that, so I have always opted for wearing makeup. My foundation also has another layer of SPF 15 sunscreen in it, so I figure it’s just an added bonus. But all these layers help protect the skin, and I’m here for it. I wear the medium beige foundation, and I’ve been wanting to try this company’s foundation, blush, and bronzer for a while now, so when I run out of my powder foundation, I think I’ll try it out and see how my skin responds to it.

09.

Hats + Clothing + Sunglasses

I wear hats and sunglasses as often as possible when in the sun. I take in my daily dose of sun in the early morning – sans hats and sunglasses- to help regulate my circadian rhythm and soak up some vitamin D, but for the rest of the day, since I like being outside a lot, I wear protective gear to help block over-exposure that can cause pre-mature aging and skin cancer. I also try to avoid being directly in the sun during the times of the day when the UVA/UVB rays are the highest – it’s also usually the hottest time of the day too, and that’s a hard pass for me.

I have purchased this UVA/UVB blocking hat several times, these sunglasses three times, and these UPF50+ rated clothing items are currently in my cart: UPF50+ rated joggers, and this UPF50+ athleisure top.

10.

Quality Sleep

When I don’t sleep, I look haggard. Although my husband will never admit it, he might say something like, “You look tired”, which we all know is code for, “You don’t look so good.” So many times we look to devices and fads to help us look and feel younger, when oftentimes, all we need to do is slow down, rest, and get a good night of sleep.

Great sleep helps everything from your brain activity, sex drive, balancing hormones, and weight loss, but it is also great for hormonal regulation, lowering cortisol levels, and overall skin care and health goals. I aim for 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and often take short naps on the days I don’t get enough sleep. It’s such a gift to your skin, yourself and your family when you are well rested!

11. (Bonus #1)

Water

I know it seems like a lame point to include, but if you’re dehydrated, it will show up on your skin too! So drink lots of room temperature water with lemon and a pinch of salt, for glowing healthy skin!

12. (Bonus #2)

Sweet Potatoes

Did you know that sweet potatoes naturally help your body produce more usable collagen! How cool is that? I think it’s pretty cool. The best way to eat sweet potatoes is to cook them, then stick them in the fridge to fully cool, then reheat them when you need them. When you do this, they have a lower glycemic index level, thus a lower blood sugar spike after eating them.

In addition to sweet potatoes, avoid eating foods that cause you inflammation. Inflammatory foods and alcohol can cause all types of skin issues from acne to eczema, and more, so that’s my little plug for eating as clean as you can to feel your best.

I realize that I have more tips on skin care that I could share, but I’ll save those for another time. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts about what you do and love to keep your skin looking young without botox and injections.