Ladies-What are your best skin care or make up tips for looking younger?

[Fluffy]

For what it's worth;

Oil of Olay total effects

Lighter colored lipgloss

Self tanner

Working out (if I could just remember to do it!)

Clinique antigravity eye cream

I'm sure drinking a lot of water would help too! Just one more damn thing I Can't remember!:smack:

[ultress]

STAY OUT OF THE SUN, sure a tan looks nice but you'll pay for it in years to come

Also, stay out of tanning beds, they only cook you from the inside out...like a giant microwave oven.

Lots of lotion and creams, name brands don't matter they are all basically the same.

[Eve]

Pretty good tips—especially staying out of the sun and/or using strong sunscreen (7 days a week, 12 months a year).

The tip about lighter-colored lipstick is on-target, too. I wore fire-engine red lipstick till I saw a photo of myself in my early 30s and realized it was putting ten years on me. Generally speaking, "less makeup" and "more subtle, lighter make-up" is good advice for ladies entering middle age. Joan Crawford (whom I idolize, as you know), once said, "every five or seven years, have a friend follow you around and take candid photos of you." It's true—you don't realize till you see it in a photo what you're doing that no longer works on you (hair, makeup, clothes).

[UrbanChic]

Well, I'm not really trying to look younger but I've very dry skin. I'm prone to bouts of eczema on my face. To ward that off, I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser every morning and follow up with Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream on my face and neck. It's not glamorous, but it works. The cleanser's about six dollars for eight ounces and the cream's twelve dollars or so for a sixteen-ounce jar.

I have pictures of my face from seven months ago or so and there's a noticeable difference.

[EchoKitty]

Smoking and drinking will age you.

The sun will age you.

Retin-A products really do help.

A good haircut always makes my skin look brighter. Go figure.

[Morgainelf]

I look younger when I don't wear any makeup. I'm 34 and when buying beer recently the clerk (about my age) nearly fell over when he saw my ID. He said, "Whoah, I figured you were about 22!"

OK, now that I got to share that...:D

I have combination skin (mostly normal with an oily T zone), prone to redness and prone to breakouts. This is my routine, morning and night:

I use either Cetaphil gentle cleanser or Neutrogena foaming face wash. I use an AHA exfoliant from Clarins (Peau Neuve), then go over my face with a cotton ball dipped in 3% hydrogen peroxide (the stuff you get in the brown bottle for 50 cents.) Twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday) I scrub my face with baking soda mixed with water to form a loose paste.

I wear sunscreen every day, don't smoke, and drink lots of water.

[medstar]

Morganelf, I like Paula Begoun's skincare philosophy as well. My tip is a bit unorthodox. It's cheap and the results are dramatic. I use Miracle Whip as a facial mask about 3 times a week. I clip my hair back, apply about a tablespoon of Miracle Whip to my face and neck and let dry. In about 20-30 minutes, I gently rub my face and neck and alot of old, dead skin cells come off. I've been doing this since January, 2002 and the results are incredible. I've shared this tip with women at work and their results are just as good. Go to www.icompact.com and do a search on "Miracle Whip" in the Skincare II forum and you'll get lots of comments.

Oh and load on that sunscreen, as well.

[Scotticher]

1) Keep your face and neck out of the sun. Always. No exceptions. Wear a hat AND sunscreen.

2) Don't smoke.

3) Start moisturizing when you are REALLY young and you don't think you need it.

4) Choose your parents carefully..I think genes have lot to do with it.

5) Drink a LOT of water.

6) FEEL young!

I am generally thought to look 10 to 15 years younger than I am. No, REALLY! I don't care much, actually, but it is a nice bonus. My first tip was inadvertant... I am a redhead and was just trying to avoid pain. I never started smoking and don't/didn't ever do #2 except occasionally...got lucky with #4, #5 I did because I just happen to love water and #6 is just me.

I really do wish I had done #3 much earlier in my life, though. Mom TOLD me, but ...well, you know how THAT goes. :)

[Shirley Ujest]

As the song goes Always wear sunscreen .

Sunscreen your face, neck, chest area, arms and hands. Your hands take a beating with exposure in when driving a car.

I am outside all summer long and have had this Quest for sunscreen that doesn't make me shreik in sheer pain from it sweating into my eyes. I have finally found a virtually sweat proof sunscreen: Neutrogena 45 SPF. Won't clog pores, has Parsol 1789, fights free radicals and scrubs your toilets. All for $7.95 Your mileage may vary. No salesman will call.


