Oh Baby Check Out Her…Skin

I have received my first requests for subject matter and they have been for skin-care. What products do I use? What do I do? As insecure as I can be sometimes about other parts of me one thing I do know is that I have good skin. Strangers stop me and ask me about my skin-care and they actually take out a pen and pad and start writing things down. Friends and family seek out my advice. The greatest compliment I received was during my last visit to my dermatologist. First, when he walked in the room, he told me my skin looked incredible and what was I doing? Wow. Talk about a compliment. Second, he said he had to look in my chart to double-check my age. He thought we were about the same age but I looked like I was 32. I’m 42.

I have been seeing a dermatologist since I was 30. I luckily (yes, luckily) had a dark liver spot appear on my face from my sun worshiping days and decided that it was hideous and had to go. I say I was lucky because being “under the care and advice” of a dermatologist for so many years is what has helped me create my skin-care regimen that has kept me looking so young. He removed the spot by freezing it then asked if I was using any type of Glycolic acid products on my skin.

“No,” I answered.

“Well, you’re getting to the age where you need to start thinking about that. To the untrained eye your skin looks fine. But I can see hyper-pigmentation (darkening) in your skin and where wrinkles are starting to form.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. At first I was insulted. I was only 30. How could this be? But after we talked a little bit I realized that if he could see it how long would it be before everyone else could see it? And truly, prevention was so much easier than correction. I started using a product he recommended and taking better care of my skin. Actually, I became meticulous about my skin. Aging? At 30? Holy hell.

So what’s my advice? First, go look in the mirror. Get in close. If you have a magnifying mirror with lights, even better. Have you grown a mustache? Have hairs growing out of a mole? Nose hairs gone wild? When is the last time you tweezed your eyebrows? Bitch: GROOM!! WTF?? The sad, unfortunate truth is that some of us, most of us, have dark hair over our upper lip (on our face) that needs to be bleached, waxed or tweezed. The hard and fast rule is – - do something about it! Pluck those hairs out of those moles, get those eyebrows done, buzz the nose, and kill that mustache. Jeez. Do it yourself or have it done. (As a side note, if that mole is looking funky, get it looked at.) Grooming is key, for both men and women and not just above the neck (we will address full body grooming in its glory in another blog). When your lover is coming at you all hot and heavy ready to plant one on you he really doesn’t want to see miscellaneous hairs poking up all around your face. And men, this goes for you, too. You of all people need to be groomed. Shit, shower, shave. IN THAT ORDER. If you want it licked, groom mo-fo.

Skin care tip number one: Drink lots and lots of water. My friend and model Mo posted this same tip on FB not too long ago (she has a fan page on FB, “Mo Stones”). You can’t have beautiful skin unless it is hydrated. And yes the old myth is true…about eight, 8oz glasses a day. Suck it up.

Number two: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. If you use a moisturizer that has sunscreen in it, it’s not enough. You need a sunscreen that blocks both UVA & UVB rays and is at least SPF 30. I recommend Neutrogena Ultra Sheer sunblock with helioplex or Kiehl’s Super Fluid UV Defense (www.kiehls.com). Both are great products. You can use them as a moisturizer or in conjunction with your moisturizer. Don’t forget to apply the sunscreen to your hands, too, especially if you drive a lot. Nothing gives away a woman’s age like her hands.

Number three: Wash your face every night. If you only wash your face one time each day it should be at night. Your skin repairs itself during the night while you sleep so you should go to bed with clean, well-moisturized skin. If you’re going to invest in products your nighttime routine is where it counts. If you’re over 40, your skin has probably started to dry. If you have a good nighttime routine, just showering in the morning or rinsing your face with warm water is enough; you don’t need a cleansing product.

So here is my nighttime routine:

I wash my face with MD Forte Facial Cleanser III. This product contains 20% Glycolic compound (glycolic acid). You need to start with Level I and work your way up to Level III. Let your face dry thoroughly, 3-5 minutes.

I then apply Retin-A Micro 0.04% (this is available through your dermatologist). You can also purchase Retin-A products over-the-counter but I DO NOT recommend it. Retin-A should only be obtained with a prescription and used under a dermatologist’s supervision. A caution about using Retin-A. When you start using Retin-A, you MUST use sunscreen; it will make your skin much more sensitive to the sun. Also, you can no longer get waxed. It will wax the first layer of skin right off your face. Retin-A causes your cells to regenerate and your old cells to slough off, this is why it helps you look younger, but also why it can cause peeling. When starting a Retin-A routine, start off with a Monday, Thusday, Saturday routine and slowly work your way up. I, myself, only use it every other day because my skin is so sensitive.

After I apply my Retin-A, I apply MD Forte Facial Cream III. This product contains 30% Glycolic compound. Again, you will need to start with Level I and work your way up to Level III. The combination of Retin-A and Glycolic acid have a very synergistic effect. You will probably be able to see results in as soon as 6 weeks. When applying these products, don’t forget your neck and then rub the excess on your hands. So many women forget these important parts of their bodies. The neck and hands show your age, too.

Because this combination will cause some peeling you will want to exfoliate your skin once a week. Buy a jar of Dr. Michelle Copeland’s Microdermabrasion Formula and keep it in your shower. Scrub up with this once a week. Not too hard and don’t forget your hands & neck!!

All of these products (except for the Retin-A) are available at The Skin Store (www.skinstore.com). They have free shipping for orders over $49 and are always offering discounts. I strongly urge you to use products like these (dermatologists sell these) and not those that are sold in department stores. The products in department stores have less active ingredients, more perfumes (which can cause irritation), and cost more. Who wants that??

So now that your skin is on its way to being fucktastic, tell me, what is stopping you from finding your inner MILF? Let me know. Comment on my Blog or my Facebook fanpage. Happy MILFing.

Still Rockin’ It.
Scarlet Mom