DW Community Catch-up Thread
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@TheLadyE, a *minimalist* skin care routine would be:
Double cleanse with oil or Micellar water, then a gentle cleanser (since you wear makeup. If you’re just using makeup wipes at night, that’s the one change you could make and see a big difference. Those shouldn’t be used alone as a substitute for washing).
Glycolic or BHA toner
Retinol serum (night) / vitamin C serum (day)
Moisturizer
Sunscreen (day)
Done consistently, you may not even need extractions or masks. It may sound like a lot but it keeps you glowy and clear so you don’t feel the need to do bigger things / have an intervention (or if you do go to someone, there’s less they need to do). And all those products are at the drugstore or cheap on Amazon.
And yeah yeah, my grandmother used bar soap and pink Olay and looked lovely. It’s all 100% your own choice.
And sorry, one more thing: Sleep apnea is obviously going to sap your energy, as does depression, respiratory issues, all that stuff. What I’m trying to say with my question about, so what if you don’t look younger, is really like, give yourself so much credit for just surviving the day to day, and don’t beat yourself up about frickin skin care and looking young. It’s more important to get as much rest as you can, eat decently, and move around as much as you can. If you can also handle skincare, great! If you can’t, that’s okay. Try to wash your face and wear sunscreen but beyond that… not critical.
@Kate – I look my age. If I ate fewer carbs and dropped some weight I’d look a little younger, but if I dropped too much weight (down to a much healthier weight) I’d look older: I’d droop and crack much more without the fat in my face. As it is, I’m 50 with almost no crows feet, fairly smooth forehead and slight jowls.
I do want to get my eyes done because I look tired all the time. Then again, I’m tired all the time.
We have the benefit of better skin care and more importantly, better sunscreen and fewer cigarettes. Those two things age you more than anything else. You can minimize the impact with laser treatments and other collagen producing treatments and I’m sure super models like Christy Turlington who smoked their way through the 90’s love to claim that yoga and diet keep them looking great now. But in reality is genes and lasers.
Adding on – I think the challenge of “looking one’s age” is that we are resetting what X looks like. Especially for those of us who are 45 or over – what 45 looked like when we were young is very different than what 45 looks like now. Folks like Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani they’re all over 50 and while yes, they get all the treatments and surgery and hormones and whatever, they are changing what we think 50 should look like.
Look at the pictures of your relatives and find any woman over 50 with long hair. Women styled themselves old.
Agree with all that. I haven’t fact-checked this, but it seems the Golden Girls and the SATC reboot ladies are the same age. Just in different eras, 40 years apart.
I think I look good. I look my age. My mom has a baby face and has smoked her entire life so I think I’ll be okay. I don’t smoke or drink anymore and haven’t in a long time. I wear sunscreen, not baby oil. I do a version of the skincare routine Kate mentions above and feel pretty good about taking care of most of my concerns at home. One of my friends is a few years younger but her forehead is lined with creases, and it’s just the way her face is. We all ate differently.
I am squeamish of procedures and needles. It’s weird but I just can’t look anymore when they draw blood. I can’t watch surgery tv shows. I can’t imagine ever doing an optional procedure. But I feel confident in my looks, so I don’t know what it’s like to have that concern or desire.
Side note, I love the latest hydrocolloid patches coming out. I feel like they draw out gunk and help my burgeoning 11s temporarily. I’m a convert.
I agree about that. Look at pictures of our parents/theirs at 40. They had grey hair, wrinkles galore and sometimes grandkids! It’s wild.
Another question is, is it important that we look younger than we are, or are we being made to believe it is by the patriarchy / the Beauty industry / influencers? Same thing with regard to having a certain body type.
The retinol/vitamin C serum addition was a game changer for my skin. I’ve always had oily skin, which helps, and I’ve used sunscreen and moisturizer for day and night forever, but I’d started looking kind of flat and dull. So started adding the serums and I really noticed a difference. I’m 43 but regularly get carded. The other day the cashier said she’d have guess 25, which, is super flattering!!! – but I don’t think I look 25. I also don’t look 43. Somewhere in the middle and I’m fine with that. I am getting some sag around my jawline I need to address and the beginnings of 11s, which ugh! But I don’t want to start Botox because you once you start, you can’t really stop.
I also think what you wear can age you. I’m partial to dresses for comfort purposes in all seasons, but it’s a fine line between too girly and too grumpy, boring and old. I think I walk it well, but anyone have any good record for styling at 40 plus people to follow? I’d like inspiration.
Yes! The Golden Girls. I have been watching reruns and in the show they are in their 50’s. They dress so maturely. My mom and her friends (who are in their 70’s-80’s) wear jeans and funky shoes and flowy blouses. Or trousers with cute sweaters and big ass jewelry. They always look great and really stylish.
@MissMJ – I think the biggest difference between styling young and styling older is that when you’re older you know what works on your body and what’s flattering for you. When you’re young you just want to fit in, wear what everyone else is wearing. Ever seen a group of high schoolers or college kids on a tour? They are all dressed the same, regardless of body type.
The rest is just personal style: Jewelry, shoes, other accessories. A pair of jeans and a white t-shirt looks completely different with a suit jacket than it does a hoodie. A plain shift dress can be casual with flats and a cardigan and office ready with a jacket and heels and night time with a wrap and big ass jewelry.
