Moments from Menopause

All month I've been complaining, er, blogging,  about the changes that Menopause wrecks on our skin, so I figured one more post for the month and I'd be done with this topic. Like, seriously done. The End. Fine. In all the research I've done on-line, in speaking to skin care experts, and even in barraging my own derm-guy with questions, the two most important pieces of advice I've heard over and over and over again about care, maintenance, and protection of your skin at any age is: 1. Sun block, and 2. Hydration From the age of 6 months old we should start skin protection when out doors. Every major skin care manufacturer now has a sun protection line, and many of their products include  an SPF protection/additive in productions like daily body lotion and makeup.  Johnson and Johnson's Waterbabies products are excellent for children who are outdoors, swimming, sweating, etc. Protect their skin when they are young and your chil...

I've always taken good care of my skin. It started when I was in my twenties and started earning my own money through my nurse's salary. I'd rather buy face and skin lotions than new clothes. And did! In my 30's and 40's I was always the first person in my crowd to try new and improved products, like lotions labeled age-defying and youth in a bottle. In my later 40's and then 50's serums and self-professed wrinkle creams became the norm. You state the brand, I've tried it. These products don't come cheap, and just FYI, the older you get, the more expensive the products become. I really believe this is a marketing ploy by the manufacturers. Don't believe me? Go out and price Johnson's Baby lotion, and then get a price for Neutrogena products, which is also owned by J&J. Which products do you think are less expensive? Our skin is our largest organ. It acts to protect the underlying structures of our bodies as a first line of defense a...

So last week I wrote about how there's a humongous marketing push for women of a certain age - read MENOPAUSAL! - and skin care. Every major cosmetic and skin care line now sells a separate line for the woman over 50. These lines are branded as youth in a bottle and non-surgical corrective cures for saggy, wrinkly, aging skin. If only. One particular line deals with an aging skin issue ( and don't I hate that phrase!) called crepey skin. The definition is skin that looks thin and dull and wrinkly, like crepe paper. Seriously?? When did this become a "thing?" Well, I'd never heard about crepey skin until I saw Jane Seymour hawking her line of skin cream called CREPE ERASE. Jane has Dr. Andrew Ordon explain why the skin turns to the consistency of crepe paper  and shows you how, after using this product, within 60 days there is a quantifiable and visible change in the appearance of the skin. So, for full disclosure here, I have this affliction. Crepey ...

Have you ever heard what the 7 dwarves of Menopause are called? Grumpy, Sleepy, Itchy, Sweaty, Boated, Moody and Forgetful. I have a few of my own Dwarves to describe Menopause skin: Saggy, Crepey,  Ashy, Pore-y. Wrinkley, Freckley and Dry. I've always ALWAYS been a fanatic about my skin even when I was younger and didn't have any wrinkles. I've always used sunscreen, even when I used to worship the sun, I always have moisturizer on my face day and night, I use serums, gentle cleansers, and ultra moisturizing moisturizers around my eyes. I've never used soap to clean, only body soap/lotion. You would think my skin would look pristine, procelain, and wrinkle-free like a new born baby's butt. You would be wrong. Nope. Not a chance. I never had a single pore on my face until I hit menopause and then overnight these friggin' craters appeared along my chin. The corners of my eyes - despite the liberal and continual use of specific eye creams - resemble r...