Stop the clock with good skincare habits. Lisa Haynes reveals some surprising ways to slow down the ageing process

ANTI-AGEING isn’t just down to gene pools and preventative potions. Everyday skincare sins could be interfering with your war against wrinkles without you even knowing.

Just 16 per cent of women embrace ageing, according to a recent UK Confidence Index by L’Oreal. After grey hair, wrinkles and dark undereye circles came top in a list of the physical factors that make women feel less confident.

“Doing the wrong things can speed up your skin’s ageing process, and you might be surprised at what some of those no-nos are,” says American dermatologist Dr Tess Mauricio.

Side-step skin pitfalls by avoiding these surprising ageing antagonists.

Avoid straws and cigarettes

Your dentist may be all for straws to protect your teeth from dark and fizzy drinks but dermatologists aren’t.

“Sipping from a straw can cause fine lines around your mouth,” Mauricio warns. “Over the long-term, pursing your lips to sip out of a straw causes extra wrinkles around this area.”

The same process applies to cigarettes, which also compromise your skin’s production of collagen and elastin, making smoking bad news for your looks as well as your health.

Too late? Reduce the appearance of deep and vertical wrinkles with Vichy LiftActiv Advance Filler, £31 (Boots).

Sleep on your back

More than half of British adults sleep in the foetal position, curled up on their side with knees tucked in. That’s the stuff of nightmares for your skin, according to Mauricio.

“Women who tend to sleep on their sides are most likely to see sleep lines appear on their chin and cheeks - these are wrinkles etched on the surface of the skin that don’t disappear when you lift your head off the pillow.”

Train yourself to sleep on your back so that your skin doesn’t lie crumpled against the pillow.

Too late? Encourage a restful night on your back with Aromatherapy Associates Relax Eye Mask, £46 (aromatherapyassociates.com).

Beware of face infectors

Many of us are permanently attached to mobile phones but chatterboxes can be blighted by regular outbreaks.

“Mobiles get left around on various surfaces and pick up bacteria that can cause pimples around the cheeks and jawline. It’s best to use your phone in hands-free mode,” advises Mauricio.

The same principles apply to glasses and sunglasses, which can harbour sweat and germs.

“Bacteria can grow on the frame that will sit directly on your facial skin for an extended period of time. Aim to use anti-bacterial wipes before putting them on each day.”

Too late? Deep clean and prevent outbreaks with Bioderma Sebium H20 micellar, £10 (garden.co.uk).

Seek shade on aeroplanes

Ah, sunbeams! Cloud gazing is good for the soul but not so uplifting for the face. “You’re much closer to the sun in a plane than on land, so it stands to reason that solar rays, which can penetrate windows, are more intense at higher altitudes,” Mauricio reveals. “Plus, the air up there is notoriously dry and without moisture, so skin simply shrivels.”

If you’re sitting next to a window, pull down the shade, drink plenty of water to hydrate, and avoid salty foods and alcohol. Mauricio recommends applying a rich moisturiser with minimum SPF15 half an hour before boarding, as sunscreen needs time to absorb before it’s effective.

Too late? Even out age spots and stubborn pigmentation with SkinCeuticals Advanced Pigment Corrector, £83.50 (effortlessskin.com).

Maintain a healthy weight

Yo-yo dieters, beware. Repeatedly losing and gaining weight can take its toll on your face’s elasticity, leaving jowls and sagging.

Mauricio says: “Packing on pounds can make your skin look plumper on the surface, but carrying excess weight can cause your body’s levels of insulin and cortisol to rise, which can break down collagen. You’ll see increased sagging from putting on and keeping on as little as 10-15 extra pounds, and loss of facial fat can cause sagging and a gaunt, aged appearance.”

Maintain a healthy weight with proper diet and exercise, aiming to keep your weight in the “normal” range, with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.

Too late? Perk up sagging and loose skin with Origins Plantscription Powerful Lifting Cream, £50 (origins.co.uk).