By: Mamaluv

Jeff is a close family friend, almost like a brother to me. Several years ago on my birthday, I was bemoaning the light-speed passage of time when he helpfully piped up. "Don't worry about it, C, you don't look a day over..." Here he paused to think of a super low number, way below my actual age. "....23!"

"Good, because I'm not a day over 23!"

I was horrified that he was so accurate while clearly trying to lowball me. Now that I am a wee bit older than that, I realize I need to be creative finding ways to cheat my age.

I know I'm supposed to drink lots of water, always wash my face before bed and use fancy anti-aging serum, not sunbathe, and exercise. Am I missing anything?

1. Lose the booze It turns out that drinking too much won't just give you a nasty headache and puffy red eyes the morning after. Some researchers have found that alcohol consumption in excess of 1 or 2 drinks weekly can speed up the aging process. Heavier drinkers will see pronounced signs of aging more quickly. The reason is that alcohol reduces Vitamin A in your skin, which is responsible for generating new skin cells to replace old ones and boosting collagen production. Low collagen = saggy skin.

2. Butt out You know about lung cancer, birth defects, and stained teeth, but what you might not know is that tobacco use is considered to be one of fastest acting threats to skin aging after sun and chemical damage. Smoking reduces the overall amount of oxygen in the body by restricting blood vessels. Oxygen and nutrient deficiency allow formation of free radicals which attack collagen and promote wrinkle development.

3. Sweet dreams, Sleeping Beauty Sleep time offers skin a chance to regenerate away from harmful environmental factors like sun exposure and makeup use. Staying in a horizontal position for hours at a time temporarily halts the degenerative effects of gravity pulling on your skin and spine. If you sleep on your back, you can avoid those pillow lines and sleep-scrunched wrinkles from becoming permanent features.

4. Less really is More. Some of us already have a few fine lines, but use caution when trying to camouflage with cosmetics. As we age, skin loses elasticity and texture, allowing makeup to literally slide into the creases and actually accentuate what you're trying to hide.

Try applying eye and lipliners using a soft smudgy technique to avoid harsh contrasts that draw attention to problem areas.

5. Aging Tart or Aging Smart? Fashion maven Clinton Kelly of TLC's 'What Not To Wear', strongly cautions women who dress much younger than their age.

Trying to compete with 18-year-olds is a losing battle because the teenager always wins. Instead of screaming "I'M TRYING TOO HARD!", try dressing stylishly age-appropriate. You can look sexy and younger if you choose clothes that fit in colors that flatter for an overall look that shouts confidence and sophistication. The alternative is, well, urban cougar.


Mamaluv is a ChickAdvisor member, a mother of 3 and environmentalist who enjoys manicures, massages and margaritas (on occasion).