Find fabulous new habits in your forties

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When you get to your forties you may well find that the habits you have formed have been with you for years, but the reality is they might not be doing your mind or body very much good. No one is perfect, including us, so we’ve looked at easy ways to get happier and healthier as you sail through your forties.

Drop the vices
We all know that smoking and drinking isn’t good for us at any age, but this really is the time to try and get things under control. Binge drinking, midnight snacks, gambling excessively and lighting up one cigarette after another will be taking a toll on your health, and wallet. So look at what’s going on and make a decision to stop, and find something better to do with your time, and money.

Have health checks
Diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers and heart disease are all conditions that can be detected early through routine GP visits, so book in and get a clear bill of health. If things aren’t 100% good, it’s best to know what’s happening and trying to get it fixed because if you hide you head in the sand, things could get worse and then it could be too late. You might also want to keep a watch on the menopause at this stage in your life.

Get to bed
Sleep is so important and if you don’t get enough, you can feel irritable, miserable and life can quickly get you down. You might however be finding that as you move through your forties, the ease at which you get to sleep, and the amount of time you actually sleep, will change. We would suggest you still aim to get at least seven hours of snoozing a night as this will enhance your immune system, reduce stress levels, and generally help you to cope with life better.

No tech at bedtime
Talking about sleep, the one thing we do suggest is that you don’t take your phones or devices to bed. Yes, they can help you keep connected with the world, but night time is when you need to switch off, so power down and leave those light emitting screens downstairs.

Keep sun damage away
We need to do this all of our lives, but it is critical in your forties to look after your skin if you want to keep your melanoma risks down, as these increase with age. The sun’s UV rays is one of the biggest risk factors you can control, so find a moisturiser that has sunscreen in it, and if you want to go one step further to both protect yourself from skin cancer and keep wrinkles at bay, use an SPF stand alone too!

Look after your eyes
Yes, celebrities wear sunnies all the time, but they are so much more than a fashion statement; they are a good habit to get into. So take Victoria Beckham’s lead (she’s in her forties and wearing it well) and put your sunglasses on not just in the summer, but every time you go outside, and keep your eyes safe.

Smile
Life can be hard in your forties as your kids move away and your parents fall ill, but getting into the habit of smiling and laughing during your day, can be a really good for you. Laughter boosts your mood, reduces stress, and smiling at a stranger could be the lift they also need in their day.

So, what new habits are you going to make, and which badies are you going to ditch to make your forties fabulous?

Team Pure Beauty

How to Enjoy a Christmas Tipple Without Ruining Your Skin

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ageing, alcohol, anti ageing, antioxidants, beer, celebrate, Christmas, cola, decleor, dehydrate, dermalogica, drink, Elemis, exposure, fruit, gin, isotonic, protect, Red wine, repair, skin, skin cancer, spirits, sugar, sun, sun damage, sunburn, tequila, tipple, vodka, wine, wrinkles

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Unless you have a medical or personal issue, Christmas is a time when most of us enjoy an alcoholic drink. The problem is, excessive alcohol consumption can not only play havoc on your liver, it can also be damaging for your skin. There are, however, certain drinks which do less damage than others, so we thought we’d give you the lowdown on which drinks you can enjoy at Christmas without having to worry too much about your complexion.

Beer

Even if you’re not a pint-drinker, enjoying half a lager can be better than other drinks for a number of reasons; firstly, beer generally has a lower alcohol content, so it’s not as dehydrating. Many beers also contain antioxidants and are isotonic, which means they can actually be good for you, replacing certain things which are lost when we become dehydrated! Be aware though – beer can often cause bloating, so be mindful if you’ve poured yourself into a clingy outfit!

Gin

Sugar can play havoc with the skin’s ageing process, which is why something like white wine is a no-no if you’re trying to stay on top of the signs of ageing. Gin, however, is pretty low in sugar and also in salt, so do far less damage to the skin than other, more sugary spirits. In fact, the general rule of thumb is that clear spirits are far less suagry than darker ones like brandy or dark rum.

Tequila

Don’t get us wrong, we’re definitely not suggesting that a night on the tequila slammers won’t be bad for your skin because that’s not the case AT ALL. However, tequila contains more or less the lowest sugar content of all spirits, which means that you can enjoy a few without having to worry too much about the effects on your skin.

Vodka

This is where we have to get specific – vodka in general is not too bad for your skin providing you drink it in moderation (see the sugar rule above) HOWEVER, this obviously depends on what you mix it with as most mixers, such as fruit juices or cola, are full of sugar. Also, according to experts, opting for a potato vodka rather than one made from grains will also be a lot better for your skin in the long run.

Red Wine

While the sweeter white wines are usually frowned upon by skin experts, most generally agree that red wine is pretty good for you. It contains antioxidants which help protect against oxidative reactions, which come from sun exposure, and can cause sunburns, wrinkles and even skin cancer.

How to Be Mole-Safe with Pure Beauty

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blemishes, Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50, Dermalogica Solar Defence Booster, freckles, melanoma, moles, protection, rays, skin, skin cancer, solar defence, SPF50, sun, sun safe, UVA, UVB

Photo Credit: Gigi Hadid/Instagram

In the past, women in the public eye would do their best to cover any “imperfections” on their skin and Photoshop was a magazine editor’s best friend if any of their models had moles. However, with the likes of top supermodel Gigi Hadid embracing her moles and showing them off in all their glory, we thought we’d take a look at some of the ways that you too can embrace your blemishes in a healthy way.

Keep an Eye on Them

There are apps online which actually allow you to take photographs of your moles, document them with times and dates, and then compare them to pictures at a later date, giving you the all-important info about whether your moles have changed size, shape or colour. The rule to remember is “ABCDE” – if your moles are ASYMMETRICAL have a ragged BORDER, uneven or dark in COLOUR, change DIAMETER or EVOLVE in any other way, they should be seen by your GP.

Protect Them from the Sun

We all know how harmful the sun’s rays can be, but moles are particularly vulnerable to them and can put you at greater risk of something nasty if you don’t use protection. Opting for a high SPF sun lotion, such as Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50 and paying close attention to moles and freckles when applying should give you peace of mind. We advise using this all year round, too, as winter sun can still be harmful.

Think About Where They Are

Moles on your body are likely to be covered up by clothing for most of the year, especially if you live in the UK, but it’s possible to have moles just about anywhere on your body and moles on your face, hands or neck will be most vulnerable. If you already use a moisturiser or hand cream in these areas, you can add a great boost of protection by adding Dermalogica Solar Defence Booster SPF50 to your usual creams.

If In Doubt…

As much as we embrace beautiful moles and freckles, if you have a blemish which is worrying you, see a GP or dermatologist about having it removed. Imperfections are truly beautiful and make us unique, however nothing is worth risking your health over and if you’ve a family history of cancer, it’s best to get them removed.