I’m a dermatologist and my top 6 tips for anti-aging are all free – an ‘excess’ mistake makes your skin lose firmness

A SKINCARE guru has shared her go-to tricks for a youthful appearance — and they don’t cost a thing.

She also revealed a beauty mistake that may cause your skin to lose its elasticity and the anti-aging remedy to combat it.

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King shared her top tips to reverse the signs of aging with The U.S. Sun.

She previously debunked four common skincare myths, including one that JLo herself swears by.

NO SWEET TOOTH

Her first free method was to decrease sugar intake and other refined carbs.

Dr. King said that almost eliminating both will “decrease aging of the skin.”

“Excess sugar molecules bond to collagen and elastin through a process named glycation, resulting in AGEs, or advanced glycation end products,” she explained.

The expert added that these cross-linked AGEs proteins are proven to be “directly related to loss of elasticity and firmness in the skin.”

Eating lots of sugar ultimately causes the collagen and elastin fibers to lose their strength and flexibility, contributing to skin aging.

MODERN MOVEMENT

Dr. King encouraged people to amp up their fitness regimen.

“Studies have shown that exercise not only keeps skin looking younger, it may also even reverse skin aging in people who start exercising late in life,” she explained.

SUN SMART

Dr. King challenged readers to “commit to daily sun smart behavior” because “much of the sun damage that accumulates in our skin is the result of daily incidental sun exposure.”

Avoid peak UV hours, seek shade, and wear UV-protective clothing.

Some examples she offered were a broad-brimmed hat, UV-shielding sunglasses, and topical SPF for all exposed areas.

Dr. King discussed how, in an Australian study, medical professionals tracked the skin of people who used sunscreen daily regardless of the weather.

They then compared this to the skin of people who only used sunscreen on sunny days and thought they would spend a lot of time outside.

At the end of the experiment, it was revealed that the skin of the people who used sunscreen every day aged significantly better.

BAD BLUE LIGHT

Dr. King also emphasized the importance of protecting your skin from blue light as much as possible, especially in an age where everyone is on some screen at least once a day.

“We’ve learned that blue light can not only affect our sleep and harm our eyes, it can also cause discoloration and aging of our skin, she explained.

SIMMER DOWN STRESS

Next, she recommended finding ways to reduce stress in your life.

“Stress has definitely increased for most of us over the past year and stress has a major impact on our health,” she said.

She added that it was important to minimize stress because studies have shown that stress can contribute to the development of wrinkles.

Dr. King explained that the “primary stress hormone” cortisol can break down collagen in the skin.

“The higher the stress level, the more cortisol is produced, and over time the skin’s ability to rebuild the collagen and elastin will decrease,” she added.

SLEEP SOLUTION

One of the most important pieces of advice Dr. King suggested was getting enough sleep, which she called “stress for the body.”

“Getting too little sleep has been shown to negatively affect the skin’s appearance,” she said.

So make sure to fall asleep at a decent hour so that you can wake up refreshed and rejuvenated for the day.