with my 37th birthday coming up next month i've started worrying about looking 37.
hell, to be honest, i'm not really sure what 37 looks like, but i suspect it's a little wrinkly... because i have started to notice some definite crow's feet around my eyes. which scares the bejeezus outta me. i never thought i'd be so concerned about this. i'm always poo-pooing plastic surgery and stuff, but now that i see the signs of age on my own face i guess my tune has changed. not that i'm into plastic surgery. i'm just starting to adjust my understanding about why someone would want to go under the knife.
anyway, i've complained about my wrinkles to several friends (all in the same age range) who are ALSO noticing similar facial lines, and we're all determined to do something about it. and our dark circles under the eyes, and our crow's feet. let's get rid of them.
but how? they don't teach you this kind of stuff in health class, that's for sure. and if i were to believe the shit i see on tv i'd probably go broke and have little to show for it. that's just a gut feeling.
so i mentioned my little wrinkles to a co-worker who happens to have a flawless complexion. she immediately whisked me off to the bathroom to show me some eye exercises in the big mirror. did you know you have actual, flexible muscles right under your eye? i didn't. she has been doing these bizarre little exercises for decades and it shows -- she's got no bags, no dark circles. it's amazing.
however, i cannot seem to make those muscles work. they must have atrophied over the years, and now barely exist to keep my eyeball in the socket. i'm not holding out much hope for these exercises. so, on to the next step: finding a magical cream.
this is harder than you might think. there are ZILLIONS of eye creams out there, all promising to lift, tone, firm and lighten your skin. my co-worker suggested i not even torture myself by reviewing all of the options, but that i go straight to origins, where she gets the bulk of her skin products. (and have i mentioned how amazing her complexion is?)
still, believing the solution could never be that easy, i googled and read and resesarched (ack!, jezus!) and looked over my bank balance, hoping that there would be some consensus on the best, most cost-effective eye-wrinkle-remover on the market. i should be so lucky. i was tempted (through frustration and exhaustion) into buying one of these magical creams, but then thought the best of it -- i didn't know anyone who could vouch for these products the way that my co-worker could vouch for the stuff at origins.
yet i knew a trip to origins would likely result in a whole new, comprehensive skin-care plan ($$$) so i made a last-ditch, desperate attempt to find a solution at the drugstore. i bought a bottle of olay regenerist serum.
that night i put it on my face before bed, and i swear... i felt an immediate difference. my skin became impossibly soft. (at least compared to how my face used to feel, following my previous skin-care regimen. regimen... HA!) the next night, same thing but even better. i fantasized that my wrinkles were already disappearing as i looked in the mirror. (wishful thinking, i'm sure.)
i still didn't have any decent cleansers, though. and the regenerist stuff i bought wasn't specifically for eyes. i started doing more research and, cross-eyed, finally came to the conclusion that i was going to have to make a trip to origins. i couldn't trust myself to piece this stuff together on my own.
so i headed off to the mall and threw myself at the feet of the skin goddesses in the origins shop. they showed me cleansers (i had been using a bar of dial soap to clean my face in the mornings, which made my co-worker gasp in horror), toners, eye creams, serums, lotions, and even makeup. there is even some new mushroom goo that is endorsed by dr. andrew weil, which could be a big selling point if you're into that kind of thing.
anyway, at the end of their demonstration my skin felt AMAZING. softer than i could have ever imagined. i was stunned silly. (evidenced by the fact that they managed to sell me a lot of product --and take A LOT of my money-- without me hardly even noticing.)
i've been using these origins products for a couple of days, and i find myself smiling into the mirror each morning and night, checking the wrinkles and hoping to see the crow's feet diminishing. of couse they're not. YET. call me naive, but i can only hope that by the time these bottles are empty (and i'm 37) i'll be able to tell a difference.
Posted by xta at January 10, 2006 12:07 AM | TrackBackJust... whatever you do... don't get any surgery from the same people who did Ray's eyes.
Posted by: Phil at January 10, 2006 02:07 AMI'm a few years older than you and I get carded all the time. (Geez, if you imagine 37 as "a little wrinkly" then my age must seem "a little decayed" or something!) People do not really notice the little wrinkles you obsess about ... I know from experience! (And I do not think "wrinkly" when I think of you!)
Also: there was a dermatologist type on The people's Pharmacy once and they asked her what works and what doesn't. She said the two substances that are really proven to work are alpha hydroxy and retinol. So far the only thing I've found with Retinol is a neutrogena creme ... I can't remember what it's called. Anyway, I've started using both and ... well I still get carded!
I also think that eating fruits and vegetables and staying well-hydrated help a lot, but I can't prove it. Oh, and be impetuous and whimsical like a kid ... People will assum you're much younger than you are.
Posted by: Lisa B at January 10, 2006 09:14 AMI am a skincare fanatic. I have a whole DRESSER full of skin care and make up products.
Let me tell you, I am an expert.
Origins is very good stuff.
However, due to the fact that I suffer from eczema and it CAN break out on my face I religiously use MARY KAY products. They are HEAVILY petroleum based, no natural bullshit in them, no herbs, no nothing.
If moisture is what you crave, moisture is what you get.
I microdermabrasion my face 3X a week.......SAND OFF THE AGE. I use eyecream. I use it all baby.
I cannot say ENOUGH about Mary Kay. Now if only they would just open a STORE so I didn't have to deal with their little pink ladies.
Oh, and cleanser: one dermatologist recommended Dove soap to a friend of mine.
Posted by: Lisa B at January 10, 2006 09:16 AMCetaphil cleanser and lotion are my favs.
