Skin Care-Who Knew? My mom…

May 22, 2024

Recently I was asked, by some new online friends,  for my thoughts about skincare, at age 62.  I am going to try to quick share them here in 10 things, because how long is anyone’s attention span for moisturizer, et al?:D That said, I am sure I have forgotten some things, as I am dashing- sorry!

First, my mom was ahead of her time. She saw me heading out the door with my friend Josie to “lay out.” In high school. “Laying out” meant dousing yourself in baby oil and using this tinfoil, cardboard thing (I never owned one) to capture more “rays” on your face. 

“Wait” mom counseled “This “tanning” you are heading for, will ruin your skin. Not now, but eventually.” I listened. I put down the baby oil. I don’t go with darling Josie. I was a little mad, but more, intrigued. Mom was a straight shooter when it was important.

 I noticed my mom had a specific skincare regime. I decided to have one too. Not then, but eventually. A mother’s influence is slow, and building. It nearly always wins.

Here are my thoughts on skincare, at 62, in order of importance:

  1. Routine; whatever products you are using for the “big four”: cleansing, exfoliation, serums, and moisturizers-be consistent.
  2. WATER: I saw a thing with Bobbi Brown, and she praised water, over and over, for plumping up the skin, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles in a way that nothing else can. As I recently mentioned in a comment (to the new online friends mentioned above), without regular 60-80 ounces of healthy water, I look like the Crypt Keeper :D. Exaggeration aside, Bobbi speaks the truth. With all her access to All the Things, she still circles back to the water, for good reason.
  3. Beware of the Scary Three: Alcohol, Coffee, and Smoking. These are all pointing daggers at the complexion. I know, so hard to hear. There are lots of articles you could read. For me, I am a Latter-Day Saint and I believe that God doesn’t want me to consume these things.
  4. A thought on products generally: when we purchase from heavily advertised products, we are paying, in part, for their advertising costs. You already know this. But I like to be careful, because, well, money, I have 13 grandchildren:). I like to shop at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx in the skin care section sometimes, for items in the “big four” (above). Other times I will pay more if I think it’s worth it. Costco is another money saver on skincare, but I love super healthy, clean ingredients, which leads us to…
  5. my love for Honua skin care products. They are Hawaiian. I found them at Marshall’s! I love their story, I love the scents, I love their purity, I love how they work!  I also love products with honey and royal jelly. Nature is smart. I love Naturopathica honey cleanser. Sometimes I leave it on my face for hours. like a masque. I also like adding a drop of essential oil (like frankincense) into my moisturizers.
  6. I like tretinoin and have used it for years. But I don’t like to use it as often as some. My skin is sensitive and can get red so easily, even after going through the tret initiation period. In between I like Eminence moisturizers (one of those pricier but worth it times) because they act as a retinol alternative.
  7. As we age, exfoliation becomes like shaving for men. We are just in constant need of this. I like to head to bed, sometimes with just a peeling gel on my face, and let the spiciness do the work overnight. I like Saturday Scrub, on my face. I like to use it on my face when it is dry, and just make little circles with it. It removes A Lot this way, and I get a little face massage too. I love the way face massage drains lymph and puffiness. (I also like face yoga. I should do it more!)Then I take a little dermaplane thing (hello Marshall’s, again) and just slough off the dead skin. I am thinking about TCA peels. Maybe?
  8. I am not a fan of microcurrent. It sends electricity through the body, which I don’t think is good for the heart, long term. We may learn about this year’s form now. My heart maybe especially, is not interested (there is more on my heart journey somewhere on this blog, including a photo of me pumped up with so many fluids that my legs, arms, face, and neck are wincingly swollen. You’ve been warned;)
  9. I think prayer has kept a lot of lines from my face. It keeps my face softer. It has kept me from anger, which is aging. I pray off and on, all day, in my mind. Mostly thanks, and then lots of begging:D (for specific things for those I love).
  10. Almost three years ago, I gave up sugar. I still eat honey and maple syrup sometimes. Sugar breaks down facial collagen. For me, it was super addictive. I could write a whole post on this one. But protein power balls, with peanut butter and a skooch of maple syrup and peanut butter, kind of save me from emotional cravings (the physical cravings leave sooner). Best wishes to you! You can contact me at maryjobell@gmail.com with any questions. Hugs!