My daily face stuff from October - March is: Lubriderm Skin Renewal. which has PHA, poly hydroxy acid (helps slough the dead skin off), SPF 15, non comedogenic and gives you 24% return on your IRA. Cost: $7.00 thereabouts.

I've always been a firm believer of a well manicured eye brow. Not necessarily over plucked, but well maintained. Unibrow looks went out with Cromagna Woman. A well done eye brow adds polish to the face.

Not related to the skin but it needs to be said:
After you have kids, or put on bucket loads of weight, your tits will drop. Sorry, was that too blunt? Invest in a decent bra to support your girls properly. When you find the magic tittenholder, buy them all because when the perfect one finally dies from such a laborous job of slingy your yabo's hither and yon seven days a week and you hie your butt back to the bra store for the same style it will no longer be available. This is a fact of life. You will be forced to endure the shame of trying on 900 bra's (six bra try on's per visit to the fitting room) to discover that there must be something seriously wrong with you because your nipple's do not fill out any of the 900 bra's properly. There is nothing wrong with your nipples, btw, it's the morons who design the titslingers in the first place. They want us all to have that Jane Russell Cleavage. Bastards.

Also, there is the reality check slapped in the face of life with a dead wet three day old herring of seeing your body in hideous lighting with a full length mirror. A bottle of wine will help stave the tears and blur the reflection of your mother's body superimposed on your boy in the mirror.

So, girlies, lessons learned here: Sunscreen and get drunk before beginning a Bra Quest.

Total Value: Zero.

[Nightingale]

Don't forget your neck!! Put both sunscreen and moisturizers on your neck as well as your face. Women on my family always end up with "chicken necks" and I'm trying desperately to avoid it.

As far as makeup goes, I love Revlon Skinlights. It really does make my skin more luminous and covers up minor blemishes without extra concealer. I love this stuff and at 10-11 dollars per bottle it's really affordable.

[vivalostwages]

Potions, lotions, creams; drinking water; sunscreen!; extra rest if at all possible.

[Kallessa]

My entire family can pass for ten to fifteen years younger than we are, including my 77 year old mother. Yeah, the genes help, but I have to chalk of some of it to the fact that none of us, even in our teenage years, wear much make-up. No make-up means no no heavy duty make-up removers, no rubbing around the eyes to get that last bit of mascara, no stripping the skin of naturals oils, no sloshing on oodles of lotions to make up for the stripping of the natural oils. We didn't have acne problems either. I wash my face with a plain washcloth and as hot of water as I can stand every morning and evening, and use a mild cleansing soap (like Oil of Olay) once or twice a week--a bit more often in the summer, heat brings out the oil in my skin. Really, save the make-up for special occasions, and, for pete's sake, unless you have a definate complexion problem, skip the foundation altogether, always.

[Sue Duhnym]

Wear sunscreen religiously. SPF 15 doesn't cut it. Try SPF 50...and use ones formulated for babies or sensitive skin.

I used to use some spectacularly expensive Estee Lauder face cream (it was $155 for 2 ounces) but having fairly dry skin, I've always been a cream junkie who likes to experiment. I was just about to spring for Creme de la Mer when I tried the new Neutrogena Active Copper stuff. $18 in the local Walgreen's and I noticed an improvement in a week and was getting compliments from friends in two weeks. It's labeled as "night cream" but I use it all the time. In the morning I like to mix it with a bit of nightingale's Skinlights for an added brightener.

I use Decleor facial cleanser at night and wash with whatever oatmeal (glycerin or olive oil) bar soap I can find in the mornings.

I get a facial once a month.

Oh, and I just got Botox (in the forehead) a few weeks ago, just for kicks. Like I said, I'm an experimenter. It's pretty impressive stuff. If enough people are interested, I could probably start an, "Ask the..." thread about it.

In more experimentation, I had stuff (not "collagen", but I can't remember the name) injected into my upper lip last July to see how I would like it. I don't think I'll do that again, it hurt like hell and took the term "duck lips" to a whole new level (at least until the swelling went down).

I am not gonna grow old gracefully, I am going to fight it every damn step of the way.

Sue.

PS. I got carded to buy smokes today...at 31. Woo!

[Fluffy]

I love the Revlon Skinlights to! When I make my own lipgloss I mmelted liptick with Vaseline and two or three squirts of the Candlelight liquid or peachlight into the mixture! Gorgeous!!
I use the Miracle Whip mask too!

