Pushing Thirtyy

Youth is Only Skin Deep

When it comes to make up, I’m really not a girly girl.  I never really wore face make up growing up. I never really saw the need.  I was blessed with clear skin and cute freckles, so why would I cover that up with foundation or blush?  I bought smelly lotions and perfumes because they smelled good, and then I rarely used them.  To this day, I am comfortable leaving the house with just a little eyeliner and lip-gloss.

When I was about 22, I started noticing a change in my skin.  My legs started to get itchy.  I was constantly scratching my legs, sometimes even making myself bleed, until one day I spoke to a coworker about it.  She was slightly older than me – just enough to understand me while still appearing wise.  She said that every 7 years or so your body goes through a change.  She had been through the skin dryness change before, and it’s just the beginning.  She recommended a lotion to me, and that was that.

What a wake up call.  Suddenly what seemed like beauty indulgences were really body maintenance.  I started thinking about my skin in a more important context.  One day, I will be old.  I will have wrinkles.  My skin won’t look as beautiful as it used to.

I tanned a lot in high school.  I even worked at a tanning salon during my college breaks.  I was worried about the way my skin looked, not how healthy it was.  I still tan occasionally, but not in excess.  But now my skin care includes face moisturizer every morning, anti-wrinkle cream for the eyes every morning, lotion for my legs whenever I remember, face wash, and sun tan lotion whenever I sun bathe.  I know I should be doing more, especially in my evening care, but it’s baby steps for me.

So I’m taking a preemptive strike against wrinkles, and working on treating my skin better.  It’s still an adjustment for me (and my inner tomboy), and it may end up being a useless fight against gravity and reality, but one can hope it will make a difference!