I’ve had a passion for taking care of my skin and looking young for as long as I can remember. Even in my teens, I was never interested in looking sexier and older like all the other girls. I believe a lot of it had to do with my obsession with Japanese culture at the time, where looking cute and youthful was, and still is, their biggest trend.

So, the youthful look has always appealed to me and I have spent many years learning exactly what makes someone look young, and more importantly — what makes them look older. So, before you head over to a surgical doctor’s office, check these points below to see if you’re taking or adding years to your appearance:

Eyebrows.

Eyebrows are everything when it comes to defining a look for your entire face. Ever wonder why a lot of Korean celebrities look so youthful? They make sure their eyebrows are soft, straight and full.

The idea behind this is that when we are kids, usually our eyebrows do not have that trendy skinny arch… that is something we start to tweeze and create as we get older. Therefore, a bold arched brow is quite unnatural, and anything unnatural takes us further from looking young.

I beg of you, stop contouring.

A big part of what makes us look older is the loss of collagen which plumps our face and gives it that youthful roundness. And the whole point of contour is to eliminate roundness and create sharper features. Do you see where I’m going with this?

I know it is so tempting to chisel out some cheekbones and a pointier nose, especially if it has been part of your makeup routine for years, but this is making you look a lot older.

The only time you should contour is when you want to subtly lift your facial features.

Glow, glow, glow.

Moisturizing daily with the right products is very important and improves your skin. However, just because you moisturize properly, doesn’t mean you’re getting that visible glow you need to look more youthful.

Get yourself a day cream, face spray or sunscreen that aesthetically makes the face glowy while also hydrating the skin. I use an incredible Japanese sunscreen from Amazon that makes me look like a glistening dolphin (in the best way) all day long.

Tip: Avoid anything with glitter or shimmer!

Less is more.

Do you know what I’ve noticed famous Hollywood women start to do once they get into their forties or fifties? They start to pile on the makeup and wear beyond revealing party clothes.

I’m all for embracing your body and having a love for makeup when you’re older, but that’s not what I’m seeing. I’m seeing women who think that if they put on ten layers of eyeliner and wear a skimpy glittery dress (a dress they wouldn’t even wear if they were twenty again!), it makes them look young.

It doesn't. It’s ageing you... A lot.

Less is more when it comes to makeup, no matter your age.

All about the hair.

Hair color is another feature that can completely add or take years off your face. Your ideal hair color for looking younger is your natural color and from there a couple of shades lighter or darker.

Because once again, going into extreme colors that don’t compliment your complexion and aren’t natural can instantly age you.

Tip: Don’t overlook your haircut either. Too long or too short with sharp layers and a lot of styling takes away youthfulness. Keep the hair simple and fresh, cutting it often to keep the ends full.

Skincare is your best friend.

I think most of us have our skincare routines down by now, so I’ll keep this short and simple. These are the holy grail ingredients you should be using:

1. Vitamin C (15–20%)
2. Retinol (at the strength you can handle)
3. BHA (1–2%) + AHA (10–30%) exfoliant
4. Sunscreen

These ingredients will dramatically exfoliate and brighten your skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Silicone patches.

If you have a few stubborn wrinkles that you’d love to soften out, then you have to try silicone patches!

I had a few fine lines around my neck from always looking down at my phone that I wanted to get rid of. I decided to give these patches a try, and I swear after a few months the wrinkles were noticeably improved.

I think they are a great non-surgical way to quickly address fine lines and wrinkles by softening them a little.

Lose the tan.

I hate to break it to all of you tan lovers, but if you want to look your youngest… you need to stay within your natural skin color. That means, if you were born extremely pale but use self-tanners or the sun to darken your skin, you are making yourself look older because that is not the color you were born with.

Now, warming up the skin for a little sunkissed glow is a different story. You can use bronzer, or a light self-tanner to add a golden tone but not to change your natural color.

Stimulation.

Last, but certainly not least — You should be stimulating your face with some kind of tool. Whether that be with a Gua Sha, vibrating roller, or a more advanced at-home tool, it’s up to you.

But I have personally noticed a huge difference in my skin after I started using a vibrating face roller. It instantly relaxes the muscles that I clench and softens my entire appearance. The stimulation also promotes better blood circulation which lends a hand in making you look more healthy and youthful.

There are a ton of other benefits which you should look into, but I suggest getting the tool that best suits your needs.

It’s fun to take care of yourself, look good and try to age gracefully… but remember that it isn’t the most important thing in the world. Just by living your life to the fullest with a happy heart and healthy mind gives you a youthfulness no product, tool or surgery can give.