[UrbanChic]

Botox at 31?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight. It just seems that 31 is so young!

[Morgainelf]

medstar, what type of skin do you have? I worry that Miracle Whip will make my skin too oily. I commend you however for finding a use for Miracle Whip. No one in their right mind would actually EAT the stuff! :D

I bought Paula Begoun's book about 2 months ago. I switched from using Clarins cleanser, toner, and moisturizer to my current routine and my skin has never looked better. (Well, not for the past 20 years or so, anyway.)

Here is a link to one of my posts from about 3 months ago with my old routine. It was very time consuming and very expensive, and didn't provide the results I was looking for. My skin was always red and sensitive. I don't even have to use foundation anymore.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=1945006&highlight=skin#post1945006

[Peach]

Creme La Mer:cool:

[Honey]

Alpha Hydrox Skin Cream with 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid. If I stop using it, I can tell the difference in my skin within a week.

[annieclaus]

I don't EVER use soap on my face.
I cleanse with cleansing creme followed by a hot washcloth (but no rubbing). Follow that with a cotton pad soaked in toner. And then moisturize. (That's the nighttime regimen.)
Mornings include alphy hydrox cream right out of the shower and a light moisturizer with SPF after that.
If your face skin ever starts feeling tight and itchy, you need to moisturize more.
I used to get facials every five weeks, but don't any more.
Stay out of the sun.
Eat well; drink lots of water.
And get a lot of sleep.

[medstar]

Morgainelf, I'm 43 years old and I have oily skin starting to dry out. That means that I have rough, thick skin with large pores that get clogged. About a year ago, exfoliation wasn't doing the job for me. I used the baking soda scrub but I still felt that the dead skin cells weren't all coming off. I came across the icompact site and read this message about using a commercial food product to exfoliate your skin. This woman, Janni, was 55 years old and had bad skin her whole life. She explained that the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and eggs had different alpha hydroxy acids that dissolved the dead skin cells. Surprisingly, the soybean oil didn't turn my face into an oil slick. I started in January 2002 and I now use the Miracle Whip three times a week on my face, neck and chest area. The dead skin cells dissolve very quickly and now the baking soda scrub removes the whole mess down the shower drain. It's so effective other women in my office are using the mask and are reporting dramatic results. It seems to work best for women over the age of forty who aren't breaking out as much. Every time I do the mask, my face feels so smooth and even. I don't have any more crow's feet, no more forehead lines, and no more nose to mouth lines. In addition, I had an embedded zit next to my nose that had been clogged for a few years(no kidding) that didn't respond to anything. After a week of the Miracle Whip, the pore emptied out with gentle pressure. I was skeptical myself until I bought the small squeeze bottle and resolved to give it two weeks. Just do a little research and I think you'll be impressed. You're right about the taste however, I find it unpalatable.

[Tansu]

For dry skin zones on the body - baby oil on wet skin straight out of the shower. I used to get dry itchy skin on my legs. I don't any more.

A Dead Sea Mud treatment is fantastic. It makes your whole body so smoooooooooth. Look for Dead Sea Mud masks in sachets. Montagne Jeunesse do a good cheap one.

Shirley is right about the odd shapes of bras today - where are these pointy titted ladies that they design them for?

[irishgirl]

baby oil and vaseline are very good moisturisers.

exfoliate once a week (loofah, body brush or salt/sugar/oil/honey mixture)

pluck eyebrows daily, even if they look ok in the morning...they won't by dinnertime.

do weights.

smile.

[Bad News Baboon]

ok medstar,
so I tried this.

well see how it works...

but how do you get rid of the smell?!

i washed my face super good and i could still smell the miracle whip.

mr baboon said he felt like he was kissing a ham sandwich.

[slackergirl]

Good stuff so far, but jeez people, don't forget your hands. Age spots and thin skin are the biggest giveaway in the over 50 set.

I don't do anything spectacularly special, except that I don't buy any moisturizer without sunscreen, and I use it regularly. Most of the major brands have one.

Genrally I use ROC Protient stuff for day on my face. If I'm getting more than incidental exposure I'll slap on an SPF 45. My mom has one she really loves, "Skin Health" I think. It's freaking expensive, but felt really nice when I tried some last month. When my current goop runs out I'll probably shell out the big bucks.

