If you ask any woman when her fascination with beauty products began I think the answer would be exactly the same. Her mother's bathroom. As a young girl I spent a lot of time staring at my mom's vanity waiting for the moment I could sneak and touch one of the many bottles. I was fascinated with all the beautifully shaped perfume bottles, the box of talcum powder with a body puff, bath beads that looked like freshwater pearls and multiple jars and bottles of various creams and potions. As a little girl I had no idea what the creams and potions were for but I knew instinctively - this is important stuff. I did know I could not touch, only look and I was too young to use these adult products. Well of course every now and then I would sneak and touch but was always caught since you could smell the evidence all over me. Oh...and that time the bath pearl got stuck up my nose resulting in a trip to the emergency room. OOPS! Yeah, kinda hard to deny touching something when the evidence is being pulled out your nose with forceps.
So time passed, my fascination with beauty products grew, my knowledge of what exactly they were and how they worked still nil. Until that magical day I will always remember. It was on that day a skincare junkie was born. I was on the verge of teen-dom. Everything was going out of whack and changing. Moody, awkward and worst of all the teen acne and skin problems. So my mom in an effort to cheer me up, and to begin my first lessons in skincare, told me to get dressed and let's go shopping. I remember it like it was yesterday. Walking into Saks Fifth Avenue on a sunny Saturday afternoon my mom took me to the Clinique counter, talked to the saleslady about my skin and if she could set me up with a routine. The lady looked at my face and chatted with me about skincare. She walked through the steps I would take to wash my face day and night. Gave me a short education about the soaps, the astringents, the creams and VOILA!!!! I knew those bottles and jars held secrets!
I felt like such a little adult that day. My very first skincare regime and set of products to set on my own vanity table. When I arrived home I opened each box slowly and carefully as if I was uncovering precious jewels. I read every word on every box. I read each pamphlet carefully. This was the beginning of my love and appreciation for good packaging. Then I set up each jar and bottle on the vanity so it would look like the display case in a department store. Fast forward to present day I'm still that little girl when I purchase a new bottle of perfume, body lotion and skincare products or devices. I've been using the same skincare line for at least 7 years but I still handle a new delivery with white gloves service. It's funny the things that stick with us.
Ever since that magical day I've taken great care of my skin, face and body. Each stage of life called for either removing or adding different steps and/or products. Experimenting with different skincare lines because what worked when I was 20 no longer worked at 30. What worked at 30 no longer worked for my skin at 40. I've always been a fan of brand continuity so I never really mixed skincare brands. I'm an all-in or nothing kind of girl. Now I may try a different face mask or special treatments but I always use an entire line A-Z for my daily routine. I just feel a brand creates the line to work together. But again, that's just my personal preference. For the past 7+ years, I've been using the same skincare brand every day. A couple of times I cheated but since cheaters never win my skin suffered so now I stick to what works. But unlike my first regime which consisted of only three products and an extra to use at night my routine now has a few more steps. Gone are the days of wash and glow.
The routine I follow consist of the following: Wash with a creamy cleanser (no soap on this face) and my trusty facial cleansing brush (game changer), exfoliating pads, serum (a must for every over 40), moisturizer, eye cream (another over 40 must) and of course SPF. The same is followed at night but I skip the SPF and I switch the moisturizer for something a little heavier but the same brand. If I happen to wash my face in the middle of the day I will only reapply the moisturizer and SPF if I'm going out. But if I'm staying in I will only apply olive oil. Yes, you read correctly. Olive Oil! I've been using olive oil as an all-over body moisturizer for over 15 years. I transfer the oil into a plastic pump bottle and leave near the shower to apply while my skin is still damp and bathroom steamy. This is a trick I learned from a well-known dermatologist I visited when I became allergic to almost everything. And no...I do not smell like a salad. The allergies eventually subsided (probably due to medication I was on at the time) but I still use olive oil even if I layer it with a body lotion.
I'm often told I have great skin and how is it possible I have no wrinkles. Well, I give much of the credit to my mom and dad and the genes I inherited. Much of the credit to my mom and seeing how she took care of herself. Credit to the saleslady that took the time to patiently teach a 12-year-old girl a step by step process of taking care of her skin. It's probably all those things together along with consistently following a routine and regime of products. It's also taking care of the outside as well as the inside. I drink A LOT of water. All-day and every day. Taking supplements and making sure I consume vitamins that contribute to healthy and glowing skin. I used to get monthly facials but I cut back when my favorite spa closed and I never really looked into finding a new place. So now at home facials are part of the routine.
In the end, a consistently followed skin routine I feel is key to maintaining smooth and healthy skin. As I've aged I added skincare devices into the mix to give my skin an extra boost, increase circulation and collagen in hopes we can keep everything high and tight. I promise to add a VLOG of my favorite skincare devices. So the key to good skin? I believe investing in a brand that works well for your skin and using it consistently. I know this because I lived it. A couple of years ago I badly damaged the skin on my face while on vacation in Barbados. I didn't realize how strong the rays bouncing up from the sand were and was slacking on the SPF protection because I wanted that Barbados glow. The result being my skin was burnt and I had obvious signs of damage. But I amped up the routine adding some extra moisture with facial oil serums and hydrating at-home facials. With time, patience and regime my skin bounced back and because of habits I've developed over a lifetime, I GOT MY GLOW BACK!! So it's never too late to reverse. Look forward and GLOW!
Take care and get your glow on
Tracy
