This is 40
I turned 40 in November. I thought I would freak out about this new decade but I didn’t. For the first time, I let go of my “birthday blues” (this toxic state I go into surrounding my birthday, tallying up all the things I hadn’t accomplished during that year. Horrible. Don’t do this!) and started focusing on how awesome my year was going to be and what I was going to do to continue living my kick ass life.
And this 40th thing was going around. My close friends, my high school school mates, we were all doing it! I love answering questions about skincare on 30a but most excitingly, I had a former classmate contact me about her own changes at 40. Suddenly we were all looking in the mirror and saying “who the hell is this?”. She asked me for advice on skincare, treatments, something that would change that woman in the mirror to look….not 40! And if you’re reading this and this is you, I GET IT! We all get it. So here we go…..
Skincare is a journey. You hear me? It’s work. On the daily. Forty years of damaging your skin, you best believe it takes more than washing your face with a bar of soap. I like this fitness analogy: Would you go see a personal trainer then go home and eat twinkies and expect to look like a Victoria’s Secret model? (sidenote: I miss twinkies).
So let’s start with the basics….
-Wash with something other than a bar of soap. It’s striping. Use a cleanser that is suitable for your skin type. Cleanse your face and remove your makeup. Every night. Make it a habit. No excuses.
- Vitamin C. Always and everyday. Use in the morning. It keeps the skin clear, it breaks up pigment forming in the skin. Read the label. I’ve seen a lot of L-asorbic acid (Vit. C) but mixed with alcohol. That makes it ineffective. Invest in a medical grade vitamin C. It may be more than you’re used to spending but it breaks down to about $1.5/day. You got this.
- Retinol/Vitamin A– Best used in the evening as it makes the skin photosensitive (sensitive to sun). It changes the structure of the cell. Fights fine lines, a.k.a. what happens after 40!
- Medical treatments: Um, yes. Scroll back up and and read the part about personal trainers and twinkies. See a professional. Get some peels, microneedling, light therapy, whatever you need. Get a referral and go see someone. We’re 40. Shit has changed. We are trained pros. We’ll hold your hand through this journey.
Have more questions? DM us on social media or book an appt with one of our experts at Blush Beauty lounge!
xo,
Jamie