[medstar]

Bad News Baboon, make sure your hands and face are dry when applying the miracle whip and wait 20-30 minutes until the mask is dry. Then, still using dry fingers, gently rub all over your face and neck until you get a sensation of something rubbing off of your face. The sensation is hard to explain. When you can't rub anything else off, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and follow up with a moisturizer if needed. It might take a couple of sessions to achieve rub-off. It might be that you don't have a thick build up of dead cells. About the smell, that's the big drawback to this process. The vinegar fumes really irritate my eyes, but the result is worth it. Don't forget about using a sunscreen to protect your new skin. And make sure to read about the process at www.icompact.com in the Skincare II forum.

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally posted by Bad News Baboon

mr baboon said he felt like he was kissing a ham sandwich.

This is positively hysterical.

How does Mr. Baboon know what kissing a ham sandwich is like? Is he having a fling with the lunch meat while refrigerator door is shut and the lights are off? D

[StGermain]

You've convinced me to go buy some Miracle Whip. I read some of Janni's comments and will try to give it 2 months. I don't think there's any way I'm going to do it morning and night. I'd rather sleep. My only question is, I have a party I'm going to in about 6 weeks - I've read what was said about breakouts hitting within those first two months - should I hold off if I want to look at all presentable for the shindig?

StG

[medstar]

That's a tough call, St.Germain. I found that while I did have some breakouts surface, they usually disappeared within a day or two if I left them alone. In my experience, my skin changed so dramatically that no one else noticed the breakouts. You might want to brush on some matching loose powder to camouflage them--liquid foundation just seems to spotlight blemishes.

Another product I use which I love: Bare Escentuals Mineral Powder foundation. It's a powder (duh) which you brush on. I use #3 which seems to match my skin perfectly. I find that it brushes on sheerly but covers beautifully. I never feel like I've got a mask on my face. Hope this helps.

[UrbanChic]

Just the thought of putting Vaseline or baby oil on my face give me a pimple!

[brachyrhynchos]

46-year old, who grew up in Southern California....

As others have been saying: Wear sunscreen. And a hat.

I also come from a family with "young-looking" genes, but even they can't overcome years of sun exposure. Otherwise, I've been good to my skin: eye makeup and lipstick, with the occasional foundation. Wash with water, no soap. I've started using some Clarins products to moisturize. They're light.

I also accepted the fact that I AM wrinkling. Once I did that, they didn't seem as deep. Or maybe my eyesight is worsening. GAH! Well, I still hope I look as good as my Mom at 83 years old. (http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~lreed/mominsebring.jpg)

[LifeOnWry]

For great skin, eat raw onions. For good health, eat garlic. No, really. Drink LOTS of water (which I don't do, and should.) Oatmeal masks for breakouts.

Umm. I don't really take very good care of myself. But those are my tips.

[StGermain]

Thanks, Medstar - I'm terribly pale - it's very hard to find foundation that's light enough. Revlon used to have an "alabaster" which was lighter than their ivory. Unfortunately, it seems to have been taken off the market.

StG

[Shirley Ujest]

Ok, I've just caved in today and decided to slather my face with Miracle Whip.

Holy Moly, my skin feels so darn soft.

No break outs detected so far, but it's only been a day.

The bad side so far seems that my husband is very attracted to my "ham sandwich" aroma. Feh.

[kiffa]

1. drink lots of water
2. drink more water
3. drink even more water so that you can moisturize from the inside out
4. keep your face clean; I use a cream moisterizing cleanser, toner and moisterizer - basically Clarins products which I change with the seasons.
5. Light on the makeup: Clarins has a product called Shimmer Veil which adds a hint of color. I also use a cream blusher and creamy eyeshadows [brown, bronze and pink].

6.weekly heavy duty scrub [use pure 100% clay cheapo CAT LITTER ground up into a powder]. One sack of that will last forever.

7. scrub followed by oil [olive oil works wonders].
8. monthly european deep cleaning facial

and a Godiva chocolate champagne truffle to put that Mona Lisa smile on my face.

[Dagny]

1. Industrial strength sunblock, every day and on every exposed inch of skin.

2. Wash your face twice at night. The frist time is get all the grime off. The second time is to cleanse the skin.

3. Retinol and a good vitamin c cream at night.


4. Always use eye cream at night.

5. Wear foundation that matches your skin tone perfectly. It should also be the correct formula for your skin.

6. Curl you lashes and wear black mascara. Brown can just make you look tired.

[Morgainelf]

Hmmm...I think I'm going to put the Miracle Whip idea in my back pocket until I need it. I don't have much dead skin at this point, and the baking soda scrub is working well for me.

