50 Senior Ways to Look Younger: How to Take Years Off of Your Appearance (and Boost Your Well-Being)

As you grow older, the effects of aging may become more noticeable to you. While many of these changes may not be as evident to those around you, most of us typically desire to look our best and feel good about ourselves. Although taking care of your skin is frequently credited as the way to look more youthful, these practices are not the only ones that matter. How young you look can be impacted by almost everything, including your posture, regular exercise, holistic wellness efforts, and more.

For simple steps or lifestyle recommendations that can help you look (and feel) younger than you really are, explore the following list of 50 senior ways to look younger. These tips are grouped by categories that focus on diet, beauty, and healthy habits and lifestyle choices. Search this list by a specific type of change or peruse it in its entirety to find the advice that you’re looking for.

• Healthy Habits to Look Younger
• Nutrition Tips to Look Younger
• Skin Care & Beauty Tips to Look Younger

Healthy Habits to Look Younger

1. Give meditation a try. In general, hormones fluctuate as you age. Outside stressors can further impact the hormone levels in your body and may accelerate aging, according to Shape. To combat stress and mitigate its negative effects, try meditating each day. Even just 10 minutes of meditation and relaxation each day can have a significant positive effect on both your stress levels and, correspondingly, your body’s aging processes.
2. Get adequate, quality sleep each night. An appropriate amount of sleep each night provides time for skin to rejuvenate. According to WebMD, sleeping face up may also result in fewer wrinkles.
3. Exercise four or more times per week. According to Reader’s Digest, regular exercise can slow the aging process, help you get better quality sleep, and prevent muscle loss as you age.
4. Drink enough water. Hydration is vital to health and well-being, but drinking enough water can also help to give you a more youthful appearance. Skin care experts via the fashion and lifestyle resource, Vogue, emphasize that staying hydrated helps keep your skin plumper and prevents dryness and cracking. Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, appears thinner and can exacerbate the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles.
5. Unplug from time to time. The University of Rochester Medical Center explains that mobile phones and tablets can negatively impact your health, including increasing stress and anxiety. Since stress and anxiety are linked to premature aging (as noted in a previous tip), spending more time unplugged can help you maintain your youthful appearance.
6. Abstain from alcohol or drink only in moderation. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect on the body, which can accelerate skin aging and make fine lines and wrinkles more prominent and visible.
7. Develop a consistent nighttime routine. SleepFoundation emphasizes that establishing a bedtime routine helps signal to your body that it’s time for bed, which can help stimulate the release of melatonin and support you in getting to sleep faster.
8. Skip the electronics before bed.Electronics like smartphones and tablets expose you to blue light, which can suppress the release of melatonin, as noted by Harvard Health. Consequently, falling asleep may be more difficult and result in the negative effects of a sleepless night.
9. Don’t slouch. Maintaining good posture helps you look taller, thinner, and younger — a trifecta of benefits! When you spend a lot of time hunched over a desk, you’re actually training your body to slouch, Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, a New York City Area Spinal and Orthopedic Surgeon, tells Eat This, Not That! Plus, having good posture helps you exude self-confidence, which also helps you project youthfulness.
10. Avoid squinting. If you don’t wear sunglasses outdoors, you probably find yourself squinting frequently. Doing so, however, crinkles the skin on your face and over time can lead to fine lines and wrinkles like crow’s feet.
11. Smile! According to Reader’s Digest, people in one study rated photographs of happy faces as younger than the models’ actual ages. Fearful expressions, on the other hand, were rated as older, while neutral expressions resulted in the most accurate age ratings.
12. Engage in a creative hobby. Participating in senior hobbies offers many health benefits, including keeping your brain healthy and your whole body feeling younger.
13. Don’t smoke. As explained by Healthline, smoking can lead to premature skin aging by breaking down collagen and elasticity. Consequently, fine lines and wrinkles start to appear even sooner than they normally would and may be even more noticeable.
14. Combat stress. Easier said than done, we know. But stress can impact your gut health. About 70% of your immune system lies just beneath your gut lining, so impacts on gut health can increase your risk of autoimmune conditions and increase your susceptibility to common colds and viruses. And that’s not all; stress can hinder your ability to absorb nutrients that are vital to staying healthy and looking as young as you feel. So, find some activities and stress-busting techniques you can use to keep stress to a minimum.
15. Wear a hat and long sleeves outdoors. Keeping your skin shielded from the sun’s harmful rays will help to prevent premature signs of aging, such as rough, thick skin and age spots. A loose long-sleeved shirt will help you stay cool while protecting your skin from UV rays.
16. Socialize with your friends – and open yourself to making new friends. The Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging addresses the importance of strong social connections for supporting mental and physical health, including reducing the potential for depression in seniors. Fortunately, a quick peek at a senior living community’s calendar, like the one at Arbors of Hop Brook, shows the multiple opportunities each day for a variety of social experiences!
17. Embrace your age. Maintaining a positive outlook and viewing aging in a positive way can help you live longer. It also makes you feel more confident, which can actually result in others perceiving you as younger than you really are.
18. Do strength training exercises regularly. When it comes to ways to look younger, senior exercise routines are essential! Reader’s Digest emphasizes strength training in order to tone and maintain muscles – a focus that supports the kind of confident posture and energy that conveys a more youthful appearance. Additionally, strong muscles will help you maintain balance and mobility as you age, which is helpful in terms of fall prevention.

