Twins Take on Aging

We like to think that we look pretty great for our age.  Some of that we attribute to amazing genes (No kidding, our Grandma just turned 99, guys!), but we have also worked pretty hard to maintain healthy, young-looking skin.  Here are some of our tips and tricks so you, too, can get carded the next time you see an R-rated movie.

• Wash and exfoliate your face!  As we age, our skin tends to dry out more easily making it more prone to fine lines and wrinkles (gasp!)   Look for a face wash that contains alpha-hydroxal acids to help to gently exfoliate as you wash.  This not only makes your skin look smoother and more radiant, it also preps your skin to better absorb your moisturizer.  Keep in mind if you have sensitive skin, you may need to alternate days with a non-exfoliating wash.

Exfoliating cleansers:

Splurge: Philosophy The Microdelivery Daily Exfoliating Facial Wash

Save:  Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser

• You're never too young for moisturizer!  Healthy skin is well-moisturized skin.  Believe it or not, we've been wearing day, night and eye cream since high school graduation.  Starting much younger than you expect allows you to preserve the natural moisture and tone in your skin long before wrinkles develop.  If you wait until your late 30's to start using eye cream, your skin might have already started deteriorating.  We started out using some drug-store brand moisturizers, and have graduated to department store brands as our budget has increased.  You don't have to spend a lot of money to look great!  

For Daytime:

Splurge: Clinique Smart Broad Specturm SPF 15 Custom-Repair Moisturizer

Save: L'Oreal Paris Daily Volumizing Moisturizer

For Nighttime:

Splurge: Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Night Cream

Save:  Aveeno Active Naturals Absolutely Ageless Restorative Night Cream

For Eyes:

Splurge: Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream

Save: L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Treatment

• Protect your face from the sun EVERYDAY!   If you're outside (or even inside, really), you should have sun coverage on your face everyday.  This is another non-negotiable when it comes to having young looking skin.  Wearing sunscreen daily protects your face and body from the aging effects of the sun's harmful rays.  Sunscreen is not just for a day at the beach, it's something that should go on your face everyday.  You should also think about wearing a hat and sunglasses (Don't forget those crows feet) if you're outside on a daily basis or spending time lounging on the beach.  (Find a sun hat that was made for vacation!) Personally, we will only purchase a day-time moisturizer with an SPF to ensure protection everyday.  A great way to incorporate sunscreen is a tinted moisturizer, which gives you lighter coverage than traditional foundation with sun protection.  

Splurge: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

Save: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers Broad Spectrum SPF 30

• Staying hydrated is staying healthy. As you've seen, we're always finding ways to drink more water.  Keeping your body hydrated is a key to making sure your skin stays elastic enough to look young and dewy.  

• Don't forget to protect your whole body, too.  Of course, we all focus on keeping our faces looking young, but aging can impact your body and skin all over.  Hands are a great example of a place that you can show aging.  Again, hydration, moisturizing and sun protection are key.  Make sure you're using a great hand cream (Jess is so fancy, she actually uses this face lotion on her hands before bed) everyday, especially before bed.  Also, full body sunscreen is essential for anytime you're spending time outside.  Yes, we grew up loving the super-tan look, but no one wants to grow up to look like a leather suitcase, so protect yourself!  When we are spending a day at the beach, we like to start with a good layer of sunscreen with no less than SPF 60.  Then, as we spend time outside, we like to reapply using a good spray.  This gives coverage and is sometimes easier than reapplying lotion while at the beach or on the go.  For the moms out there, Jess likes to reapply her sunscreen as often as she reapplies sunscreen on her little one. You never forget them, so don't forget yourself!

Burt's Bees Hand Cream--Hands down, Ryan's favorite! (Get it?)

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen SPF 85

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist

• Move your body everyday: Part of staying young is staying flexible.  Working out everyday (or as close to it as you can) helps your body in every way.  It doesn't have to be an intensive workout, but try to make sure you do something to improve your strength and flexibility as much as possible.  Walk your dog, take a Barre class with a friend, practice yoga at home with a You-Tube video.  Whatever fits into your schedule.

• Everything in moderation: We try to eat healthy as much as we can, but we also firmly believe that no food should be completely off limits.  We definitely have our junk food moments, but we try to make sure we're eating and drinking in a mindful way most of the time. So if you want to age well, have that glass of wine (hey, antioxidants, right?), just don't have the whole bottle. 

Hopefully incorporating one or some of these tips will help you look younger and feel better.  What are your anti-aging secrets?  Leave us some tips in the comments below!