If you're reading this and you're in your twenties or early thirties, I'm pretty sure you're concerned about preserving your youthful skin. Skin aging is one of the most dreaded aspects of getting older for many people, most especially women. It may not seem to matter that much health wise, but for many of us, skin aging greatly affects our confidence and self esteem. Keeping our skin young looking for as long as we can, can definitely help us feel much better and more positive about ourselves as we age. Most people might think that wrinkles, fine lines and all those signs of aging will only appear once you reach your forties. Unknown to many, our lifestyle can really make a big difference to how our skin ages. If your skin is constantly exposed to smoke, sun and stress, your skin's collagen can deplete rapidly which can result in premature aging. The good news is that there are ways to slow down the process of skin aging. Let me share to you some of them.

1. Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking is the second biggest cause of skin damage next to sun exposure. Cigarettes contain nicotine which constricts blood vessels and decreases the flow of oxygen to the skin. It can also dry up your skin which can make it more prone to wrinkles.

2. Do wear sunscreen every day, all year round. Wearing sunscreen is the best way to prevent sun induced aging. By reducing the amount of UVA and UVB radiation that you absorb, you can also reduce many visible signs of aging.

3. Do pamper yourself with facial skin treatments at least once a month. Most facial treatments, especially those anti aging facials primarily involve in improving blood circulation that greatly helps in maintaining the elasticity of the skin. Facials also help in reducing stress which also plays a big role in premature aging.

4. Do eat lots of antioxidant rich foods. Antioxidants are nature's anti aging medicine. It helps prevent the damages caused by free radicals in the body. By protecting yourself with antioxidants, you will slow down the skin aging process.

5. Don't overstress yourself. While there will always be some problems in life, it's very important to not overstress yourself over mundane issues. Stress speeds up the aging process. It can often cause the face to frown, which over time would cause unsightly frown marks.