And my husband likes ham sandwiches a little too much. I have a hard time fending him off as it is! :)

[tavalla]

I am the despair of the cosmetics consultant. While I haven't been asked for ID recently, on my last birthday, when I said I was 32, I got a couple of jaw-drops and two people said they'd had me pegged at 25 or so. Apparently sans glasses I look even younger.

Cosmetics consultants hate me, because all I use is ordinary soap and water, and a cheapo mudmask maybe once every five or six months. I don't wear a lot of makeup either - it's been nearly a year since I used foundation, and a couple of months since I used something as basic as eyeliner.

[PunditLisa]

Farrah Fawcett is a role model for all of us on what NOT to do:

1) If you must go blonde still, go for buttery blonde, not ashy blonde.
2) Use sunscreen. The sun is not your friend.
3) Avoid alcohol and drugs.
4) Avoid men who are dickheads.

She does hit the gym, though. She still has a fabulous figure. There's nothing that will age a woman like weight. I should know. :(

[shrew]

Originally posted by JuanitaTech
Botox at 31?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight. It just seems that 31 is so young!

I said the exact same thing OUTLOUD when I read her post. Seems awfully young for Botox, but then I'm 25 with remaining moderate acne, so what do I know?

I use the Clinique Skin Care line plus a load of acne meds, creams, and lotions provided by my fabo dermatologist. He truly is fabo despite my acne. You should have seen me before.

I also interchange moisturizers by Clinique: Renewal Cream, Thirst Relief, and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.

I just started moisturizing my hands more recently because I noticed how aged my 25-year old hands looked next to my high school students' hands. Damn youth wasted on the young...

[PunditLisa]

I forgot an obvious one: Don't smoke.

My mom has smoked since she was a teen. Her older sister does not. The difference in their skin is dramatic. Aunt looks at least 20 years younger than mom. I can't even imagine how my mom's lungs look.

[Annie-Xmas]

I wash my face once a day with cleansing grains. I don't moisturize, and I take at least an hour long walk every day without sunscreen.

I'm 47 and look at least 10 years younger.

But I don't smoke, I drink lots of water, and I sleep on a floor mat without a pillow.

[StGermain]

I tried the miracle Miracle Whip last night. Shirley, You're right. My skin does feel very smooth. I was surprised at the vinegary smell and found it was just easier to close my eyes for the first 10 minutes.

StG

[Bad News Baboon]

Originally posted by Shirley Ujest


How does Mr. Baboon know what kissing a ham sandwich is like? Is he having a fling with the lunch meat while refrigerator door is shut and the lights are off? D

there are times perhaps when spouses need to keep secrets from each other, me thinks. ;)

I wasn't letting it dry on my face. I will do that next time.

I tried to find the forum you talked about but when ever I clicked on message boards, it said it was forbidden.

maybe you could post a direct link?

[BottledBlondJeanie]

I cannot recommend Renova enough--of course you need a prescription...it seems to remove tiny lines, firm-up and moisturize...I freakin' GLOW!

28--still get ID'd

[Sue Duhnym]

Originally posted by JuanitaTech
Botox at 31?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight. It just seems that 31 is so young!

I wish I would have taken pictures to show you all.

I have (had, yay!) really bad horozontal lines across my forehead from a lifelong habit of raising my eyebrows. Why the habit? High forehead that I was sensitive about and it was a misguided attempt to make it look smaller. Yes, I AM an idiot.

I don't care too much about it anymore, plus the older I get, the lower my hairline moves. Weird, but true. Anyway, I decided to give a shot to growing out my bangs and there were the wrinkles!

I tried making a conscious effort to NOT raise my eyebrows but the habit has apparently been deeply ingrained. Sorta like those wrinkles.

The Botox was easy, totally painless and pretty cheap ($300). The longer you use it, the more atrophied your muscles become so the less you have to use it.

I had my dermatologist do it and he did a great job. I still can raise my eyebrows and make expressions, just not to the degree I could before. It's cool.

[medstar]

I'm sorry, Bad News Baboon, I don't know how to do direct links. If you have any "Creating Direct Links for Dummies" suggestions, let me know and I'll practice. Make sure your suggestions are basic enough for a two year old to understand. I might only scratch my head for two minutes instead of two hours.

[CrankyAsAnOldMan]

I did the Miracle Whip thing tonight and have to say, my skin does look nice just one facial into it. However, it never fully "dried" because of the oil in the Miracle Whip. Was I just too impatient? I thought it would probably never fully dry so at some point I just rolled the drier parts off as described.

