Rally isn’t chasing his senior yearbook photo — but he wouldn’t mind giving a few wrinkles back! In this episode, you’ll discover some simple, affordable skincare moves that actually make a difference for faces over 65: sunscreen, retinol, what you eat (and shouldn’t), sleep — plus a few surprises you might not have heard of. No Botox, no Hollywood nonsense — this is the practical stuff that works for older adults.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
RALLY:
Oh, hello there, beautiful people. Rally Preston here. Hey, welcome back to the Silver Beast Podcast.
You all are looking good today! What did you do? Splash around in the Fountain of Youth? It’s in Florida, isn’t it? I knew it. That’s why all the retirees go there. OK.
So, I’m 71 now. I don’t expect to look like my senior yearbook picture, OK? But I want to look as good as I can. Nothing wrong with that — is there? I don’t think so. No Botox, no fillers — that’s just me. Not Hollywooding it at this age. I just want to look healthy. Good skin for my age. Especially my face. That’s all.
And most of you are with me, right? We earned the gray hairs and wrinkles, sure. But I wouldn’t mind giving some of them back. Didn’t mean to earn this many. Got more than my fair share here.
Well we gotta do our best with what we’ve got. So today, some basic skincare tips. Uh, mainly for the face. Just really simple stuff that can help. And this is for both guys and gals here.
And quick aside here. Just my opinion. But most people don’t really care how you look. You care, of course. Maybe your spouse, OK. But beyond that? Nobody’s spending hours staring at your face. They’re too busy worrying about their own, right? So — go easy on yourself. OK?
Alright, let’s get into it. Skincare for beautiful people. And that’s you, by the way.
Alright, number one tip I have for you — wear sunscreen.
Now our generation was not big on this one. We poured on the baby oil and baked ourselves at the beach, right? Cooking like hot dogs on a George Foreman grill. And now? Well we’re paying the price.
So — enough’s enough. Stop the damage starting today. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen; mineral-based is best, SPF 30 or higher. Every day. Sunny days. Cloudy days. Driving-around days. Sunscreen helps prevent more pigmentation, wrinkles, and collagen loss. It’s the single best thing you can do for your skin. So don’t skip this one.
Next up — retinol.
Now retinol is a Vitamin A derivative. It helps plump up the skin. Softens fine lines and wrinkles. It can fade age spots. Smooths out rough patches. And there are decades of research behind it.
Now — start low. A lower concentration of retinol, like 0.025% up to maybe a tenth of a percent – 0.01% — something in that range. Don’t go straight to a higher dose. Let your skin adjust. And apply it at night. Layer a moisturizer on top. And yeah, you better wear that sunscreen for sure – don’t let the sun win this time.
If you try retinol for a few months and want to kick things up a notch — talk to your dermatologist. They may prescribe a retinoid like tretinoin — the most popular brand name is Retin-A. And you get faster results with this one. But you need a prescription. Talk to your doctor. But might be worth it.
And while we’re on topicals — there’s one more worth knowing about, and that’s: GHK-Cu. Now I’m not even going to try and pronounce the real name of this one. But the sum total of that is it’s copper peptides. Available over the counter in lotions, serums, or whatever. Small studies have shown it can reduce lines and wrinkles, improve skin density, and increase skin thickness. It seems really promising. So just remember GHK-Cu. And if you can’t remember that, it’s copper peptides. So something to look into there.
Now, next — food for your face.
So what you eat can eventually show up on your skin. We don’t think about that too much I don’t think, but yeah.
Take sugar, for example. Not great for your skin. There’s a thing that happens called glycation — so sugar basically binds with collagen, makes it stiff and brittle. Sugar’s kinda like running your skin through the dryer on high. For years. So every blood sugar spike takes a little toll. So, go easy on the sugar — your face will thank you.
And same goes for refined carbs. They convert to sugar. Same damage. Again, less elasticity.
And some fats are trouble too. Trans fats, saturated fats, heavily processed oils — they all trigger inflammation. And that messes with your skin. Stick with omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Those are actually good for your skin.
And on the flip side — there’s Vitamin C. Now that’s our face’s friend. Diets high in Vitamin C mean fewer wrinkles, less skin thinning, better hydration. And Vitamin C helps repair connective tissue too. So that’s good stuff. So, get more bell peppers, citrus, strawberries. Dig into those Vitamin C-rich foods.
Alright, next up is drink more water.
Very simple move here with powerful results. Most of us don’t feel thirsty as much as we used to — it’s an age thing. So we drink less water. But your skin needs water. Skin cells are living tissue. They need hydration to work, repair, and stay plump. Without it — you get skin that looks thinner and more tired. So you know what to do here – drink up.
Alright, next is sleep.
Now I did a whole episode on beauty sleep. Bottom line here is: your skin repairs itself at night. So don’t shortchange it. Seven to eight hours if you can. That’s when the magic happens. And you wake up even more beautiful – if that’s possible.
Okay, I got one more for you here — red light therapy.
This is LED lights in red and near-infrared wavelengths. Studies show it helps with fine lines and wrinkles. Ten to twenty minutes at a time. This stimulates collagen right at the cellular level — especially around the eyes. So there’s home units, face masks, panels — all kinds of options here. This one takes patience. Months of consistent use. LED red light therapy.
Alright — that’s the lineup. Very simple stuff, like I said. Mostly inexpensive skincare things you can easily do at home.
Alright, here’s your Silver Beast plan. You’ve got skin in the game now — so let’s go.
Alright, step one — use a sunscreen. SPF 30 or higher. Broad spectrum. Mineral-based is better. And use it every day. Don’t leave home without it. Biggest bang for your buck in all of skincare is this one. Sunscreen, make it non-negotiable – just wear it.
Alright, step two — try a retinol at night. Now start with a low concentration to get used to it at first. And be sure you top it off with a moisturizer. Give it twelve weeks. If you want more, talk to your doc about prescription-strength tretinoin or Retin-A. And check out those copper peptide topicals — again that’s GHK-Cu — no prescription needed. These peptides look really promising.
Alright, and step three — hydrate. Drink more water. Eat more colorful fruits and veggies — citrus, berries, peppers – more Vitamin C, antioxidants, you get plumper skin. And while you’re at it, eat less sugar and less junk. Your skin will appreciate that.
Alright, and step four — sleep. Do it for your skin. Seven to eight hours. That’s when the night crew does all the repair work. Give them plenty of time to do their job right.
And keep red light therapy on your radar too. Worth a look – well, don’t look directly into it – wear the dark goggles they give you.
Alright, here’s the bottom line, Silver Beasties.
Those lines on your face? They tell the story of your life. And I think we should be proud of those.
But — you may not want every single chapter of your life showing up on your face, right?
So the good news here is your skin is still responsive. Still repairable. It can be better. And you can definitely prevent a lot of future damage. Starting today.
Look — we can’t go back to being 40 again. Well unless you’re Cher. “If I Could Turn Back Time” isn’t just a song to her, right? Love you, Cher.
But for the rest of us, some simple steps today might be all we need.
Alright, this is Rally Preston. Take care of that gorgeous face. And I’ll catch you next time right here on the Silver Beast Podcast. Take care!