Overworked, Underpaid Face. Stay looking youthful as long as possible

Did you ever wonder why men normally seem to look younger than women?

One of the reasons is the fact that they have thicker skin. I know - they are luckier on SO many points. They eventually catch up, however, and once a man begins to start aging then it seems to progress more quickly...the price they pay for the delay I suppose. Part of the reason if you think about it isn't only because they have thicker skin. Men tend to sweat more which keeps their face moisturized. Also, men go through less of a face regimen than women do. More women than not are consistently fooling with their face daily. I see so many women who think they have to go through a whole ritual to try to stay young. Many will wash their face in the morning. Put on a daily moisturizer. Put on make-up. Straighten their make-up (sometimes several times throughout the day by adding more). Wash their face at night to get the make-up off. Use a toner. Put on more moisturizer, and sometimes even throw in a face mask for that added lift from all the time we spend tugging and fooling with our faces. Men get up, go to work, come home, take a shower, and go to bed.

Well, you know...I'm sure we all do much more than this...but I'm just going straight to the core of how much more time women spend tugging, manipulating, and lathering their faces.

First off, getting older is a fact of life whether we like it or not. To try to stay as young "looking" as possible is always our goal. I'm privy to this, and just as adamant about doing so as the next gal. It seems to cause one more wrinkle simply by looking in the mirror and seeing another wrinkle miraculously develop from the previous day's smoothness.

I'm not sure where along the line women thought we had to overwork the process. Yes, both men and women need to keep their face moisturized because the tale of "well-moisturized skin helps to keep it looking young longer" is true. Women do not need the whole daily ward-off ritual, however. The analogy of KISS - Keep it simple sweetie is a good one to keep in mind.

Before I get into steps to take ladies (and men) on what your daily regimen should be, I wanted to take a brief moment and let you know that most of the products on the market that you are trying to preserve your skin with for as long as possible are most likely doing you more harm than good. The majority of them contain toxic ingredients that you are not only putting on your skin (the largest organ of your body) but that sink into your bloodstream and internal organs within 26 seconds of putting them on. Scary stuff huh? I've inserted this in previous blog posts, but you can check out EWG.org to check some of the ingredients in your makeup, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizers, etc. Think about ALL of these toxins working their way into your system through your skin, and then we wonder why our skin looks so toxic. We are talking hormone imbalances, endocrine disruptors, cancer-causing agents, and this list could go on. These ingredients can also clog your pores and increase their size.

Women all over the world have been making natural skincare products for centuries - look at Cleopatra - one of the most well-known beauties in history.

To make a simple and safe moisturizer you only need 2 ingredients. 

• A carrier oil - 2 oz (Coconut -my personal fave, Almond oil, Jojoba oil, Shea butter, Castor oil, Argon oil, Sweet almond oil, Grapeseed oil).
• 15 drops of essential oil (My favorite ones to use are Frankincense, Lavender, Bergamot, and Eucalyptus...feel free to mix and match). (When applying oils to your skin, think flowers).

Mix ingredients in a glass bottle or jar depending on what you are using. Some will be more oily, and others like Shea butter will be more creamy.

Daily Regimen:

At Night - 

• Wash your face with a Muslim or Norwex body cloth and a natural cleanser. You can use coconut oil to remove eye and face makeup if using a Muslim (or other) cloth. Rinse face well with water that is lukewarm or cool...never hot. If you use a Norwex body cloth, you can clean your face with water alone..nothing else is needed.  You can't get any easier or safer than that.
• Wipe your face with toner on a cotton ball to remove excess oil. 

DIY Toner Recipe

1. Fill a 4 oz bottle almost full with witch hazel
2. add 1/2 tsp vitamin E oil
3. add 3 drops each of geranium, cypress, and lavender essential oils
4. shake to mix

• Apply the above face Moisturizer. Just a drop to the forehead, each cheek, and chin. Massage in upward strokes with clean fingers very easy...don't pull on your skin.

In the Morning -

• Wipe face with clear lukewarm water. Again, a Norwex body cloth is great for this to remove any residue.
• Apply makeup (if you wear it). Preferably a safe kind without all of the harsh chemicals. Find one that will nourish your skin throughout the day. For everyday use, your makeup should be applied so that it looks natural. If you are going out for an evening on the town or a special event, then you can apply a more elaborate look.

That is it. Don't overwork your face. Don't overapply, and steer clear of harmful ingredients that will do you more harm than good and ruin your whole attempt at aging gracefully.

Not into DIY? There are a few great earth and body-friendly makeup and skin moisturizing companies. If you are looking for a recommendation...here you go--

  Lifes Abundance - Great Skincare system 

  Toups and Co Organics

 - Makeup and Skincare

• Normal:  lavender, frankincense, geranium
• Dry:  geranium, lavender, myrrh, patchouli, rose, frankincense, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, clary sage, Roman chamomile, sandalwood, jasmine
• Non-Cystic Acne:  geranium, cedarwood, lavender, patchouli, tea tree, rose, Roman chamomile, lemongrass, rosemary
• Sensitive:  helichrysum, lavender, rose, jasmine, geranium, frankincense, sandalwood
• Oily:  frankincense, geranium, lavender, patchouli, tea tree, ylang-ylang, clary sage, Roman chamomile, cypress, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood
• Mature:  rose, frankincense, myrrh, helichrysum, sandalwood, geranium,  lavender, patchouli, cypress, jasmine, rosemary, ylang-ylang

 

Other tips for keeping your skin glowing beautifully

• Get plenty of sleep. (Lavender essential oil in a diffuser can help).
• Drink plenty of water
• Eat more plant-based foods and stay away from processed and boxed foods as much as possible. Organic preferably. No GMO's.