‘You look 16’ people scream as 28-year-old reveals 8 anti-ageing tips she wished she’d known sooner

A BEAUTY fan has revealed her eight secrets for looking years younger despite nearing 30-years-old.

Natalie O’Neill (@natalie_oneillll) dished out the anti-ageing hacks she wished she'd known sooner, from the importance of sunscreen to the handy product that makes washing your face a breeze.

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She took to TikTok, where she boasts over 451k followers, to chat all things acne, skin texture, anti-aging and more.

"If I had known these things I would not have had to struggle for years and years and years, so hopefully this will help anyone struggling with their skin, because I have been there and it sucks," she said.

Stop squeezing blackheads on your nose

Natalie's first nugget of wisdom is to "stop squeezing the black heads on your nose and wondering why they're coming back."

Chances are, they're not actually blackheads, she explained, they're actually sebaceous filaments.

According to Healthline, sebaceous filaments can sometimes look a lot like blackheads, but scrubbing and squeezing them will do more harm than good.

They explained: "People with oily skin or enlarged pores may have sebaceous filaments that are easier to see.

"But unlike blackheads, sebaceous filaments tend to be sandy coloured or light grey, rather than black."

Although you might see sebum emerge from your pore when you squeeze sebaceous filaments they'll full right back up, and you risk an actual breakout by prodding at them with your fingers - so leave them alone.

Stop cleansing your face with hot water

Rather than washing your face with hot water, the skincare fan said she wished she's switched to using cooler sooner.

"Super hot water is awful for your skin," she said, "so always choose tepid or cool if you can."

And she's not wrong - hot water can worsen existing skin conditions and strip your skin of it's vital oils.

Speaking to Byrdie, Doctor Susan Massik, board-certified dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, recommended lukewarm water for washing your face.

"Water temperature is like the Goldilocks rule: not too hot, not too cold," she explained.

"Choose a temperature that is right in the middle—a lukewarm temperature."

That said, if you have acne-prone skin cool water could be the better option for you, since it can help with irritation, puffiness and help your skin look brighter, although only temporarily.

Stop messing around with products you don't understand

We get it - there's a lot of different skincare products out there and they all do different things, or at least claim to.

To make things even more confusing you can mix some products together but others should never be mixed, or only used sparingly.

If that all sounds a bit confusing, it's because it is, and that's ok, Natalie said.

"If you don't know how something works or why you'd use it but you're just putting it on your face anyway because it's trendy, stop using that product," Natalie said.

A bit of research will help you understand what your skin really needs, and it might not be as much as you think - so save yourself some time and money.

Breakouts will still happen

It's perfectly normal for your skin to breakout here and there, even if you're not a teenager anymore.

There are all sorts of factors that could cause your skin to breakout, from air pollution to hormones.

"I think sometimes people forget that and they thing that if their skin is breaking out it's because of their skincare," Natalie said.

It's not just what you put on your face that can make or break it, there are so many external things to consider before reaching for another expensive product.

Buy cleansing cuffs to wash your face

One product the skincare fan swears by is her cleansing cuffs, which you slip on when washing your face to stop water from running down your arms.

It might sound simple, but we all know how annoying it is to be left with a soggy sleeve before going to bed because you washed your face.

There are loads of different brands you can pick from if you don't already have cleansing cuffs.

They're available on Amazon for as little as £4.95, or on Look Fantastic for £5.99, you can even order a pair from ASOS for just a fiver.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should

Mixing products can be a good way to get the most bang for your buck, if you know what you're doing.

But just because some skincare products can be mixed together doesn't mean you always should, Natalie said.

"I would never use a retinoid in the evening and salicylic acid in the morning," she explained.

"If you have sensative skin or if you have troubled skin a lot of the time it's just going to be too much."

Don't just take out, remember to put back in

If you're acne-prone your skincare is probably focused on stripping things from your face, but it's important to remember to put some goodness back in there too.

Natalie suggested "investing in hydration and barrier health" if your goal is to achieve the perfect 'glass' skin trend.

There are loads of different products you can use for this, and you don't have to break the bank to get a good moisturiser that will leave your face feeling smooth and glowing.

Never forget to apply SPF

If your goals is anti-aging with your skincare, none of the products you use will offer the best results if you're not also using a good SPF.

Natalie said she uses SPF every single day, and you should be too.

"It's not a joke, not only does sunscreen prevent cancer, but if you are trying to fight dark marks from acne, hyperpigmentation, discolouration, if you want an even skin tone, if you want to age slower than everybody else, and you're not wearing sunscreen? You have to wear sunscreen.

"Basically all of the visibly ageing you can see if caused by the sun," she said.

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