I love to celebrate any and every occasion, including my birthday. When it comes to aging, I’m not afraid of it. In fact, I’m grateful to mark another turn around the sun. Beats the alternative, am I right? Still, I’m all for aging gracefully.
When it comes to aging well, the healthy foundation applies: hydration, sleep, nourishing diet, daily movement. I wear a hat and sunglasses whenever I’m out in the sun, and my daily facial moisturizer contains SPF. Smoking anything is a hard no. All of these are important, critical even. But today, I’m sharing the 3 unusual beauty tricks I do in the name of graceful aging.
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Beauty Trick #1 – Daily facial massages
Vegan friends, look away! Have you ever purchased a luxury leather product, such as a handbag? Well, many times, the manufacturer will sell an oil and recommend rubbing it onto the bag to maintain your new investment. What happens if you don’t heed this advice? Your bag may dry out and crack.
I think of our faces like a luxury leather handbag. This is why you’ll find me massaging Plant Therapy’s Near Perfection oil blend into my face every single night. Even if you don’t buy into the wrinkle prevention, trust me when I say it’s very soothing. I think of it as a bonus stress reliever. We hold so much tension in our faces! You’re probably doing it right now! (Relax your brow. Relax your jaw. Repeat.)
Beauty Trick #2 – Say no thank you to face wash.
When I tell people I don’t use face wash, no one gets it. It’s possible they even think it’s gross. When I was young, I never washed my face using a cleanser. My skin was flawless. In fact, I never used face wash until after college. This is also when my adult acne woes began. I don’t think it’s entirely a coincidence.
“But Jen,” you may be wondering, “how do you get your makeup off?” Well, remember Trick #1? The oil massage has the added benefit of removing anything on my face I don’t want there. In fact, as I’m massaging, not only does the makeup come off, it unclogs my pores as well.
The primary reason I don’t use face wash is because I think cleansers disrupt our skin’s natural moisture barrier. I don’t want to strip away my face’s natural wrinkle prevention system!
Beauty Trick #3 – Be a back sleeper.
When I worked in the beauty industry, I overheard a conversation where one woman said she was getting wrinkles on one side of her face because she slept on that side of her face. While dining with a friend whose skin looks a solid ten years younger than her chronological age, she admitted to being a back sleeper to avoid face wrinkles.
Confession time. I once read back sleepers have flatter stomachs so I decided to be a back sleeper. This was many, many years ago, but the habit took hold. Whether this is true or not, I remain committed to this position to avoid premature wrinkles.
Don’t Forget the Foundation!
We can massage our faces all day long, but if all we put into our bodies is a ton of sugar while smoking cigarettes and sitting on the couch, it’s not going to matter. I think of my 3 tricks for aging gracefully like I would a bonus check. Living a healthy lifestyle is more like a salary: dependable and consistent. So don’t forget to drink plenty of water, eat more vegetables, get a good night’s sleep and move your body!
I agree on all 3. I wish I could be a back sleep. I would alleviate certain facial lines . However it promotes dreaming for me also, and I wake exhausted from the dreams. I’d rather sleep…. thus the wrinkles…
Yup, we have to pick our priorities! Totally get that.