Grace is the most beautiful asset in a woman. It is a way of carrying yourself around with calmness, composure, intelligence, respect and love. A graceful woman is sure of herself, has her values in place and is a pleasure to have her around. She is proactive and approaches challenges in a logical manner. So, if the challenge is aging, she accepts it and does her best to cope with it.
Here are some steps through which you can age in a graceful manner.
1. Start young. You should not get worked up about aging when you are young. No amount of worrying can help you stay young forever. But what you can do while you are young is take care of yourself. Incorporate healthy habits in your lifestyle. It is absolutely essential to exercise to keep your body healthy. It will make the aging process much easier on you. It will also keep you fit while you are young.
2. Eat fresh, organic foods. In the olden days, people did not have cosmetic surgeries to look good. However, they still had a much healthier diet which reflected in the way they aged. The simple truth is, what you eat is who you are. If you are feeding your body processed, junk food at irregular intervals then it will not only make you unhealthy when you are young but it will also have disastrous effects as you grow older. Therefore, make the extra effort to buy fresh produce and cook it. It will definitely show.
3. Cleanse, tone moisturize. CTM is the golden rule of skin care. Start in your early teens if possible and never stop. It only takes about 10 minutes twice a day and it will never let you down. Your skin is usually oily when you are young and dry as you get older. Therefore, depending on the state it is in, moisturize properly. Use a water-based moisturizer up until the age of twenty six and then shift to an oil-based one. Alternatively, use a water-based moisturizer during summer and an oil-based one during winter.
4. Consume enough protein and deep-condition your hair. Hair always needs extra-care. It also shows the first signs of aging, mainly through the appearance of gray hair and balding. Eating protein-rich foods like eggs, white meat and soy beans daily can make a huge difference to your hair. External care is also required. You must shampoo hair thrice a week and condition even more often. Deep-conditioning your hair once a week is a great way to keep you look and feel good. You can use a mixture of olive oil, almond oil and castor oil as a great all-purpose hair pack.
5. Do not rub your eyes or put your hands on your face. It is great to get a facial massage once in a while. It improves blood circulation in the facial area which also makes you feel good. However, regularly placing your hands( like artists do in a stereotypical fashion) on your face aggravates the process of lines and wrinkles. The skin around your eyes is very delicate. If you develop crow’s feet, it is almost impossible to remove. Rubbing also causes the skin to sag faster. Of course, we all do express emotions facially through laughter and frowning. However, do practice maintaining a calm visage.
6. Maintain personal hygiene. Wax and shave regularly. Never wear your clothes for too long and wash them before you wear them. Take a bath daily. Brush your teeth twice a day. Keep your house and surroundings clean. Lack of hygiene contributes to contact with germs which is ultimately unhealthy.
7. Avoid the use of all addictive substances. The occasional glass of wine is alright, but it is of prime importance to stay away from all addictive substances. The ill effects of alcohol, tobacco, drugs have been stated often and with reason. Besides other harmful effects like lung cancer and liver damage, addictive substances also have disastrous effects on skin, hair and overall fitness.
8. Accept the signs of aging. Even the most health-conscious people age. Instead of fighting it, it is better and much easier to accept it. If you can be just as responsible and loving with gray hair as without them, it would be the biggest sign of success in your attempt to age gracefully. Aging is inevitable. If you can live it with a smile, it will indeed end up being enjoyable.