Anti-ageing tips we wish we'd known sooner

Dear younger selves,

The year is 2012 (yeah, we know, we made it! It turns out all that Nostradamus stuff didn’t happen after all). We’re telling you this in the event that a time machine gets invented and we can go back to give you this letter in person.

Believe us, it’s worth reading. We’ve gone around the office and each picked out our #1 anti-ageing lesson we wish we’d known earlier and compiled a list for you to follow below. Think of this letter as your golden ticket to youthful skin.

Read it, digest it, and put it into practice.

With love,

Your future selves x

PS. You know that shellsuit you were thinking of buying? Don’t bother. You’ll wear it for six months and it will never come back into fashion again. Ever. Trust us, we’re from the future.

1) Be beach safe from an early age
My number one tip I wish I knew earlier was to basically keep out of the sun!  My whole childhood was spent at the beach, surfing and baking myself to have that must-have golden tan! Sometimes I'd burn my chest and it actually blistered – so embarrassing, I would never to do that today! – Kym

2) Try vitamin A
I wish I discovered the endless anti-ageing benefits of Vitamin A skincare sooner. It has the ability to increase the skin’s collagen production for fuller, firmer, younger looking skin. - Bree

3) Be especially vigilant if you have bigger breasts
I wish someone had told me that bigger boobs can mean crepey boobs (especially while you sleep)! As my mum is an A cup (bless!) it definitely wasn't wisdom she thought to impart to me! My tip is to use a cheap anti-ageing cream all over your neck, décolletage and breasts before you get into bed at night to help prevent crepey skin! - Liv

4) Wear an SPF moisturiser every day (even in winter)
I wish I had adopted a SPF daily face cream earlier. I figure if you’re already putting moisturiser on daily anyway, why not use an-SPF rich one to fight off the ageing effects of the sun? - Tara

5) Your face ends at your boobs
My beautiful mum and equally as gorgeous nana have both told me to play special attention to my décolletage. Both have suffered from avoidable sun damage and dryness because they ignored the area. The lesson? Your face ends at your boobs, so cleanse, moisturise and protect the area from harmful UV damage on a daily basis. - Cherie

6) Be conscious of what your face is doing
Try and be conscious of NOT screwing your face up, and rather try to be aware a feeling of smoothness across your forehead, even in times of stress - difficult to do, but so, so useful! - Jackie

7) Resist the urge to pop pimples
Don't squeeze your pimples. It might get rid of them when you’re a teenager, but this can lead to scarring in later life - Laina

8) Wear sunglasses
This not only protects your eyes and the delicate skin around them from the sun but it also stops you from squinting, which can cause tiny lines as you get older. - Kate

9) Smile often (and scowl less)
Not all wrinkles are bad. When I look at older women who have laughter lines I always think they seem to exude the spirit of youth much more than those who have frown lines. I want to be one of those women so I’m making a conscious effort to grimace less and laugh more! - Laura

10) Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!
Never underestimate the importance of moisturiser. I never used to moisturise my face because I had no idea that dehydrated skin could add years to your appearance. Now of course I moisturise morning and night without fail and my skin is definitely thanking me for it! - Deb

What's the one anti-ageing tip you wish you'd known earlier?

<< Go back to the anti-ageing hub

Get all the latest trends, photos and news from bh: follow us on...