10 anti-aging beauty tricks that are super budget-friendly

We’re going to go on record and say that aging is a pretty phenomenal and normal process. From birth to golden years, your body morphs and changes and allows you to do incredible things (giving birth, anyone?). That said, plenty of us are looking for ways to slow the deepening of laugh lines and crow’s-feet — and we’re happy to help you do that in a way that won’t hurt your wallet. You don’t NEED to spend half your paycheck on an anti-aging serum, or anti-aging wrinkle cream.

From fish oil capsules to sleeping in new ways, consider these cheap anti-aging tricks that promise to help your skin to glow like it did before you ever popped your first pimple.

1. Moisturize your skin right after you get out of the shower.

Your skin is most absorbent when you first step out of the shower, so lock in all of that skin-softening goodness by slathering on your go-to lotion right after you’ve toweled off.

2. Take fish oil capsules.

According to Arlene Noodleman, MD, medical director of the Age Defy Dermatology and Wellness Center in Campbell, California, the anti-inflammatory properties in fish oil will help your skin look supple (while also improving your heart health — bonus!). “I take three 500 milligram capsules of omega-3 fish oil in the morning and at night,” she told Health magazine. “I look for labels that say, ‘molecularly distilled for purity,’ which means pesticide-free.”

3. Wear sunscreen.

You’ve heard this one before, but sun damage will age your skin faster than you can say “surf’s up!” Corniness aside, covering your face with a broad-spectrum SPF every day (yes, every day) will go a long way to keeping your skin from looking like a vintage leather jacket. This is especially true for people who drive often — dermatologists report that frequent drivers often have more sun damage on the left side of their faces simply from being behind the wheel. So block up!

4. Sleep on your back.

Side and stomach sleepers may groan at this one, but dermatologists say they can tell from a patient’s face which way they sleep. “Sleeping on your side or stomach creates a furrow on one side of your face,” said one skin expert in an interview with Reader’s Digest. “For an easy way to minimize wrinkles, sleep on your back. You may snore, but you’ll age better.”

5. Sleep more.

We know, we know, it can be so hard to turn off Netflix when you’re binge-watching Gilmore Girls for the 10th time. But Allure suggests that going to bed a mere 15 minutes earlier, progressively, every night for four nights in a row will help you get an extra hour of rest — without you even noticing. Dark circles? Who has dark circles?

6. Don’t rub your eyes.

The skin around your eyes is thin, so the more you rub, the more “you risk breaking delicate blood vessels, which leads to darkening, dulling, and thickening of the surrounding skin,” according to New York dermatologist Francesca Fusco.

7. Wash your face.

Whatever you do, wash your face at the end of the day — but don’t stress over high-end beauty products. Here’s plastic surgeon Karen M. Horton’s daily skin-care routine: “I go home, wash my face with a drugstore cleanser, put on a moisturizer, and fall into bed. I find that this simple regimen works well for me.”

8. Drink hot water with ginger and honey.

Today reports that some women in India swear by hot water with shredded ginger and a spoonful of honey to reduce fine lines on the face. This makes sense, since ginger is rich in antioxidants and honey is a natural antibiotic. If nothing else, it will taste delicious!

9. Exfoliate your hands with a sugar-lemon scrub.

If you’re bothered by signs of aging on your hands, try mixing white sugar and lemon juice to create a paste, then rubbing it into your hands. The mixture will slough off dead skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots.

10. Eat your greens.

Leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and kale are packed with antioxidants, which are proven to fight signs of aging. So throw some leaves in your pre-workout smoothie or eat them at lunch as a salad or stir fry.