I look at least 10 years younger. I could possibly say 15 years younger and no one would bat an eye.

If I had a dollar for every time I shocked someone about my age, I would have enough to take a luxury vacation to the Bahamas.

I’m not trying to toot my own horn, but it’s the truth. I surprised many people just by telling them my 12-year-old son is not my brother. A few months back I was asked, “What grade are you in?” by a guest teacher at the school I teach at. I even had parents of my students as me how old I am!

The older I get, the better it makes me feel. I know that everything I did in my twenties and everything I continue to do keeps me looking young. I pride myself on the tips and tricks I take to prevent aging and I share them whenever I can.

The following tips are things you can implement today. You won’t have to spend money on anti-wrinkle creams that claim they will give you overnight success or anti-aging supplements that say they will “reverse” the signs of aging. The best thing to understand, is that you cannot leave your youth regime up to skin care creams and lotions only.

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So here are 17 tips that women and men can do to look younger and stay looking young very naturally. And remember, you can start at any age.

** Not one of these tips is an anti-wrinkle cream.

Make-up

Concealer— One of the easiest trick in the book. It will make dark circles disappear instantly. One of my favorite inexpensive concealers is Maybelline Instant Rewind. They just added a bunch of new shades. If that doesn’t brighten up your under eye area, you may need color correcting if you have very dark circles.

Eyeliner– Only put eyeliner on the top lid. It will open you eyes and will leave the impression that you alert and youthful.

Blush- Add a little rouge to our face and it will take you from looking washed and pale to young and healthy.

Setting powder– If you brush a light setting powder to match the overall color of you skin, it will do you wonders. One of the biggest reasons people look older than what they are is because their skin tone is uneven. You ever look at a kids skin before puberty? Their skin is even with natural flushed colors. This is what you want to create.

Bright lipstick– Bright anything can change the entire mood of anything and anybody. This is why bright lipstick will have you looking younger and give an instant mood gratification. Think about how bright elementary school classrooms are or daycare centers.

Grooming

Eyebrows- Keep your eyebrows trimmed and shaped. With fresh plucked eyebrows you can give your face an automatic eye lift. The more your eyes are lifted the younger you look.

I pluck my eyebrows with the Anastasia Tweezers or the Tweezermans, that have lasted me for 4 years and running. I haven’t got my eyebrows professionally done since I was 13, that was over 20 years ago.

Remember, you have to be disciplined about the upkeep of you eyebrows. I pluck a hair here and there every other day as needed.

Put your hair up– Try to tie your hair up in a high pony tail or a high playful messy bun. Not only do you feel youthful but you will look youthful. I always get comments on how extra young I look when my hair is in a high bun.

Shave your face– Yes, shave your face. I’ve been shaving my face since I was a teenager. It started as just not wanting any hair on my side burns and wanting smooth upper lip. But then when I found out the benefits to this, it all made sense.

Each time you shave your face you remove dead skins cells, it’s just like exfoliation or a deep scrub. Think about why men age better than women, it’s because they been shaving their face for years.

Baby Oil – This is my secret weapon. I tell people this and they think I’m crazy. But instead of lotion or anti-aging products, I use baby oil.

I only use this oil at night. I actually have very oily skin so this would be a nightmare in the morning. This was something I started doing after a night out in Las Vegas.

My hair and face were extremely dry from the desert heat and I needed to try something to bring them both back to life. So I went on quick trip to CVS and gave it a try.

The next day my face looked more youthful and my laugh lines seemed more filled. From that day forward, I never gave up baby oil. If you feel that it is too oily for you, just try some on your eye area. From under the eye to the eyelids.

**Extra tip-try castor oil on your eye lashes for growth and if you fall asleep with mascara on, both will bring your eyes back to life.

Extras for the Extreme

Silk pillowcase– Most wrinkles form from the frowning expressions we get from our sleep. Do you ever wake up and there are lines on your face in the morning? You might’ve had a good sleep but it was very rough night for your skin.

Those lines lead to wrinkles because you were probably frowning during your sleep as well. Try using a silk pillowcase to reduce the friction that is being caused to your skin from your sleep.

Sleeping on your back– Now this is to the extreme but will have long-term benefits. I have read that sleeping on your back not only helps keep your weight down but keep your face free from the friction I talked about previously. I try to fall asleep on my back, when I get comfortable.

Alcohol- I don’t drink. At all. I never have and never will.

I made the decision to never drink very early on in life. Yes, this might be crazy talk for some of you, but when people ask how I look so young, it’s the first thing I say. I don’t drink.

Alcohol does what it is meant for. It dries out your skin and dehydrates you. I can only imagine what this does to your skin over time and in excess.

The same goes for smoking cigarettes and marijuana, I’ve never tried either but if you are dry and thirsty from it, you are already dehydrated. Think about what this is doing to your skin.

What to Consume

Water– This is no brain-er, hydrating your body has amazing benefits. The #1 reason you my be experiencing wrinkles, especially early on is that you are not getting enough moisture. You skin is too dry.

Your face needs to be filled with moisture to combat wrinkles. I try to drink as much water as possible everyday. And I drink warm water, which has great benefits, especially in the morning.

Tea not coffee– I’ve been drinking hot tea consistently in my life since I was 13. I only stopped when I was pregnant and nursing. I drink black tea, orange tea, and green tea. I add milk in my tea and do NOT add sugar. I drink many cups of tea each day. It relaxes me and keeps me going each day.

I do drink French Press coffee here and there, but too much caffeine will dehydrate your skin. I also only drink a can of 12 oz of soda maybe once a month. But it’s very rare. Too much sugar can have side effects to your skin that will lead to enlarge pores and breakouts.

Lifestyle Changes

Sleep– I have had sleepless nights some more than usual lately. As a mom, I know things are out of your control. Especially, if you just had a baby or there is a sick child. But lack of sleep can do so much to your entire body.

Those dark circles and bags can be just the beginning of long-term effects. The stress shows on your face through worry and fine lines start to appear. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Everybody has the same amount of time in a day. So don’t worry!

Laugh– I laugh every day. Everyday to the point where my eyes water and I am literally crying. I remember getting kicked out of class as a teen because I laughed so much I couldn’t control it.

Laughter to me, releases love, youthfulness, and a worry-free life. You ever see a child laugh? The joy! I surround myself by those that make me laugh and are quick to make and take a joke with all love.

Wardrobe – Sometimes making a wardrobe change will have you looking younger over night. I once had a student ask me why I don’t dress like the other teachers. I didn’t know who to take it because I always overly tried to have a “teacher” look to separate myself from my students. But I found I dressed more modern and learned this by watching every episode of “What Not to Wear” ( I miss that show) but there are some fashion bloggers out there really giving some great tips.

A few disclaimers:

• I have very oily skin. Oily skin brings moisture to your skin that will prevent wrinkles.
• Genetics. I have great genetics. My entire family individually look about 10 years younger or more.
• I’m short, I’m only 5’0.
• I lead a youthful lifestyle. I try to stay active with my son especially being that he is an only child, I have to. I do a variety of things with him: basketball, Nerf guns, swords, tag, jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes.
• I work with kids. As a teacher, you have to have a youthful active projection daily.

These are my personal tips that I practice daily to look young and stay looking young. Don’t be afraid to be different, step out of your comfort zone, and live the life you feel even at the times you don’t feel it.

Please comment below if you have tried any of these tips or if you can add to this list. I hope I surprised you a little with my list!