As I negotiate my thirties and life, I am all about creating ageless beauty. Reflecting the other day on how much of how I see beauty and taking care of myself and my skin, I was considering how much my mother and grandmothers had taught on both sides. Whether you know it or not, as a young girl you find yourself absorbing so much of the surroundings. Growing up, I was surrounded by many women in this field. Of course, my American mother has aged really brilliantly if I say so personally! laugh-laugh Then I had her mother, who is Italian but raised in America; she had nine children and NO time for self-care when my Mom was still a young woman. But when I knew her as a child, she most certainly had some characteristics that kept her feeling attractive and feminine.
Consume Lots of Water.
Always doing it, my mother constantly discussed this. She is constantly very hydrated and hardly drinks alcohol at all. For this very reason, I really think that a major factor contributing to her skin’s current brilliance is If I significantly up my water intake for a few days in a succession, I always find that I get my glow on.
Never Smokes
This seems like a basic one, but smoking ages you completely and damages your complexion in addition to being bad for your health. I’ll admit in my early twenties I would occasionally smoke socially when I was out on the weekends and I believe this helped explain the terrible cystic acne I had at the time.
steam your face
In an interview, my mother once joked that they printed her number one beauty tip—steaming her face over a pot of pasta water! Laugh-laugh. She still receives constant questions on it. She did used to steam her face often and in the steam shower as well, but it may not be completely accurate. Not only helps your products penetrate deeper, but steaming is excellent for releasing dead skin cells that can cause dullness.
Get Enough Relaxation
Stress ages everyone, as anyone will be able to tell. There is actually something called beauty sleep! The ladies in my life have always thought of a few days of R&R or a good night’s sleep as beautifying agents. Sometimes you have to calm your nervous system so that your cells might rebuild and your thoughts might relax. Usually, our appearance on the exterior reflects our internal mood! Sleeping on silk pillows is a terrific double whammy to nourish your skin and hair and stop hair breakage and wrinkles!
Create Bathing Beauty
Both my stepmother and my nanny used to bathe, scrub, pamper themselves in the bath. All the brushes and scrubs around the tub captivated me back then. Here, my main lessons are that aging gracefully requires leaning into those quiet times of pleasure and that your body skin should never be overlooked. I’m working on improving my scheduling of some soaking time for me. Some of my preferred bath products are posted here!
Play With Your Preferred Attributes
Regarding attractiveness, my Mom and my Nonna were always excellent in highlighting their best characteristics. When I was growing up, they both wore little makeup; but, they would accentuate their best features with a slick of lipstick here or some mascara. They also really loved exquisite jewels as decoration! For myself, I have turned this into honoring and nourishing my skin. I adore this most among my traits, hence I always indulge myself under the logical reasoning that using premium things will pay off over time. View my skincare regimen here and my pregnant skincare regimen here.
Have enjoyable time and be playful.
The queen of sassy refinement was my Nonna. She loved heart-shaped sunglasses and wore leopard print swimming suits into her 80s. They defined her. She kept so gorgeous for so many years, in my opinion, because she refused to let the happiness fade during her self-care routine. There was a “fun” to it that I want to have in my own life as a woman.
Never Stop Educating Yourself on Skincare
My Mom was constantly experimenting with new brands of skin care products, various masks, and facials when I was a growing child. Her vanity was loaded with goods! Her credence was always “If I’m doing a little bit of everything, I probably won’t wind up being absolutely wrong about how I’m tending to my skin!!” She has fantastic skin to show for this. Funny. I have made a point to never stop learning about skincare and changing with the times even if I am more consistent with my rituals. I LOVE exploring new products with science-based results and treating my skin to fresh treatments or facials I have not experienced before.
Moisture, moisture, moistures!
Once more, who was the Brady child that said it? I fool, I fool, but for skincare this is the holy grail. Aging and leading to early wrinkles, dullness, and low collagen synthesis is dry skin. During aircraft journeys, morning and evening, my mother used to rub moisturizer on her skin. She would be all over it anytime it turned dry! Early on, I learnt to make sure my skin and hair were getting enough moisture and to let my skin plump itself organically.
Find a Routine.
Every single week on the same day, my grandmother used to get her nails done; I always remembered her with a fresh manicure. She had her nails painted even when I paid her a visit right at the end of her life. That she invested that time for herself makes me happy. She still enjoyed having her hair done. It reminds me to savor in those times when I am looking after myself and to consider them as a moment only for me. Along with everyday skincare, I always do a face mask on Sundays and a hair mask twice weekly. I enjoy my daily little beauty rituals! It enables me to keep to my hair and skincare goals.
Laugh and Take Enjoyment of Life
Every lady I grew up with would concur that the most attractive woman in the room is the happiest one there. Your outside will show if your inner self is lovely and satisfied. Surround yourself with people and places that provide delight and happiness. That is absolutely the best beauty secret!