I heard someone on Oprah complain after some amazing weight loss that they had more wrinkles in their face. The "expert" said that you loose fat from all over your body - even your face. The loss of fat meant that the fat that used to plump up the wrinkles in their face was no longer there.
Posted by: John Boy at January 10, 2006 09:38 AManother thing to prevent wrinkles/signs of aging: spf 15. i recently bought some olay daily moisturizer with spf from kroger for about $6, which is right in my price range.
also, my wonderful gentleman friend made some homemade skin care products for me for an xmas gift. i'm not sure where the recipes came from, but they seem to be made out of simple household items: yogurt, honey, etc. he made an exfoliant and a moisturizing mask, and let me tell you, they are quite possibly the best facial products i've ever used. they leave my skin soooo soft, and smell great, too.
Posted by: elsacapuntas at January 10, 2006 10:25 AMooh, such good suggestions! keep 'em coming!
one thing i forgot to mention... my co-worker also told me that green tea extract would help the puffiness under my eyes. i went out and bought some (a bottle with an eyedropper), and first thing in the morning i pat a few drops under each eye.
it instantly tightens the skin in that area. in fact, the first time i tried it the sensation really freaked me out. i'm slightly worried that the darkness of the extract will eventually stain my skin, but my co-worker has been using it for eons and i don't see any discoloration under her eyes.
Posted by: christa at January 10, 2006 10:29 AMI had the horror this past week of discovering that my few grey hairs have been breeding. My mother went grey very early, and it started with a streak, that in the 80s passed as "frosting." As a feminist, it is so hard to pretend that I don't care, but I could do without the grey hair for a few more years at least.
Posted by: raynor at January 10, 2006 10:55 AMi've done some research myself over the years and this is what i've concluded:
eye creams are a gigantic waste of money. they don't do what they claim. and they cost a fortune.
here is my skin care regimen.
in the evenings:
cetaphil cleanser with warm water
i use this product after cleansing and i absolutely love it: http://www.cosmeticscop.com/shop/product.asp?CODE=PC201&PAGETYPE=S
(paula's choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid)
followed by a nice store bought moisturizer. i've been using an aveeno soy product but i'm not too brand loyal with my moisturizers.
in the morning i don't use any cleanser or toner at all. i simply wash with warm water and use a moisturizer with sunscreen. currently i'm using this http://usa.loccitane.com/product/product.asp?product=15CVSPFO4&variant=&= and i love it. but it's a bit pricey. (l'occitane Olive Face Cream SPF15)
you mentioned oil of olay daily regenerist. i remember reading someplace that that is a very good product and that you may see some benefit. i guess what i'm trying to reinforce to you (and i think you already know) is that there are no miracles in these bottles. and i'm a firm believer in not having to pay a fortune for these items though it's nice to splurge once in awhile.
but for heaven's sake step away from the dial soap!
i think the little wrinkles at the corners of people's eyes are beautiful! it's too bad they're called "crow's feet," an ugly name for lines caused by smiling and laughing. maybe we all should start calling them "happy fun-time lines."
i highly recommend the basis cleaner clean face wash (the gel, not the bar). it smells good, it's cheap, it's not tested on animals, and it's available at the drugstore!
I'm simply in denial. I am dewy and fresh, like a 18 year old, an 18 year old with not so great skin.
Also dark circles under eyes are almost always caused by allergies.
Posted by: Becky at January 10, 2006 02:38 PMI've always had horrid dark circles under my eyes. My dad described my eyes as looking like "two piss-holed in the snow." And he's right. About 6-8 years ago, I found out what Becky mentioned: they're called "allergy shiners," and mean allergies about 60% of the time. I wish mine would go away, but I'm not going to cover them up.
Posted by: Joseph H. Vilas at January 12, 2006 01:40 AMQuite a few people take me for under forty; to me, the secret is:
I hate to say it, but being plump does make you look younger;
SP20. Every day
Regular skin care with a good brand (I use Yves Rocher Serum Vegetal by mail order; very reasonable and good), snd occasional use of Philosophy Microdelivery Peel. That stuff rawks.
Posted by: marianne at January 12, 2006 07:31 AMI've got to disagree with Marianne--when I was fat (picture me with 40 lbs. more than I have now--it was awful) people did not mistake me for younger as much as they do now.
Come to think of it, people just plain looked at me less when I got fat ... I mean, as if I were sort of invisible. People were also much less nice ... I'd rather be wrinkly than fat.
Posted by: Lisa B at January 12, 2006 08:39 AMjohn boy makes reference, above, to the fact that some people's faces look more wrinkly after weight loss. i wonder if that's part of what's happening to me. after having now lost 57 pounds (!) i can definitely tell a difference in the shape of my face. perhaps the skin is looser now, or something.
Oh honey, I didn't mean 'you' as in you, I meant you as in 'one'. Like me, actually. You look beautiful and youthful! Sorry for the unintended insult!
Posted by: marianne at January 12, 2006 09:46 PMoh, marianne! i didn't even read it that way until you apologized! :-)
Posted by: christa at January 12, 2006 11:27 PMCool and entertaining topic, Christa! I am not happy with my wrinkles, but at least they are smiley instead of frowny lines. lol I'm interested in the green-tea extract, though.
Now my hair is going white, but my hair is so light that most people scoff and claim to not see a thing. But sure enough, the strands *are* advancing. That being said, I hang out with mostly older friends, and they all think I'm a wee babe. Even college kids sometimes mistake me for a late-20s chick, which cracks me up no end ("I could be your mother, kid."). My goofy enthusiasm is apparently keeping me young. Eventually I'll make a cool-looking white-haired young-looking wise person. hehe
Posted by: erthsister at January 16, 2006 10:00 PM