As I grow closer and closer to 50, I worry more and more about my skin. I thought my skin was bad when I was 30 – if I had only known then what I knew now!
But, there are some things you can do (or not do) to help your skin not look as old – even at my age.
Some things you can do are rather obvious. One is put on sunscreen every day. Yes, I said every day. Not just when you are gardening, not just when you are going to the beach – every day. That’s because you are probably exposed to the sun every day. Professionals say the sun is public enemy number one for your skin and suggest that you use a sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays and contains a SPF of at least 30. Once again, in case you skimmed it, that’s use sunscreen every day.
I cannot remember where I read it, but once I read online that you should use lotion every day. Even if you can only afford the cheapest dollar store lotion available – put it on. Any lotion is going to be more moisturizing than no lotion. I used to be the world’s worst about not using lotion, but now, every morning when I get up, I put lotion on my neck and hands. Because those are two areas we inadvertently ignore and therefore, they suffer the most. Dry skin really ages you.
Another thing I used to be terrible about it going to bed without removing my makeup. I think that’s mainly because by the end of the day, my makeup seemed to be gone anyhow. But, it’s important that you get not only the makeup off, but also the dirt and grim that has accumulated on your face during the day. Now, I try to make it a habit to wash up each night.
One of the many “joys” of nearing menopause age is acne. Yes, because of fluctuating hormones, I occasionally get acne. But, you shouldn’t just spot treat acne. Instead, you should wash your entire face with a acne-fighting cleanser then moisturize to ward off dry skin.