There are ways to appear a decade younger than your biological age. Here are methods – some uncommon – that will make you visibly more youthful. Combine all these methods to look 10 years younger and have a healthier appearance.
Additional resources and research study citations are included below this article for those who want to dive deeper into the science of age reversal.
The Full Snapshot: What Makes Someone Look 10 Years Younger?
People tend to appraise their appearance – and how youthful it is or isn’t – by facing the bathroom mirror. But that’s just your face from a highly specific angle in a very specific light.
In reality, someone’s youthfulness is expressed – not only from different facial expressions – but also from their entire body within various angles, lighting situations, and, especially, movement patterns.
To prove this point, try people-watching outside the grocery store:
- You’ll see people drive in and park. You can notice their face behind the wheel, and they look a certain way. Try guessing their age at that moment.
- But wait, then they climb out of their car. Not only can you see their entire body, but also how they exit the driver’s seat. Now you have a different guess as to their age.
- Next, you see them walk from their car to the front of the store. This tells you almost everything. Watching someone move often gives you an entirely different perception of their age.
The point here is not to judge others harshly.
Of course, we all come in various shapes and sizes, and diversity plays a significant role in what makes life meaningful and interesting.
The point is that how youthful one appears often has less to do with one’s biological age and much more to do with one’s lifestyle habits.
Do you want to appear younger or older to others? If your answer is “younger,” read on.
Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving a More Youthful Appearance Naturally
Sure, there are cosmetic procedures that help improve one’s appearance. But before trying Botox, fillers, and chemical peels, make sure that first, you’re already doing all the natural, common-sense protocols that help you to look younger.
Here are some lifestyle habits that can lead to a more youthful appearance, starting with the most controversial one.
Experience Natural Vitamin D Synthesis Consistently
The conventional wisdom is that sun exposure is dangerous.
Well, it can be.
But what is also true is that the human body was not designed to spend so much time in a sealed box – which is what a room is, essentially.
In many developed countries, humans spend over 90% of their time inside rooms or cars, where pollutants are often up to 5 times greater.
Meanwhile, research has established that people who spend time in more natural outdoor environments enjoy better overall health than their indoor counterparts.
For example, a recent meta-analysis found that exposure to green spaces was associated with improved mental health, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, and reduced mortality.
People who are a bit more outdoorsy than average tend to have lower probabilities of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hospitalizations, mental distress, and ultimate mortality. They even have improved birth outcomes and cognitive development for their children.
The human body has evolved to thrive in fresh air and sunlight.
For starters, depending on where you live, indoor air quality is often far worse than the quality of outdoor air.
Also, human skin can develop negative conditions – rashes, fungus, etc. – when it’s not exposed to enough fresh air.
Sunlight exposure provides several benefits to the human body, including:
- Vitamin D synthesis: Sunlight helps the body produce Vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones and overall health. A meta-analysis published in The Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “an estimated 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency” (Dawodu et al., 2016) and another study specifically analyzing U.S. adults found that 41.4% had vitamin D insufficiency.
- Mood improvement: Sunlight exposure can boost mood, reduce stress and alleviate symptoms of depression.
- Improved sleep: Sunlight exposure helps regulate the circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality.
- Increased alertness: Sunlight exposure can help improve energy levels and increase alertness.
- Boosts immune system: Sunlight exposure has been linked to improved immune system function.
To prevent overexposure, try to get your sun time outside of the 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. window. Early mornings and late afternoons are best, especially in the summer months.
Use sunscreen with at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15.
However, on the upper-most part of your torso (nose, ears, neck, décolletage, and shoulders – and even your scalp if you’re not wearing a hat) you can use as high as 30 to 50 SPF.
This way you will still receive some of the benefits of sunlight without getting too much of the sun’s radiation at once.
Here’s the thing: indoor people give off a different vibe than outdoorsy people.
Indoor people seem less robust and less zestful.
Sure, technically, they might have fewer wrinkles and a more even skin tone. But somehow, when you factor in all the variables, they often appear less youthful.
Nothing exudes youthfulness more than improved overall health. And outdoorsy people enjoy better overall health than people who spend almost all of their time indoors. They just seem younger.
Combine Ample Hydration with an Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Look Younger
For skin to look youthful and hydrated, it needs ample water – consumed consistently – and electrolytes.
Research indicates that even mild hydration can cause fatigue, lack of concentration, and headaches.
This problem is compounded by the fact that thirst is not a present-tense indicator of dehydration because the thirst sensation often doesn’t appear until after people are dehydrated.
Proper hydration improves a person’s skin appearance, mood, energy level, and ability to think clearly.
But what is “proper hydration?”
Proper hydration means that you’re not only consuming the correct amount of water for your needs, but also the correct amount of electrolytes.
Electrolytes are essential minerals — like sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium — that circulate in your blood and carry an electrical charge, conducting action potentials in the muscles and nerves. They are vital to many key functions in the human body.
Electrolytes come from our food and drink. Levels can become either too high or too low, potentially disrupting the body’s performance – or even creating life-threatening complications. It’s recommended to get enough water and electrolytes based on your physical activity and heat exposure.
Meanwhile, eating an anti-inflammatory diet – which is mostly vegetables, some meat, a little fruit, and a few fermented foods – assists your body in having to work less hard. The immune system becomes bolstered instead of fatigued. This frees up the body’s resources, allowing it to focus on neglected areas, like joints and skin. This makes you move, feel, and look younger.
A nutrient-rich diet of vegetables and lean protein can help your skin look younger.
