Let me see if I can get this done. I started at 9:30 am, but it’s been a day.
Two things of note: It’s the day of my fake birthday party, as I will be in Helsinki on my real birthday, and Bryon’s like that. AND my vintage make-up and hair books came in the mail! They are as cool as they promised to be.
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This is a more practical post, but a necessary one. As bodies age, they change in mysterious ways. One of the ways in which we change is our skin.
We all know that we get wrinkly and we lose elasticity in our skin. And I’m not going to get on that train. You can read a ton of articles about how to reduce wrinkles, or use botox, or have plastic surgery done. Guys, entropy rules. You can’t fight entropy. Your face is anarchy waiting to happen. I like my laugh lines. I’m getting used to my saggy chin. We’ll get used to the rest as it comes.
So, if you’re looking for someone to give you those hot tips, there’s a big Internet out there. Have fun.
My concern is using make-up so it doesn’t make me look older than I am. And I use make-up as my skin becomes more blotchy, or my age and sun spots begin to show. In today’s entry, I’m going to share some tips I’ve gotten about facial cleansing
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Skin changes as it ages. Of course, as a young person, you probably analyzed your skin type. Even the guys out there might know how to take care of their skin if it’s oily or dry. The problem with many of the ways we take care of our appearance is that we get busy with life, so our early training stays in place, and we never update it. Unless you truly do have acne, you should probably stop taking care of your skin like you do. In my case, my skin has increased in sensitivity, which is a common problem in light-skinned white women.
Happily, I can take some lessons to update myself. We still all have different skin types, so the most important thing as you age is to talk to someone about your skin. You know, a trained professional. Like the Avon lady. In my case, the Aveda folks and the Body Shop folks. I like both these stores because their products tend to be more environmentally friendly.
Here are some things I’ve learned.
My skin is drier than it used to be. To cleanse my skin, I use the Body Shop’s Vitamin E Cleanser. It’s an economical alternative, and helps to keep my sensitive skin from reddening. I also use a hydrating toner, especially on the days I use make-up. Usually, I’ll finish off with a nice night cream, even during the day. Right now I’m trying another night cream just for kicks–carrot moisture cream.
Now, why is it important to start with a clean, moisturized face? Soap can dry your skin. So can the sun, and the weather. And of course, impurities can cause all sorts of blemishes. Blah, blah, blah. Elementary stuff.
Both Aveda and Body Shop have products which claim to help with wrinkles, fine lines, under eye shadow, and so on. Your mileage may vary. One of the ways in which I’m lucky is in fairly good shape for now, so a little under eye shadow cream and make-up usually take care of my blotches and discoloration. I’m still in the minor leagues with this.
My friend Jools recommends Philosophy’s Miracle Worker. I’d be interested in trying it out to see if it works better than my current eye cream, which gets rid of shadow, but that’s about it. I’ll let you know what I think when I give it a whirl.
Just a quick note on the rest of you. Skin doesn’t stop at your neck. Don’t forget to moisturize the rest, or use a shower gel that does. I use many flavors of Body Shop body butter. Sometimes I get nostalgic for the smell of Jergens. My skin on the whole is in pretty good shape.
When we return to the make-over, we’ll talk about make-up foundations for older skin.