Nicole Emmerling is the beauty editor at American Woman. She’ll drop by on Thursdays from time to time to offer various beauty tips and trends to help us all look our best. She’s got her work cut out for her, given so many of us (me!) have little time to pamper ourselves and even less money to do so.--AP
by Nicole Emmerling
Many of the editors at American Woman are like Anastasia, of a “certain” age and fighting it every step of the way. How much have you spent over the past year on anti-aging lotions and serums to ward off or reduce the onset of crow’s feet and laugh lines? Too much, I’m sure. Products found in drug stores can run you $50 and up. Specialty products from high-end companies can be as much as $200 for less than 2 oz. What price beauty!
Well, listen up, ladies, because the truth is that no matter what Madison Ave. is touting, none of these products lives up to the hype. You may see minimal improvement, but is minimal improvement worth maximum bucks?
If you want your skin to look young, healthy, and vibrant, this is what you need to do:
- Wash your face twice a day. Many women are afraid to wash their faces too often because they’re worried about drying out their skin. What you should be worried about is all the crud and toxins that build up on your skin throughout the day.
- Hydrate. Regular moisturizing gives your skin a healthy glow and can act as a barrier against both pollutants and air borne bacteria. Using moisturizer is far more beneficial to your skin than any pricey anti-aging serum.
- Exfoliate. The outermost layer of your skin is made up of dead skin cells. Use an exfoliating scrub once a week to remove this dead skin. Then apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp.
- Use sunscreen every day, no matter the weather. Yes, we all need Vitamin D, but sunscreen is a skin’s best friend. Always protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Trust me, those wrinkly prune women you see walking around all spent way too much time working on their tans as teens and young adults. Besides, wrinkles may be the least of their worries. Melanoma kill.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Aside from those unsightly bags and dark under eye circles, lack of sleep can cause excessive production of stress hormones that may slow collagen production, and collagen is what keeps us looking young.
One final piece of advice: May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Know the signs of skin cancer and have any suspicious growth checked by your doctor.
Have a beauty tip you'd like to share? Let's hear from you! And remember, everyone who posts a comment this week is entered to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author.-- AP
9 comments:
Love the blog! Can't wait for the book to come out! Will I be able to download it and read it on my iPad? The recipe sounds like it's right up my alley! Keep up the good work!
Melissa
All those tips are doable except the good night's sleep. I need a tip on how to do that without drugs or a hammer blow to the head.
I've been oiling up since I was 18, Let's see that's.... never mind how long it's been. Truth is Nicole is right, wash, exfoliate, moisturize.
But I do have to admit, some of the high-end creams made me feel better! With a little injection here and there. :)
I use a moisturizer with not only sunscreen but a taning element. Since I am very fair complected, this give me a healthy glow and also makes my white hair look whiter.
Melissa, the books are released as trade paperbacks, but my publisher also makes them available as e-books shortly afterwards. I'm sure now that the iPad is out, there will be iPad-compatible versions. And I'm so jealous of you! I'd love an iPad, but as you'll learn when ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GLUN is released, that's not going to happen any time soon.
Janet, great tip for those of us with pale skin!
Kathy, I'm with you on that. Can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep, thanks to my crazy household. Someone is always waking me up or keeping me from getting to sleep.
Women all over the world want creams to create wrinkle-free skin. I was recently in a European store and all the boxes of such creams were empty. Buyers had to take the box to the register to get the cashier to give her the contents. At least here you can look at the giant container with .25 oz before you buy it. I've spent tons on fancy creams, but the wrinkles stalk me, I find, and pounce when I'm not looking. Discouraging. Wasn't it Merlin who grew younger? Such a waste on a man...
Yes, Anne, it was Merlin, and yes, that particular talent was a definite waste on a man! You know what they say about women growing old but men growing distinguished...
I'll add one more tip: drink water, at least 1 liquid quart = 2 liquid pints per day to keep your metabolism active :).
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