Nutrition Tips to Look Younger

19. Consume ample omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation in the body, which helps to prevent visible signs of aging. In addition, they help to maintain bone strength and can even help stabilize your mood! Foods like walnuts, salmon and other types of fish and seafood, seeds like flax seeds and chia seeds, and soybeans are rich in omega-3s.
20. Consume antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants help fight free radicals, which can lead to cell damage, in the body. They’re also thought to have some anti-aging benefits. A variety of fruits and vegetables, such as dark leafy greens, cranberries, and blueberries, are high in antioxidants, as well as beans like kidney beans and pinto beans.
21. Enjoy a cup of green tea. According to Healthline, green tea is high in those beneficial antioxidants mentioned above, including polyphenols – a particular type of antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease, neurological decline, other chronic diseases, and premature aging.
22. Skip the junk foods and processed foods. While it’s okay to treat yourself now and then, these foods lead to increased free radicals in the body as well as oxidative stress (or cell damage) that speeds the aging process.
23. Enjoy an ounce of almonds daily. The Almond Board of California shares research that suggests a connection between eating a small amount of almonds each day and reduced wrinkle appearance. Almonds are rich in essential fatty acids and vitamin E, an antioxidant.
24. Eat red and orange fruits and veggies for a natural sun-kissed look (yes, really!). According to Eat This, Not That!, studies have found that eating a diet rich in orange and red fruits and vegetables creates a healthy, attractive, and glowing complexion. This is believed to be due to the carotenoids found in these foods, such as beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Carotenoids are also responsible for giving those fruits and vegetables their red and orange colors.
25. Consider an anti-inflammatory diet. An anti-inflammatory diet is designed to prevent that damaging inflammation that can be caused by processed foods and sugar. The great thing about an anti-inflammatory diet (which is a plant-based diet) is that it also happens to be an anti-aging diet!
26. Boost skin cell regeneration by adding maca root to your diet. Maca root is rich in riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6, which give it its skin-cell-regenerating powers. It comes in powder form that you can mix into smoothies or as supplements. You can also bake your own pastries containing maca root, or you might be lucky enough to find them in your local health food store.
27. Eat a protein-rich diet. Healthline explains that protein is essential for building collagen and elastin, which contribute to healthy and youthful-looking skin. To get your recommended daily protein, include protein in every meal such as lean meat, beans or peas, Greek yogurt, or even as a protein shake.
28. But be mindful what sources you’re getting that protein from.Overconsumption of certain protein sources may increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other health concerns. Instead, Harvard Health recommends being attentive to the type of protein consumed.
29. Get more vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help fight free radicals in the body, but it’s also a required ingredient for enzymes to make collagen. There are many fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, so there are lots of options for ensuring you hit your recommended daily value.
30. Make sure you get some linoleic acid. Unlike many of the other macronutrients, micronutrients, and other compounds we’ve talked about in this post, linoleic acid isn’t made by the body. That means you have to consume it in the foods you eat. Why should you? According to U.S. News, women who ate linoleic acid-rich diets in one study were less likely to have thinning skin. And, a lack of linoleic acid in the diet (along with vitamin C) was associated with dryer skin, particularly among older women in the study.
31. Have some kale or avocado. Kale and avocado are rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which have several anti-aging benefits as described by EatingWell. Specifically, they can improve the skin’s hydration and boost elasticity, as well as the fat under the skin that plumps and smooths it. Lutein has the added benefit of protecting against harmful blue light.
32. Ensure that you’re getting enough calcium. The MayoClinic stresses that calcium is vital for maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis. As a bonus, this senior way to look younger and its impact also supports good posture, exercise engagement and more!
33. Get more fiber. Fiber keeps your digestive system healthy and functioning well, but it has a whole host of other anti-aging benefits that can keep you looking younger, too. To name a few, fiber helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduce cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and boost those good bacteria in the gut that support your immune system. You’ll find fiber in foods like whole grains, vegetables, and the skin of many fruits.
34. Cut back on salt.More foods than you may think actually contain salt, so you may already be exceeding your daily recommended sodium intake without ever touching the salt shaker. Unfortunately, salt leads to fluid retention, which may give you a puffy appearance, and too much sodium increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, as shared by the RI Department of Health.