[SwimmingRiddles]

Like Juanita, I too have eczema on my face. I'm 22, but the eczema ages my skin a lot. I've always been told I look older than my age, even before the eczema. Back then it was a compliment, but it is slowly becoming a mixed compliment. I wash my face two to three times a day with Cetaphil Gentle Cleaner, but I've also had luck with Aveeno Oatmeal soap (I don't know the real name, it's a bar). I use the Aveeno when I need to get makeup off, or when I'm using the Eucerin a lot. I use three different moisurizers, depending on the condition of my skin. Eucerin is the most intense, it's increadibly greasy, but when the eczema is bad, that's what I need. Then there's the Aveeno, which is my daily moisurizer. I used to use the basic daily kind, but decided to try the new Positively Radiant stuff. It has SPF 15, and is supposed to make me glow. It took about a week for me to see any difference, but now I love it. When my skin is broken out (generally around my period) I mix some of Clean and Clear (it has salinyc acid in it) with Aveeno and apply to the oily, broken out area. I also have some Protopic ointment that was perscribed to me that I use on the more stubborn eczema patches.

I can't wait to try the Miracle Whip mask. I have a suspicion that once the dead skin is minimized, the Protopic will work more effectively at getting rid of the patches. Could be worse, my sisters both have psorisis. Neither on their face, but still.

[StGermain]

Cranky - Mine didn't dry, but I waited for about 25 minutes and sort of massaged it off. I did that over a sink - it was pretty messy. That seemed to do the trick. You're right about it not drying (which is sort of the point, I guess).

StG

[medstar]

Cranky & St. Germain, make sure you are applying only about 1 tablespoon of Miracle Whip on your dry face and neck, using dry hands. You want just enough Miracle Whip to easily smooth over your face and neck without being too much. It's hard to describe the amount because different people need different amounts. Experiment with the amount and use the least amount of Miracle Whip that it takes to just cover your face and neck. HTH.

[shrew]

Originally posted by Sue Duhnym

The Botox was easy, totally painless and pretty cheap ($300). The longer you use it, the more atrophied your muscles become so the less you have to use it.

I had my dermatologist do it and he did a great job. I still can raise my eyebrows and make expressions, just not to the degree I could before. It's cool.

While waiting an HOUR in the exam room at my dermatologist's office today, I took a gander at his Before/After Botox Photo Album...not bad. Although several of them, I thought, looked as if they had lost the ability to make facial expressions. The picture would say, "Patient attempting to raise eyebrows" or "Patient attempting to squint", and they seemed unable to do said actions. Is that the point? To atrophy those muscles into an unmovable emotionless expression?

[bwk]

I've been told before that I have nice skin, so I'll hop in here. The tips I think are important are... hmm... well, for one thing, don't go so much for a matte finish on your face. Leave your nose and cheeks a little shiny. It's that glow thing. You look 'dewy' rather than all dried out.

I think a hairstyle being a little longer is youthful -- it seems like a lot of women go and practically get their heads shaved when they hit 40.

For breakout prone skin, I like Lancome's clarifiance cleanser... it is the oil free blue stuff.

Does anyone know of a good under eye cream that does not clog pores? I can't wear the kind with any fruit acids. Moisturizer around my eyes always seems to clog my pores around my eyes and get into my eyes, making my contacts go all blurry.

[furr]

my sister and i are only 2 years apart but the difference in how we looked is bizarre. i dont smoke, dont drink, never wear make up and spend most of the summer hiding from the sun, i also dont have kids.

my sister on the other hand spend the 80's and 90's under a thick layer of make up, both drinks and occasionaly smokes and is a sun bunnie. she has 3 kids all under 4 years old.

at 28 im frequently mistaken for about 10 years younger than i really am, she on the other hand has been mistaken for 40 on a number of occasions.

i guess that lil blurb was just to enforce the dont smoke dont worship the sun comments which have gone before.

[anenquiringmind]

Looks like a lot of us have tried the Miracle Whip tonight.
I did and was very surprised at the results...

What do you say we all meet back here once a
month to compare notes?
Should be interesting.......

Also let me put in my two cents worth...concerning skin care..

#1. Do NOT sleep on your stomach or your side with your face smushed into a pillow. On the suggestion of a friend I laid down on my pillow and squished my face into it JUST LIKE I usually do
and held a mirror up and looked at my face and was HORRIFIED at what I saw.
I could see where most of my wrinkles were coming from.
You can bet I sleep on my back now..

