I often get asked how I take care of my skin, and I'm going to share my secret.
Just so you know how well it works, here's a photo of me at the beach, complete with sunglasses and killer tan:
Well, not exactly a killer tan. Not actually ANY tan. And I should add that this photo was taken on the last day of week at the beach.
Actually, my skin WILL tan. My ancestry is mixed--along with my English and Irish ancestry, I'm also 1/32 Cherokee. So I wouldn't have to be a paleface. I choose to be a paleface.
Since I'm in my late 40's, people often ask me if I have any anti-aging secrets. My #1 secret? Sunscreen. Not just when I'm at the beach, but every single day I use a moisturizer containing a good sunscreen.
Here's the sunscreen I use--recommended to me by my dermatologist:
It's inexpensive but very effective. It's a great moisturizer plus sunscreen. In addition to a chemical sunscreen, it contains micronized zinc, which provides a physical barrier to sun. It's good stuff, although it's very, very white. It goes on just a little pasty-looking.
Then one day I was about to throw away an "empty" bottle of my foundation make-up. It wasn't completely empty, of course--there was a good bit of foundation left clinging to the sides and bottom of the bottle. So instead of throwing away the bottle, I filled it with my sunscreen. Then I shook and shook and shook. Upon opening the bottle, I discovered that it still the contents still weren't thoroughly mixed, so I used a Q-tip and stirred it. Then I shook some more.
And presto! I had moisturizing sunscreen tinted just the right color for me!
I wrote an "M" on the bottle to distinguish my tinted moisturizer from my regular foundation. Some days, of course, I don't even need to use foundation, especially since my tinted moisturizer is just the right color for my skin.
So how about you? Do you use sunscreen? Do you have any anti-aging tips to share? Do tell!
You are so clever! I may have to try this trick.
ReplyDeleteMy sunscreen is by Obaji--a fantastic skincare line I discovered through a friend and is only available from a dermatologist. But totally worth it for people with problem skin like me. I also really like Clinque's zero-gravity lift cream. Nice!
I find myself in a perpetual summer struggle... I don't tan well, I freckle. But what little tan I can obtain makes me SO happy! I try to remember sunscreen, but I am not effective at it at all.
ReplyDeleteI gave up tanning a few years back, and I started wearing a lightweight, tinted sunscreen on my face every day when I was 23. I'd rather be pale that a bag of wrinkles when I am 60. ;) You have beautiful skin!!
ReplyDeleteSmart idea! I don't tan at all, ever! But I do use moisturizer with sunscreen...it's Olay too, but a different version. I also almost always wear foundation; maybe I should try this for when I want lighter coverage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up!
Thanks for the great tip, Richella! I get a lot of freckles in the summer, too, so I wear sunscreen (when I remember!!}. But in the winter I need something to keep me from being pasty. I will have to try this!
ReplyDeleteXO,
Jane
Great idea!
ReplyDeleteI am also a fair skinned red-head, and I also have quite a bit of native american blood coursing through my veins. It's funny how dominant the Irish blood is. I use sunscreen and I bathe my little (clear-skinned) son in it.
Great tip!
ReplyDeleteSunscreen is a must for me. I do not tan -- only burn. Now that I am in my mid-forties, I have found the two best things I've ever done for my skin to be -- always wash my face, no matter how exhausted -- before bed. Second, drink a lot of water.
ReplyDeleteLove Clinique products as well!
Shucks, just threw away such a bottle.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
I used MK tinted moisturizer for a long time, then bought some Olay, both have sunscreen in them. I'm going to a MK party this weekend and plan on getting more moisturizer and some of the timewise skin care :)
ReplyDeleteI use the same Oil of Olay product. Well, if it's not the same...very similar. I definitely don't want to be a bag of wrinkles 30 years from now.
ReplyDeleteNow that is super clever!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I hate throwing anything away and like to use every last drop of a product if I can.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite facial sunscreen is La Roche-Posey product. I'm out and need to buy more. What I'd really like to find is a sweatproof version that I could wear while exercising.