| I’ve been told that I have beautiful skin more times in my life than I can count. Just last week, again, I was told on three separate occasions by three different people. Being that I’m fifty-three, the mother of five kids and that I was widowed eighteen years ago…that’s a pretty large compliment if you ask me. But truthfully, I’ve always been a minimalist when it comes to my skin. The reason? I was taught that “less” is “more” given I didn’t want shoe leather as a face by age sixty — the wise advice of a concerned grandmother with beautiful skin, herself. “Too much attention, too many products, and the worry that comes with both wasn’t going to help my skin last me,” she would say. She was right and I’m glad she said it as the only shoe leather in my possession to-date is on my feet as opposed to my face. I see so many young girls and women enslaved by extravagant routines underscored by high-ticket products and services they really can’t afford simply because they have been convinced that it is their only route to achieving beautiful skin. It makes me crazy…and crazier still knowing how counterproductive this thinking and their efforts actually are for their skin long term. Taking a more “minimalist” approach to your skin, I believe, continues to be best, which means less “on” and more “in.” In other words: less makeup (days off, in fact…and no, you don’t get an award for this); less solutions, masks, and tonics; less peeling, scraping, and scrubbing; and less worrying. It also means: more exercise, more spiritual meditative practices and movement, more healthy foods and vitamins, more sleep, more sex, and more water (keep drinking) with the occasional glass of wine and nightly mild face wash in between. Don’t forget moderate time in the sun as well. Truthfully, that’s about as much as most young girls and women need for a lifetime of healthy, radiant, subtle skin. There are exceptions for sure but not as many as most young girls and women are led to believe. I urge any young girl or woman to try this “minimalist” approach for a month and see what your skin looks like at the end of it. If it looks no better, you can always choose to resume what you did before. If it does, however, stick with this new approach and keep the shoe leather in the closet where it belongs. Remember, no matter what you do, your skin is going to age…just like you. Come to grips with that. Find peace in it. Then help your skin do so gracefully, simply, and slowly without breaking your bank, losing your marbles or killing your spirit in the process.. |