Isn’t it our ultimate dream to age like a fine wine? Over time, as we get older, our skin tends to lose its youthfulness, buoyancy and glow, wrinkles and fine lines start settling in and we suddenly start noticing dark spots or sunspots, dry patches, a dull tone and the occasional redness. While most of these are a natural part of ageing, you may be able to delay the signs for some years with a little TLC. From cutting back on alcohol and UV exposure, improving your sleep and diet, to incorporating collagen for skin into your daily routine, here are a few tips to help you keep your skin looking younger and brighter for longer.

• Quit smoking and limit alcohol

If you’re a habitual smoker, now’s the time to stop. While we all know the negative effects of smoking on the lungs and heart, even second-hand smoke can cause blood vessels to narrow, reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. Over time, smoking can lead to thinner, drier skin that is prone to wrinkling and ageing.

Alcohol also dries out the skin, in time causing irreparable damage. However, this doesn’t imply that you need to completely remove alcohol from your life, just limit it to one to two glasses of wine in moderation.

• Stay hydrated

This tip cannot be stressed enough. Your body needs water to conduct its core operations, a part of which is keeping your skin looking fresh, healthy and youthful. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty, as the feeling of thirst already implies that you’re dehydrated. Instead, carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go and keep sipping from it every 5 to 10 mins. The goal should be to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to keep your skin looking younger and your body functioning at its’ best.

• Protect against the sun

The sun is one of the biggest culprits in making us look older well before our time. Wearing SPF50 daily on your face, and especially focusing on the area around the eyes, neck and decolletage is key. However, it’s not enough to put on your sunscreen before your makeup and call it a day. You also need to regularly top it up every few hours for maximum protection. If you love getting a good tan while out on the beach in the summer, consider self-tanning instead.

• Get some sleep

Your skin takes the time while you sleep to rejuvenate, repair itself and increase cell turnover. This is the time to be doing all your best skincare! Sleep is one of the best skincare tricks and many of us don’t have enough sleep, so our skin does suffer. Try getting a minimum of 7 hours a night, and even look into wearing an eyemask to block out light, using a silky pillowslip to diminish creases on the skin as you sleep, as well as drinking plenty of water, getting a good hyaluronic or humectant moisturiser to work its magic and beta hydroxy acids to help exfoliate the skin and reveal brighter, more youthful skin. A perfect combo whilst you’re getting that much needed beauty sleep!

• Incorporate collagen tea into your routine

Collagen tea is the newest and latest emerging way of getting some collagen for skin. The antioxidants in the collagen tea work to reduce free radicals from the body, whereas the easily digested hydrolyzed collagen peptides replenish your body’s natural reserves of collagen and help collagen production increase as we age. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body - it’s the building block of your skin and is responsible for giving it its elasticity, buoyancy and youthfulness - think smoother, more hydrated skin texture. Over time, collagen production in the body slows down, which is what causes wrinkles and fine lines to appear. By adding just two cups of collagen tea to your daily routine, you can give your body some much-needed collagen for skin in several amazing flavours, such as chamomile, peppermint, black or green tea and even matcha and chai.