As a teen, I never paid attention to the ingredients in the lotions and makeup I used. I caked on the makeup daily whether I needed it or not, just like almost every other 80’s big-haired girl. I sure never gave any thought to my toothpaste and oral care. Facial and oral care are probably not top of mind for young ladies, but they should be for aging women. I want to share a few things I’ve learned on my journey.
All About Facial Care
I espouse one main message about makeup and aging: I’ve come to think “less is better.” Don’t get me wrong; I haven’t given up on ALL makeup- I need mascara as much as the next girl. I’m just not doing heavy makeup anymore. And let’s be real… trying to be Instagram perfect, so many ladies look like they’re literally airbrushed. To me, that’s very unnatural. Of course, who knows? By the time I’m in my 70s or 80s, I may change my mind and search out all the makeup I can get my hands on- lol.
But at my age, 55, I am satisfied seeing my own skin- with some wrinkles, spots, or whatever. I do what I can to look young, but there is only so far I will go. There’s only so much one can do without resorting to serious chemicals and expensive remedies. I don’t know how old I’ll look over the years- but time will tell, and I hope and pray that somehow I age with grace.
Daytime Face Makeup Routine
Since I’m at home most days, I don’t use makeup. If I wear any, the products aren’t necessarily chemical-free, so that’s another reason I try to avoid it. One day, maybe I’ll try the DIY makeup or mascara recipes, but I’m new to this journey, so I’m not there yet.
My makeup usage may be more or less than what you use; I use a concealer, blush, mascara, a brow gel, and a lip gloss.
I’ve dropped using base foundation now, all together. As an adult, I had mainly used it when I was having trouble with acne (from my poor diet, I suppose), and now I don’t have that issue anymore. Yay! Now realize, when I get too warm or have a hot flash, my face gets red, which is not super attractive (& I would know because I’ve seen myself in the mirror after an outside summer brunch with my friends). But I just deal with it (and all the concerned comments: “Are you Ok?”) rather than wearing foundation because who do I need to impress? My friends and family love me the way I am, and no one else’s opinion matters.
Back to my makeup routine. If my skin looks too dull or dry, the last thing I do is add an eye gel or face lotion- to add glow, moisture and reduce fine wrinkles. I use various brands of whatever I have on hand. For the last year or so, I have loved the Dead Sea Collection (Collagen or Retinol variety), which I get pretty cheap from Popshelf. However, you can also find it on Amazon- it’s more expensive, of course, but still very affordable.
Because I don’t use foundation, I can pat my gel or lotion on last. It’s a great final touch, and nothing gets smeared or caked up because I’m not wearing any foundation; it can be absorbed into my skin. Tip: Be gentle when applying lotions to the eye area; the area is very sensitive, and we don’t want to create more wrinkles for ourselves over time.
If you’ve never used lotion as a last touch to your makeup, I encourage you to try it- even if it’s just around the eyes; you might be surprised at the final look. If you struggle with oily skin, you may not want that last touch of lotion; I will give you a little suggestion later.
If I’m going out somewhere nicer than usual or want a fresh look to perk me up, I just barely apply a little shimmery touch of mineral highlighter. This bit of highlighter gives my natural skin a brighter appearance; you should try using it, too, but be careful not to put it on wrinkled areas. I use it on the flat area of the arch of my eyebrows; you might try a dab high on your cheekbones or down the middle of your chin. Look at your face shape to decide where to put it (or find videos about it). Remember, it only takes the “tiniest” touch on your fingertip, then smooth it on. This, along with that last pat of lotion or gel, really adds a youthful look to my aging skin.
Two Makeup Products I Don’t Use
- Eyeshadow. Our eye areas are the first to wrinkle, so I find eyeshadows all wrong for me; all that powder on my eyes only accentuates my wrinkles. Besides, I hear now that you need a ‘base’ under the eyeshadow, which means it’s actually two products to deal with. I can never get the colors right, so I just leave it off altogether.
- Face Powder. Unlike some women, I don’t use powder as my final touch (or at all) because it makes my skin look dry. Dry skin really shows wrinkles and ages everyone. Watch out for that dry look if you’re still using face powder. I encourage you to consider allowing your natural glow to shine through and ditch the powder for blotting papers instead.