#2 I have smoked for many years and LOVE an occasional margarita
and I've been told I look WAY younger than I am.. ( go figure)
I also love the sun and so far so good......... I may regret it but we will see.........

#3. I have always believed all that scrubbing and washing and
pulling and tugging and wiping helps age people, so I have never even washed my face. Whatever shampoo dribbles down seems to take care of it nicely...

[Fluffy]

bwk- I use Clinique Anti Gravity eye cream and don't have any problems with it as far as causing bumps or being greasy. It really takes care of the bags too!

anenquiringmind-This is exactly the way I sleep almost every single night with my face completely smashed in a pillow!! I've tried to stop it by sleeping on my back but when I wake up, there I am all smashed up in the pillow!! I think I'll try harder to stop!

I also have been using the Miracle Whip mask for about a year now and have had such great results from it I only have to use it about once or twice a week now. If you all have any questions about it maybe I can be of some help!

[missbunny]

I thought you were all bonkers but I tried the Miracle Whip mask last night and Kraft should definitely get out of the salad dressing dept. and into the cosmetics. I am amazed at the difference. I don't get it; is it the vinegar? That just would be acidic, wouldn't it, and I have used alpha-hydroxy creams with nowhere near the results that MW gives. I plan to use it regularly from now on.

[Fluffy]

missbunny- I think its a combination of the eggs and definetely the vinegar. The oil in it is helpful too which is surprising to me because I have combination skin with a tendency to break out and the oil does not clog my pores! This is heavy duty exfoliation and my skin loves it! If I slack off and don't use the MWM for a week or two, I can see the difference.

[missbunny]

I didn't notice the smell right off but I had insomnia last night and every time I dozed off I would awake with Ham Sandwich wafting through my brain. It was very annoying.

[StGermain]

I've been trying the Miracle Whip mask, and it makes me faces softer, but I'm not getting much off in the way of gunk. I'm not using too much - less than a teaspoon, I'd guess. Enough to thinly cover my face. I let it stay on for about 1/2 hour and then tried to rub it off. Very little came off with it. Am I doing something wrong?

StG

[Fluffy]

It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong StGermain. It just sounds like you don't have a lot of dead skin that you need to shed right now. Are your fingers completely dry when you rub the MW off? SOmetimes that can mess it up. I leave mine on for about 1/2 hour too. Sometimes I leave it on longer but I've got pretty tough skin! Is your face red or irritated?

[StGermain]

Nope - no irritation. But I tried it again and used more - I got more off that time, and I rubbed in a circular motion. My face feels wonderful. :)

StG

[medstar]

I'm glad that you all are getting good results from the Miracle Whip Mask. I think that the vinegar, eggs and sugar have different forms of alpha hydroxy acid that perform the heavy duty exfoliation on our faces. I too was surprised that the oil didn't clog my pores. I wish something could be done about the vinegar fumes. They really irritate my eyes.

[medstar]

I have another oddball tip for everyone. Wash your face with a paste made from dry milk powder and a little water. This strange mixture will gently exfoliate your face and make it feel even more smooth. I do this after the Miracle Whip mask and my face feels smooth and clean (no more flakes and dryness).

[Pink Pussycat]

1) Chanel's Ultra-Correction Nuit is fabulous. Also, their exfoliator, Gommage, made with perfect little round spheres is wonderful and doesn't leave microscopic tears on your face like most exfoliators.
2) Laugh a great deal and be positive.
3) Try to have loads of sex with someone you care about (if possible.)
4) Do have a good circle of friends. (particularly good girlfriends)
5) Eat less (or no) meat.
6) Go to the gym.

--pinky

[PunditLisa]

anenquiringmind, it's interesting you brought up sleeping positions. Because, as you realize, "freezing" your face in a position will cause wrinkles. And that is one of the reasons smoking is bad for your skin. Look in the mirror and pretend to put a cigarette in your mouth. See how you perse your lips? After years of smoking, those lines become more prominent.

Same things go with people who drink out a straw regularly. After years you will develop permanent indentations in your lips from sucking on that straw. Hint: Take the lid off the drink and forego the straw.

[elfkin477]

Originally posted by EchoKitty
Smoking and drinking will age you.

The sun will age you.


