You know what’s sexy? Not looking older than you actually are. 

No matter what your age, taking care of your skin is essential in locking down your look for decades to come. Trust us on this one -- an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of facial injections ten years down the road. 

Taking care of your skin is easy and won’t involve a bathroom cabinet filled with products. You can get healthy, fresh, comfortable skin in just minutes a day by just making sure you have the right equipment for the job. 

If you want to fight the signs of aging before they start, or combat them if they’ve already got boots on the ground, we can help. We can give you the insider info on what’s making you look older, what you can do to stop it, and what products can help you get the job done. 

“I Used To Get Carded” 

Most of us seasoned gents can remember the first time we were not asked for ID when we bought beer. For many of us, it was the first of numerous little signs we were not only getting older, we were looking older. 

Obviously, aging happens, and it definitely beats the alternative, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to have skin that looks as young as you feel. 

There’s an entire laundry list of reasons why we might look older than we are, including lifestyle habits, like smoking or not getting enough sleep each night. 

Here’s a deeper look into why the clerk doesn’t need your ID anymore: 

• You don’t use sunscreen. It’s simple science. UV light produces free radicals, free radicals make your skin look old. You need sunscreen every single day, even if it’s cloudy. Damage to your skin from UV exposure is the number one cause of premature aging, so applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher before you hit the pavement each day is essential. 

• You smoke. If you’re a smoker, you’re aging yourself much faster than the non-smoking population. Smoking also produces free radicals, and you’ll begin to notice crow’s feet around your eyes, lines on your forehead, wrinkles around your mouth, and in-between your eyebrows much sooner than a non-smoker would. 

• You drink excessively. While alcohol may not be as harmful to your skin as smoking, it does dehydrate you, and dehydrated skin looks and feels older. Over time, excessive use of alcohol can permanently damage your skin, making you look older. 

• You don’t get enough sleep. It might be great that you can function on two hours of sleep right now, but your skin is paying the price. In fact, new studies show that not getting enough sleep is directly related to your skin’s overall health. 

• You don’t have a solid skin care routine. It’s common sense. When you take care of something, it looks better and lasts longer. Using high-quality products on your skin helps keep it feeling and looking younger and healthier than simply splashing some water on it and calling it a day.

5 Ways To Defy Time and Look Younger

First of all, you have to correct bad habits. If you’re a smoker, stop. If you drink too much, don’t. Get more sleep, and wear sunscreen every day. Just changing these lifestyle habits alone will help your skin’s overall health and add years to your face (and probably your life). 

Next, adopt an adult skin care routine and stick with it. 

“Adopting a skincare routine” sounds like something your mom would tell you, but don’t worry. 

We promise you can look younger and take care of your skin in less than five minutes a day with great products that contain age-erasing ingredients. Here’s how. 

1. Wash your face like a grown man. Sticking your head under the shower was great when you were young, but your skin is more mature now and you need a facial cleanser that can step up to the plate. 
   
   A great facial cleanser removes dirt and oil that collects on your face during your day, or overnight while you sleep. Opt for a cleanser that contains a skin-rejuvenating ingredient like phytic acid, which helps your skin cell turnover happen faster, making you look younger.
   
   To make sure you’re getting the most out of your cleanser, also look for deep cleaning ingredients like charcoal, which digs deep into your pores helping keep them clean and ensuring your skin is blemish free. 
   
   How To: Wash your face morning and evening. You need to do it both times to ensure you’re not leaving dirt and oil on your skin which can clog pores and leave skin prone to breakouts. 
   
   
2. Exfoliate. If you’ve never used an exfoliating scrub before, you’re walking around with dead skin on your face, and that’s making you look older. Exfoliating removes the uppermost layer of dead skin cells, revealing younger, more youthful looking skin.
   
   Exfoliating also helps you get a cleaner, closer shave. If you’re constantly dealing with unsightly razor bumps or ingrown hairs it could be because of dead skin cells getting trapped in your pores when you shave. You can fix it by exfoliating before you mow. 
   
   How to: Exfoliating just twice a week is plenty. Over-exfoliating can lead to skin irritation, and it simply isn’t needed.
   
   
3. Hydrate. Your skin needs moisture, and the body lotion you’ve used since college isn’t the right stuff for your face. Investing in a good quality moisturizer can make a huge difference in wrinkle prevention. 
   
   Remember those free radicals (from smoking and sunlight)? Free radicals are everywhere, including in pollution you come in contact with every day. 
   
   Protect your skin from free radicals that can permanently damage it and make it look older by getting the good stuff in your moisturizer:
   
   Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an all natural antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect against free radical damage.

• Vitamin E. An excellent skin conditioner, vitamin E helps keep your skin soft and smooth, while also protecting against free radicals. 

• Macadamia oil. Nature’s own anti-aging super-ingredient, macadamia oil keeps your skin fully hydrated while helping to lessen the look of fine lines and wrinkles and work to prevent them before they start. 
  
  How to: Moisturize morning and evening, so your skin is fully hydrated and protected around the clock.
  
  4. Mask up. Skin care is sexy, and the more you do for your skin, the more it will do for you in terms of making you look as good as you feel. Throwing in a once or twice weekly detoxifying mask can keep your pores clean and eliminate puffiness.
  
  Masks also help to hydrate your skin, which is essential in keeping fine lines and wrinkles filled and looking less noticeable.
  
  Essentially, a great mask is like giving your face a deep clean; think of it like having your car professionally detailed, but for your face. Oh, yeah. 
  
  Pro tip: You can apply your mask to your entire face, or simply to areas that are the most blemish prone. 
  
  5. Invest in one miracle product. If you want to really attack the signs of aging around your eyes, you’ve gotta bring in the heavy hitters. Disco’s Repairing Eye Stick is the right product for the job. 
  
  Tired of waking up to puffy eyes and dark circles? Our repairing eye stick glides on under your eyes to tighten and brighten even the tiredest looking eyes, so you can fake eight hours of sleep like a true professional.
  
  Niacinamide targets fine lines and wrinkles while caffeine de-puffs and tightens skin. The best part? You can easily pocket the eye stick and use it throughout the day. Kind of like giving your eyes a shot of espresso. 

Just five simple products can round out a complete skin care routine that won’t take up a ridiculous amount of time, space, or cash. Disco’s products are easy to use, and formulated specifically to work best with the optimal pH balance of a man’s skin.

You also never need to worry about what’s inside our products, either. We’re uber transparent with our ingredient labels. All products we carry are vegan, cruelty-free, and natural-ingredients-derived, so you can feel good about what’s making you look good.

It’s also easy to get the products you need when you need them. Our three-month subscription ensures you get what you need when you need it. If you’re not into long term, that’s cool, too. We offer one time purchase options for those who prefer it. 

The Takeaway

Lifestyle changes and a small overhaul in your skin care routine may be all that’s needed to help you stay looking younger. 

Investing in products with intentional, age-defying ingredients helps give your skin the stuff it needs to fight free radicals and send fine lines and wrinkles packing. 

Sources:

https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=e0a22a4f-77c7-4a9a-b779-ed3c37956982

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking/expert-answers/smoking/faq-20058153

https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/anti-aging/reduce-premature-aging-skin

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130723155002.htm