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Friday, July 13, 2007

Middle-aged beauty

Most of us seem preoccupied by the inner turmoil and body landscape during menopause - the emotional rollercoaster, the hot flashes, the night sweats, but the Change also effects what's going on in your face, which affects your radiant beauty.

I have been looking (and feeling) tired for a few weeks now, and while a brief three day get-away helped me rejuvenate, once I got back to 'business' and the daily list, whoa, my face looked saggy and dark again.

Fortunately, without knowing how I would feel this week, I had booked a facial about three weeks ago - something I haven't done in over 10 years, and didn't really like the last time, but my esthetician convinced me I was in need. Actually, once I got there she said my skin was severely dehyrated and asphxiated! (I lied and said I didn't use soap on my face, but some days I barely splash it with water).

To my surprise, it was lovely, absolutely divine - no blackhead pinching or rough rubbing of the skin. Just a gentle exfoliation and lots of creams massaged into my face and shoulders. I lay there for over an hour, listening to calm music in a candlelit cubicle. while my lovely, gentle careworker, Vickie, attented to any discomfort and took her time with me, a newbie in the facial department.

I told her I wouldn't probably be good at following any regimen, so she didn't try to sell me the expensive three-step system for follow-up care. But this morning, I opened up my Wisdom of Menopause bible by Christiane Northrup, to the page: Skin Care from Your Refrigerator. So if any of you want to make your facial treatment using the source of all those plant and fruit acids the expensive creams are derived from, here is a partial list from that book.

Antioxidants, fruit acids. and plant hormones are what your skin needs in middle-age.

Plain yogourt on your face nourishes and hydrates with lactic acid and milk proteins
(unsweetened).

Thinly sliced cucumber on your eyelids and cheeks relaxes and sooothes.

Green tea bags, moistened and put on eyelids give an antioxidant lift.

Mashed up fruits: peaches, strawberries or apples mixed with finely ground oatmeal makes a nourishing facial mask.

Give yourself about fifteen minutes to let the skin absorb the nutrients. Et Voila!

It's good to know you have everything you need to be beautiful right in your fridge. Everything you put on your face should be something you would willingly put in your body, cause it gets absorbed into your blood and cells through your skin.

Love your face! smile a little more often today,
and think beautiful :)
restingly yours,
musemother

1 comment:

Beverly Keaton Smith said...

Hi Jenn, Your facial sounds great! Good for you! I have found that I use my skin care products more generously and often if I don't pay tons of $$ for them! I've really enjoyed the Aveeno line even though I still splurge on eye creme from Prescriptives. I like the idea of using the natural ingredients. Maybe I'll try that too! Thanks, Bev