July 2017

Your face starts at your nipples. As I read once, said by a celebrity facialist.  The more I age, the more I see that she is right!

#1 The neck and decolletage are one of the first places that show signs of aging.

And in my family that is certainly the case. I have a friend who learned early on from her mother that you should never neglect these two areas. And she hasn’t. Needless to say, now her neck looks so much better than mine and most of my other friends.

But as in everything… it is never too late to try… or to improve.

So now, when applying my 2x a day facial moisturizer, I always make sure to include my neck and chest. The key is applying the moisturizer in an upward motion, as my new Spanish facialist says. Stroking upwards 60 times while massaging it in the neck area is the best way to improve the look of the skin here,  as the skin on the throat does not have oil producing glands.

Since doing this for less than a year, I definitely see improvement. It’s not perfect… and I have a long way to go but I see that it’s making a difference.

I have noticed a lot of over the counter products have been introduced recently to handle these specific areas. I use my usual face cream with the upward strokes and massaging, and it seems to be working for me so I am holding off on buying any of these new products.   (this could change and if it does I will let you know 🙂 )

Next, apply a good sunscreen to the neck, and chest.

 

#2 Biggest Makeup Rule!!!
Always take your makeup off when you go to bed at night. If you do this, you will end up having better skin.

I live in a city, AND I always wear sunscreen.

Both are hard on my sensitive skin.

I’m pretty serious about cleansing my face each day, but there are nights when it’s difficult to rally myself to do the job I should do. Recently I’ve been using this very well priced cleansing product Garnier’s Agua Micelar …and have been so happy! 

Garnier’s Micelar is a product Frenchwomen swear by. It’s for all types of skin and gets rid of my makeup gently. You put the product on round cotton pads, and you work with the most intense areas of the face first, the eyes and lips. Then use additional wipes to take off the remaining makeup on your face. Repeat is needed. Rinse with water afterward.

There is no extra step before you moisturize. All done.

This cleansing water is so gentle that I can use it again in the morning. One all over wipe with a cotton pad and my skin is calm (not red), and I am ready for my morning facial routine.

ADDED TIP:  Put on a good primer on your face before applying sunscreen. Last longer and adds a cushion between you and the typically harsh sunscreen.

 

#3 The power of body brushing.

I feel body brushing is the biggest body, skin maintenance secret out there. (Say that fast three times :))

It removes dead skin and helps your lymphatic system keep moving. I am on HRT, and I think this is a must!  I believe it keeps the added hormones, in my body, for becoming stuck in the process of discarding what I don’t need.

The technique uses a natural soft bristle brush that brushes the skin of the body toward the direction of the heart. Start with your feet. I like to do this in the morning before my shower, but you can just as well do this at night before bed.  The key is that you and the brush are dry while doing the technique.

(Google this technique, and you will get a clear picture of the procedure)

 

#4 The importance of Moisturizing the body.

I’ve always been pretty fanatical about my facial skincare routine but rarely did I moisturize my body until two years ago. Looking at my one year younger sister’s legs… I see the rewards that daily body moisturizing can offer if you do it daily.

The secret is to do it when the skin in wet. The skin pores tighten when they dry making penetration of any moisture difficult. So the best and easiest time to do it is when the skin is still damp… like after a shower.

You can keep it natural by using products like almond oil or coconut oil, but recently in preparation for summer shorts, I have been using the extra help of  Nivea Refirming Q10 body lotion.  for an extra lift to those thighs and knees.

 

Actually looking over this list… these are things you can do all year long.

Are there things you do that have helped maintain or repair your maturing skin?  I would love to know.