Skin Care & Beauty Tips to Look Younger

35. Add facial massage to your daily routine. Facial massage helps to stimulate blood flow, supplying more oxygen to the tissue. Concentrating on the cheek muscles can help to lift the jawline, Joanna Czech, a celebrity skincare expert and aesthetician, tells Town & Country magazine.
36. Treat your hands with the same care as your face.Your hands can give away your age. The beauty experts at Harper’s Bazaar note that you can actually use the same retinoid cream on your face and your hands. Just make sure to apply a thin layer of Vaseline over it to keep your skin supple and your cuticles healthy.
37. Don’t neglect your neck in your skin care routine. Your neck loses elasticity faster than any other area of the body, so don’t neglect keeping your skin moisturized and protected. Exfoliating regularly can help to keep your neck looking healthy and younger, too.
38. Color your hair wisely. Hair color that makes your hair look significantly darker can accentuate fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Lighter hair shades, on the other hand, can help to offset changes in your skin’s pigmentation. It also blends more naturally with gray or white hair, so you won’t need to touch up your roots as frequently.
39. Use an extra pillow or the cold spoon trick to get rid of undereye bags. As people age, eye tissue starts to droop in addition to the many other factors that can lead to eye bags. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends using a cool compress in the under-eye area or sleeping with your head raised to help address any puffiness.
40. Exfoliate once a week. According to WebMD, exfoliation removes dead and dull skin cells, so this skin refresh is one quick senior way to look younger.
41. Wear sunscreen daily, particularly in the eye area. The sun’s UV rays are damaging to the skin, even if that damage isn’t immediately visible. The skin around the eyes is thinner than anywhere else on the body, so it’s particularly susceptible to damage.
42. Curl your eyelashes. Curled lashes have the effect of making the eyes appear more open and lifted, which can make you look younger.
43. Choose the right clothes for your body type. Add a few quality staple pieces to your wardrobe. And if it’s within your budget, have them tailored for a perfect, polished fit.
44. Steer clear of glittery or sparkly makeup. These products can draw more attention to fine lines and wrinkles. Dewey or satin finishes are a better choice for a polished effect.
45. Keep your lips hydrated. Dry, chapped lips can crack and, in addition to their undesirable appearance, can also be painful. According to the skin care contributors at HuffPost, lip balms that contain sunscreen as well as shea butter can help keep lips supple and healthy.
46. Whiten your teeth.Teeth whitening products can be found at your local drug store or online, and many dental providers also offer professional whitening services. Oral health company, Colgate, notes that whitening your teeth can give you a more youthful appearance and reduce years of damage and stains.
47. Keep your skin moisturized. Dehydrated skin isn’t as plump, meaning wrinkles are often more prominent if your skin lacks moisture. Combat this by using a daily moisturizer on your face and body.
48. Use tinted moisturizer instead of foundation. According to Prevention, some foundation mistakes can make you look older, while some foundation ingredients may result in prematuring aging.
49. Use a body moisturizing cream that has self-tanning effects. Skin care company, Nivea, recommends using a self-tanning moisturizer. With this product, you’ll hydrate your skin and enjoy its sun-kissed glow without exposing it to harmful UV rays from the sun (or worse, a tanning bed).
50. Keep your brows tidy and shapely.Good Housekeeping’s brow experts recommend ensuring that your choice of eyebrow style flatters your face shape for a great look at any age.