Who doesn’t want to look younger? If you’re anything like me, college is in the rearview mirror; something I look back on and smile. Unfortunately, while I’ve moved on, some of my habits have hung around.
If you want to look longer, it’s time to take a close look at these habits you might have picked up in college. And, if your freshman 15 turned into a mid-life 30, these habits will help you with that too!
1. There Really is Such a Thing as Too Sweet
Hitting the vending machines in the lobby of my dorm was a go-to midnight snack solution during my late-night cramming sessions. But, it turns out that the foods in our refrigerators and cupboards could be even worse for us.
According to a recent study, Americans are consuming 40% more sugar today than we did in the 70’s (source). Take a close look at the nutrition labels on your food. Sugars (both natural and artificial) are packed into a lot of our favorite snacks. Cut back if you want your skin to recover and the dark bags under your eyes to become less noticeable.
2. Cut Down on Hair Products
During my weekends in college, there were few things more important than making a killer impression at off-campus parties. Gel, mousse, hair spray and all of the other chemicals we put into our hair can cause hair to split, lose its luster and become seriously damaged as a result of long-term use.
Switch to a hairstyle that doesn’t require the use of daily hair styling products. Your hair will thank you and look much healthier.
3. It’s Time to Drop the Tobacco Cigarettes
I know, it’s so easy to blame the proliferation of smoking on Hollywood and the real-life Mad Men that made smoking so cool, but it isn’t the 80’s and 90’s anymore; the rebellion against parental authority is over. It’s time to put out tobacco cigarettes, for good.
If you’re having trouble quitting, try E-Juice, “Also known as e-liquid, vapor juice, and nicotine juice, e-juice usually blends propylene glycol with vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavoring to be vaporized, not burned. Most e-liquids are made with synthetic flavoring…[and] contain no actual tobacco,” according to the ECASSOC.
It’s an excellent alternative to traditional, tobacco cigarettes; especially if your intent is to eventually quit.
4. All-Night Cram Sessions
It was so easy to do it all in college; at least if you were willing to give up precious hours of sleep to cram before exams. Yes, we were kings and queens of the world! But, procrastination is what gave us our social life, and it then cost us our sleep as we tried to catch up.
The Daily News reported on a study that showed those lost hours of sleep actually make us “…look old and sad.” If that won’t scare you into sleeping more, I don’t know what will! Make sleep a mandatory part of every 24 hour period.
5. Energy Drinks, Nicotine and Copious Consumption of Caffeine
If you want younger, healthier skin, it’s time to cut back on the consumption of the hazardous chemicals found in energy drinks. Even caffeine, if consumed to excess, can contribute to your dry, prematurely wrinkled skin.
And it isn’t just energy drinks. There are some reports of e-cigarettes getting a new ingredient added to the list of options: caffeine? Yes, caffeinated e-cigarettes are actually a thing, reported by Vapourlites.
Alex Williams, a reporter for The Times, described his experience trying the “…Eagle Energy caffeine vaper…Just five puffs of the stuff made his fingers tingle and at ten puffs he felt a serious caffeine buzz…”
I’d definitely give the inventors credit for making a more efficient caffeine vehicle, but they may be contributing to an increasingly over-caffeinated population with horrible skin.
6. Don’t Forget to Condition!
In college, there were weeks where I was so broke, buying shampoo was sometimes a stretch. Adding conditioner into the mix just wasn’t financially in the cards. I didn’t give it much thought until a recent magazine article caught my eye. I never really considered how important a good conditioner is to maintaining hair’s resilience and vitality.
If you want to look younger, longer, don’t forget to add a quality hair conditioner into your daily regimen. You have a career; you can afford the little things to help take care of yourself! Combine conditioner with less styling products (see point 3) and you’ll have younger looking hair in no time!
We all want to reclaim our youth, and relive some college memories. Hold onto the memories, but let go of the habits. It’s time to focus on taking care of you, and that starts with living a healthier lifestyle. Your body will thank you, and trust me, getting carded for alcohol at the grocery store is a fun reminder that you’re doing things right!
Featured photo credit: pixabay.com via pixabay.com