I think this might be part of the reason most people I meet can't guess my age within 4 years...I'd have a much easier time convincing many people that I'm 18 than my actual age- 25. I have never smoked, rarely drink and have burn prone skin, so I use 30+ sunscreen on a regular basis, every season but winter(I hate being outside in the winter, or otherwise I would then too). Since I probably won't change these things any time soon, I wonder how long it ...yeah, I know " I'll appriciate it when I'm older" but I still don't :rolleyes:

[ms.dahlia]

I MUST try the miracle whip mask..my tip is pretty basic. I had really bad acne for a while a couple of years ago due to some beauty regime gone horribly wrong. the only thing that cleared my skin was pure glycerine soap, clearly natural to be exact. if acne plagues you, you may want to try it..

[Pink Pussycat]

Originally posted by PunditLisa
anenquiringmind, it's interesting you brought up sleeping positions. Because, as you realize, "freezing" your face in a position will cause wrinkles.

Good point. Sleeping belly-down will absolutely cause puffiness and wrinkling in your face and especially around the eyes. Also, the #1 cause of eye-puffinessand dark circles is putting moisturizer around the eye area. Other reasons are diet, stress and lack of sleep. Only use products specifically made for the eye area and when you apply - pat-pat-pat. No rubbing - ever!

[Sycorax]

After reading about the Miracle Whip mask in this thread, I decided to try it. Been at it for two days now, but question: Do I need to keep the MW in the refrigerator? The bottle says to refrigerate after opening, but does it matter if I'm not going to eat it? Put it on last night and, yikes, it was colder than I thought it'd be, so I'd prefer not to refrigerate. But if that's the price to pay, so be it. Another thing: several posters to this thread complained that their spouses/s.o.'s noticed the smell even after washing off. I've had no problem with that. My s.o. didn't notice anything, and I even asked him to smell my face (and told him why). He said he didn't smell it. I'm wondering if maybe you're getting it in your hair and then not washing it out completely. Just a thought.

[StGermain]

Sycorax - I keep mine in the fridge, but I rub it between my hands to warm it up before I apply it to my face.

StG

[Fluffy]

Sycorax- I've heard that it doesnt work as well if you dont keep it in the fridge. So I tried it once and sure enough its not effective if its not refridgerated. Don't know why. I think your right about the MW in the hair. I've been using this stuff for well over a year now and can tell you that the smell does not linger on me. If it did I wouldnt use it because I am so sensitive to smell that it would make me puke. I cant stand the smell of the stuff! But hey, anything for beauty, eh?

[Batsinma Belfry]

I've been using the MW for a few days, and I can't believe how smooth my face is. But last night I was looking in the mirror and it looked like I had more lines on my face. Then I noticed I had a few more grey hairs than usual. I was starting to get worried. Then my husband walked by and mentioned that we were out of regular bulbs for the bathroom light, so he had to use a 100 watt.

So my tip for looking younger is, use low wattage bulbs. :D

[crazy4chaucer]

I tried the Miracle Whip last night. The smell just about knocked me over--I don't think I'll ever voluntarily eat Miracle Whip again--but it worked wonders for my skin! It was so soft and smooth. I tend to have a lot of redness around my nose area, right in the center of my face, and it was a lot paler after the Miracle Whip. Cool! Thanks for posting this idea!

[medstar]

crazy4chaucer, I'm glad you like my tip. I know what you mean about disliking Miracle Whip. The smell is horrendous. Don't forget to use a good sunscreen.

[slackergirl]

OK ladies, three words:

Miracle Whip pedicure

I use Retinol religiously, so there isn't a lot of stuff to slough off my face, but I can't afford to bathe in the stuff. This did wonders for the tootsies.

I did notice something completely cool, sadly I made this discovery because I am such a slob. I put the stuff on up to about an inch above the ankle, then hung my feet off the end of the couch while I watched TV. I equipped myself with a towel because I'm not a total slob, just mostly.

When it came time to rub it off, the TV show was just getting good so I sat there and did it over the towel, and used the towel to wipe off the excess oil. I kinda forgot about it and went to bed without ever actually washing my feet.

The cool thing - this morning in the shower, a ton more stuff came off. A ton, I'm telling you, it was just about as cool (and gross) as my first Biore nose strip experience. Tonight my feet look GREAT.

[Fluffy]

You can use the Miracle Whip on your elbows, hands and lips too. You only need to leave it on your lips for about 5-10 minutes.

[medstar]

Slackergirl and Fluffy, those are great tips. My feet look horrible so I'm going to start miracle whipping them. Lipstick doesn't look too good on chapped lips, so the miracle whip should keep them looking good. What I'm wondering is how the miracle whip would perform if I put it on my scalp? Hmm, maybe this weekend I'll experiment.