Take YEARS Off Your Face ...... in just 10 easy steps. by Victoria Edwards

Ageing is something that we do from the moment
we are born; it is a fundamental part of our body's programming and cannot be stopped or changed.

Aside from cosmetic surgery there is little we can do to stop the appearance of lines, wrinkles, spots and all the other various goodies that begin to appear from about the age of thirty onwards.


Your skin's enemies:

The Sun:
This ages your skin more than any other single thing by literally drying it out. Caution needs to be taken when sunbathing because the harmful rays from the sun are now penetrating our thin ozone layer. It is advisable to wear total sun-block when exposed to strong sunlight to help avoid skin cancer and preserve your skin's moisture and elasticity.

Smoking:
This deprives the skin of a healthy supply of oxygen leaving it looking 'tired' (or sallow) and in need of rejuvenation. Lines also appear around the lip-line from pursing your lips as you puff on your cigarette.

Alcohol:
This dehydrates the body and destroys vitamins which help to maintain healthy skin and give us that youthful glow. It is also responsible for the broken blood vessels which appear on the cheeks and around the sides of the nose.

Lack of exercise:
Exercise is natures way of helping the body to replenish itself. Without it the body becomes saggy & sluggish, and can make you prone to illness and various other conditions.

What can we do?
Maintaining a reasonable level of fitness whilst cutting out cigarettes and alcohol will make an enormous difference to your skin.

Diet
Drink plenty of water and herbal tea to keep hydrated. Eating fruit and veggies also helps to detox the body and clear out harmful waste products. Remember - you are what you eat!

Exercise
All areas of the body benefit from exercise, such as the heart, lungs, muscles, blood & spine. Exercise releases 'endorphins' (happy chemicals!) in the brain which overcome melancholy feelings and pain - the 'feel good' factor!

Try to incorporate some exercises into your routine - like taking the stairs instead of a lift, or getting off the bus a stop earlier to walk the rest. Even a few sit-up's in front of the telly will make a big difference.

Always check with you doctor before starting a new exercise regime.

Make-up

At the age of thirty, that tried and tested make-up routine we've used for years suddenly finds itself inappropriate and a drastic re-think is necessary.
Of course, we shouldn't rely purely on cosmetics to give ourselves a healthy, youthful appearance, but use it instead as a way of enhancing our natural beauty. Here are a few tips to give nature a helping hand:

1. Use automatic tanning creams (such as Clarins) rather than sunbathing or sun-beds. There are many excellent creams available now which don't leave you looking like streaky bacon!

2. Try dyeing your eyebrows and eyelashes. It's best to ask a friend to help or visit a salon.

Pluck away any unruly eyebrow hair with the help of a magnifying mirror. To keep them in shape all day, try running some clear hair-gel or clear mascara through them.

3. Bleach or wax away unwanted facial hair and pluck out any long hairs from your chin, or consider electrolysis.

4. Always use a good moisturiser every day after cleansing - make sure it is compatible with your skin type, the cheaper brands are sometimes better than the expensive ones. Always protect your face from the sun with a sun cream of minimum factor 30.

5. Try this instant skin hydrator:- Near bed-time smother your face with petroleum jelly and leave for 10 minutes. Tissue-off and see how soft your skin feels!

6. For concealing laughter lines and crow's feet around the eyes, invest in a lotion which tightens the skin as it dries. These lotions are generally available through most department stores.

7. Lines can also be concealed by using a white nail pencil - draw a thin line right inside the furrow or wrinkle - especially those which appear from the nose to the corners of the mouth and those between the eyebrows. Apply your foundation over the top as usual.

8. Use a highlighting fluid or a concealer stick on dark circles around the eyes. Try to avoid cream or stick foundation around the eyes as this will gather in the furrows! Liquid foundations work best here, try to avoid using powder.

9. Blusher should be a applied sparingly, it is better to have a healthy glow from a tanning cream than to apply too much blusher which will look false and out of date. Try using a cream blush or even a lipstick for a more natural look.

10. Use more natural shades of lipstick - it is easier to apply the lipstick after you have filled-in your lips with pencil to prevent 'bleeding'. Use a sharp pencil which is the same colour as the lipstick, or by the end of the day you will be left with a dark pencil outline only! ©

One last word....

Now I lay me
Down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles
Please no bags
And please lift my bum
Before it sags.
Please no age spots
Please no grey
And as for my belly,
Please take it away.
Please keep me healthy
Please keep me young,
And thank you Dear Lord
For all that you've done.