Say Goodbye to Anti-Ageing

By Rippan Sandhu

For us here at Ayurda, our philosophy on ageing isn’t oriented simply around looking 25 for the rest of your life. Not only is that impossible, but it’s damaging for your self-esteem in the short term, and mental health in the long run.

Beginning this month, say goodbye to anti-ageing, and say hello to healthy ageing. Mindful and healthy ageing is about respecting the changes that occur in your body instead of fighting them with superficial treatments and injections for your face. We pride ourselves at Ayurda for providing products that help our clients feel good, as well as look good — at every stage of life. Whether you’re in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s, you should strive to move with the changes taking place in your body, and accept both the reality and beauty of healthy ageing. Here are some little bites of advice for you, whichever decade you’re in.

30s: Your skin reaps what your lifestyle sows.

It’s not like you wake up at 30 and fine lines appear overnight — the fine lines are an externalisation of chemical changes within your body, brought on either by genetics or lifestyle. To put it simply — all your choices up until this point will show up in your skin. If you smoke, it’ll show; if you have an unbalanced diet, it’ll show; if you’ve neglected sunscreen, sleep, and water… you get the idea. However, if you’ve taken care in your 20s to cultivate good lifestyle habits, you’ll be rewarded for them. This is why two people of the same age can look so vastly different depending on their lifestyle choices up until that point, and why you can never out-spend, out-skincare, or out-makeup a bad lifestyle. If you’ve been looking for that extra kick of motivation to drink more water, wear sunscreen, and prioritise your beauty sleep, this is it!  

40s: Moderation is king.

  Your 40s is a time when your body fluctuates — in a big way. These changes occur on a cellular level in your metabolism and hormones. As testosterone production drops off, this can lead to a slower metabolism, increased inflammation, and decreased collagen and elastin. To put it simply, you may find your weight fluctuating up or down without significant diet changes, and the skin of your face becoming thinner, and less taut. Instead of upping your skincare to a higher price point, this is a call to invest time in moderation, moderation, moderation: ease off your high intensity workouts, your 15 step skincare routines, your fad diets. Studies show that the best way to regulate hormonal and metabolic changes is through regular exercise that gets your heart pumping without boosting adrenaline (which can divert nutrients from your skin), a balanced diet on a daily 12 hour fast (meaning there should be at least 12 hours between your dinner and breakfast), and regular massages. All of these mellow measures can actually reverse premature ageing — so don’t work harder, work smarter!   

50s: The decade of the mind.

  Up until now we’ve focused on the health of your body and your mind, but this is the decade where you want to put in the hard miles to preserve the health of your mind. While intellectually you may have gained the wisdom of age, studies show that beginning in your late 40s, the part of your brain that interprets social cues begin to decline, and chronic negative thoughts in your 50s have been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. To mitigate these risks, experts recommend actively taking measures towards socialisation — meet strangers, look someone in the eye when you’re talking to them, and try to have a positive interaction every single day. Mindfulness becomes a must in this decade, as for the first time in your life your mind will begin to show signs of age. Stay positive, stay active, stay looking forward. Age isn’t a prison and it’s not a number — it’s just a state of mind.  

60s: The journey begins.

  Did you know that a lot of thinkers call the 60s a second adolescence? This is probably due to the transformative changes you’ll undergo in this decade which you haven’t encountered since adolescence. We don’t mean physical changes, such as menopause or health changes, but rather the rise of a certain spiritual insecurity around this age. Think about it — many teenagers are unsure of their career choice, their future partners, or what they want to do with their life. 60 is a decade of mixed joy and sorrow, when you begin to see your children succeed but some of your friends pass away, when you have more time to smell the roses but you’ve retired from your career… needless to say, the same kind of insecurity peaks again. Who are you, now that your career responsibilities have lessened, now that the nest is empty, now that you’re experiencing mortality happening to your peers instead of your elders? Many people, particularly women, struggle in this period because they feel like they’re searching for meaning all over again. According to researchers, meaning in life is tied strongly to fulfilment, happiness, and drive, which are essential elements of a long healthy life. What we want you to do is reassess your life not as a dusk, but as a new dawn — don’t be dismayed by the insecurity but be freed by it. After all, there are few true beginnings in life, few second chances, and few opportunities to transform. A blank canvas can be more rewarding than a full picture. Now is your chance to start again: if you could choose today, who would you become today?