Find Ways to Make Your Feet Healthier
You know those areas of the home that get forgotten about, like the junk drawer or under the bed – places that get dusty and disorganized? Today, that’s what feet are on the human body. People tend to neglect their feet.
But feet are the foundation of the human body. Having strong, flexible, and healthy feet go a long way toward helping the rest of your body perform and move well.
You get a sense of how well someone is aging when you see their feet.
Ideally, feet should be both powerful and supple, but because in modern life we tend to wear shoes that are too narrow, the toes get squished together. This, in turn, impacts how the rest of the body handles the pressure of gravity and balance.
It’s wise to keep your feet clean and moisturized. Any time you read or watch tv, use toe separators to help widen the toes back into their natural position. Massage your feet regularly, including between the toes. Use a blow dryer to dry in between your toes after a shower. Do yoga once a week – including the balancing poses.
People are often tempted to think that – since feet are covered much of the time, and others can’t see them – the condition of feet doesn’t really matter much.
But this is untrue.
The condition of one’s feet has a pivotal influence on one’s overall health and youthfulness.
Find Ways to Sleep Even Better to Help You Look Younger
Lack of sleep can make your skin dull, tired, and aged.
Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night, or 8 to 9 if you exercise strenuously.
But it’s not just how long you sleep; it’s how deeply.
Do whatever it takes to sleep better. White noise machines, black-out curtains, ear plugs, eye masks, less caffeine, and fewer electronic devices before bedtime (to prevent the blue light from messing with your circadian rhythms) are all sleep solutions that have worked well for many people.
If you’re over the age of 50, you might also consider supplementing with melatonin. Ask your doctor.
Be advised most people take too high a dosage of melatonin. 0.5 mg might be all you need to sleep better. Find the right dosage for you.
You can always use a pill cutter to easily splice a pill in half to decrease the dosage:
- If you have difficulty falling asleep, try sublingual (under the tongue).
- If you have difficulty staying asleep (you tend to wake up in the middle of the night), try a pill or capsule that you swallow.
Workout Consistently and Intelligently for a Better Appearance
Sweating is good for you. Regular physical activity can help increase circulation and improve the appearance of your skin.
Not only does sweating also release mood-elevating endorphins in your brain, but the human body also releases impurities through the mechanism of perspiration. These research journals have released important findings from their studies of sweat:
- The Archives of Environmental and Contamination Toxicology found many potentially harmful compounds are excreted through the sweating process (2011).
- The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences proved that the salty, slightly acidic quality of sweat contains a natural antibiotic that fights germs, such as tuberculosis (2013).
- The Urological Association has established that walking for a couple of hours each week reduces risk of kidney stones, and they believe sweating is an important part of that process (2013).
Finally, the connection between skin quality and exercise has been proven statistically significant. The higher the activity level, the higher the hydration levels of the skin. Working out consistently improves circulation and the skin’s own moisturizing function.
Mostly, however, exercise impacts how visibly young you are because it gives you strength and mobility. When you have muscle tone and healthy joints, it makes you look younger when you move across a room. Your posture is better, and you look more capable.
Use Anti-Aging Grooming Products for a More Youthful Appearance
You can use anti-aging grooming products to help turn back the clock on your skin. Look for products that contain retinoids, glycolic acid, and vitamin C, which have been shown to help improve the appearance of aging skin. Applying a topical retinol product before bed is usually the easiest way to go.
Speaking of things you put on top of your skin, clothes make a significant difference in how you appear, too. The textures, fit, and – especially – color of your clothes go a long way toward helping you appear fresh-fashed and capable. Ask a friend or professional colorist what shades are most flattering to your unique complexion. The answers might be different than you were expecting. And, yes, this matters for men, too.
Make Your Life – and Particularly Your Thoughts – Less Stressful
Higher stress levels cause wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of aging. Find ways to manage stress, such as through meditation, yoga, or positive thinking.
Remember, sometimes it’s not what happens; it’s how you react to what happens.
Science is showing us that people exposed to chronic stress age rapidly. Shortened telomeres, inflammation, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and oxidative stress are all exacerbated by stress and habitual negative thinking.
Of course, it goes without saying to avoid smoking. Smoking causes wrinkles, age spots, and other visible signs of aging. If you want to look younger, refrain from using tobacco.
Maximize Youthfulness: Ultimate Habit Checklist for a Younger Look
In conclusion, by incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you can help take a decade off of your appearance and keep your skin looking youthful and radiant:
- experience natural vitamin-D synthesis consistently;
- combine ample hydration with an anti-inflammatory diet;
- find ways to make your feet healthier;
- find ways to sleep even better;
- workout intelligently and consistently;
- use anti-aging grooming products;
- and make your lifestyle – and particularly your thoughts – less stressful.
It’s wise to seek the advice of a professional. A dermatologist or aesthetician can provide personalized advice on taking a decade off of your appearance, your medical doctor can help you make improvements based on your blood work from the lab, and a therapist can help you process negative events and feelings.
Additional Resources on Restoring DNA and Improving Appearance:
Chronic Stress is Connected to Accelerated Aging – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400286/
The Deal with Indoor Air – https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/indoor-air-quality
More Time Outdoors Ups Your Well-Being – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3
When Does the Sensation of Thirst Present? – https://today.uconn.edu/2012/02/even-mild-dehydration-can-alter-mood/
The Research of Perspiration – https://www.ekachaihospital.com/en/sweat-it-out-5-surprising-health-benefits-of-sweating-that-actually-dont-stink/
Why Electrolytes Matter – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541123/