ONE woman has revealed the simple steps she takes to maintain a youthful complexion.
She shared the exact items she used to improve her skin and knock years off her appearance.
In a Reddit post, user Naselflee shared a side-by-side comparison of her complexion, nine years apart.
She broke down her budget-friendly anti-ageing routine, which she said visibily improved her skin in just four months.
“I have really started taking care of my skin as I was starting to really age and look older than I am,” she explained.
The 39-year-old shared her surprise at the effectiveness of her regime.
“I was just going through my old pictures and came across this photo of me nine years ago,” the poster said.
“The difference in the texture and skin is amazing.”
She revealed the beauty products she swears by, beginning with her morning routine.
The Redditor said she began her day by washing her face with manuka honey.
She added that she sources jars of fresh honey from her local farmer’s market.
“[I] just wet my face with warm water, then scoop out about a teaspoon and rub it in my face for about a minute,” she explained.
“Then I leave it on while I have my shower and wash it off there.”
She explained that she began researching manuka honey after purchasing honey eye drops to help with her ocular rosacea.
“I started reading more on that honey, and more studies are coming out that manuka honey is good for calming inflamed skin,” she said.
She added that the substance leaves her skin feeling soothed.
For her next step, she applied the £1.49 Super Booster Hyaluronic Acid Serum from Aldi.
Finally, she used the £8.82 Cicablast Baumé Neutrogena Hydro Boost Sunscreen before leaving the house.
For her evening routine, the Redditor begins by washing her face with the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Cleanser, available for £5.60 from Amazon.
She also applies a manuka honey face mask for 10 minutes before washing off and applying tretinoin.
A study published by the Wiley Online Library examined the role of Manuka honey in anti-ageing efforts.
Researchers found that topical application of 10% manuka oil “reduced the average length, depth, and percentage area of wrinkles significantly.”
It also helped to inhibit the loss of collagen fiber content and epidermal hyperplasia.
The study also found that manuka oil could “suppress UV-B-induced skin inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines.”
The experts concluded that “manuka oil indeed possesses antiphotoaging activity.”
Source: Wiley Online Library
“I think tretinoin has helped a lot,” the poster said before adding that her makeup switch also boosted her skin’s hydration.
“I think what has really helped is switching to dewy makeup as well,” she explained.
“I was using everything mattifying, and it really highlighted my lines and sucked the moisture from my skin.”
She added that she didn’t realise the how much these steps helped to improve her skin until she found the photo of herself at age 30.
Reddit users shared their thoughts on the transformation in the comments section.
“WOAH! I even showed my mom and she thought the one [from nine years ago] was older, you look so good and your skin looks so dewy,” one reader said.
“It definitely lifted your entire face in a sense, it’s an 11 out of 10 result,” wrote another person.
“Your skin definitely looks great and what a difference!” commented a third Redditor.