A Grooming Tip for Every Lady
Speaking of looking dry, ladies, if your facial hair is noticeable, it’s unsightly and aging you. Buy a little mini face shaver or dermaplaning tool (anything similar to this electric one or a manual one) and keep your facial hair trimmed every week or two. I’m talking about the blond hair that randomly grows as we age on our face, chin & jaw, and upper neck area. And don’t forget it will be great to get rid of those few stubborn mustache or nose hairs, too… ugh.
Daytime Lip Care
Throughout the day, I moisturize my lips with chapstick, whether I’m inside or outside. Mine has a light sunscreen and some vitamin E. Speaking of chapstick, I love how mine feels with the silky oils and butters, but as I looked more carefully at the ingredients recently, I saw it wasn’t quite as “natural” as the front label reads. You should check yours, too. The front label on mine shows the healthy stuff, but the actual ingredients on the back show the chemicals.
I know it’s difficult to get rid of every chemical (they’re everywhere, ho-hum), but I think I can try to do better, so once mine is out, I am trying to make my own version. If you are curious to try one, too, the natural recipes are countless. I’ll let you know how mine turns out. So far, I like the recipes and tips I’m learning from Heidi on Rain Country – YouTube. Check out her playlists; you’ll learn a lot about healthy, happy, chemical-free living. She’s always teaching and sharing her recipes- even as she improves them over the years; I think she has three on chapsticks! Our Oily House has one, too.
Evening Routine
I wash off the day’s dirt and chemicals from my face every evening. Try these 100% cotton cloths if you’re tired of the chemical throw-away face wipes like I was. I love the feel of the soft muslin, and they have a tiny tab for hanging them up to dry afterward; they dry quickly, but regular washcloths take forever.
Except for removing mascara with oil or lotion, I just use water to cleanse, but many people use a light facial cleaner. I don’t know of a good one, but here is a facial cleanser that looks great from Laura at Our Oily House.
Next, if you have a good one, try to rub in an anti-aging gel or lotion, especially around your eyes, on your face, neck, and hands before bed. Recently, I made my own anti-aging serum with essential oils, which I use several times a week (see below). If you’re not interested in using an oil and dropper, consider this anti-aging cream sometime.
I also apply my castor oil to my thinning eyebrows at bedtime.
The last care technique is simply using chapstick before bed to keep my lips moist and from cracking or peeling.
My Anti-Aging Serum
Use a small, dark-colored, glass dropper bottle (a 4oz bottle is good)
- Carrier Oil – Rosehip Oil- 4 tablespoons
- Geranium Oil- 6 drops (could substitute Rose Oil)
- Lavender Oil- 4 drops
- Frankincense Oil- 3 drops
*Optional Vitamin E Oil drops (3-5)
*Vitamin E is superb for healing and also extends the shelf life of your essential oil recipes.
I adapted my recipe from an OurOilyHouse version. I love it! I used Rosehip oil, which absorbs nicely into my skin and is excellent for sensitive skin, wrinkles and stretch marks, scars, colorization/pigment issues, and is regenerative! This oil feels so smooth going on and smells so pleasant.
Aging Skin Makeup Ideas, Reviews, and Tutorials
If you have aging skin and struggle with how to wear makeup to your best advantage, here are some YouTube channels I have seen and liked. These should help with typical tips & suggestions for aging skin dilemmas:
(54) Nikol Johnson – YouTube – She’s proud to “go gray” & shows makeups for several generations
(54) rxstrmom – YouTube – She is older & I love her sweet “Get Ready with Me” videos)
Oral Care
I made efforts to limit my use of fluoride about a year ago after I learned of the wide range of adverse effects from fluoride toxicity. I bought a Slimline Waterdrop Water Pitcher that filters out fluoride and stopped using fluoride toothpaste. I started by switching to a fluoride-free charcoal version, but the black charcoal made a splattering mess I didn’t relish. Next, I found the Hello brand, without fluoride. It was great and didn’t make a mess, but it was still store-bought, and I desired something more natural. Tip: Be aware that as of this writing, even Tom’s (a natural brand) has sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a chemical to avoid.
Make Your Own Toothpaste
Finally, I just went for it and made my own version of homemade toothpaste. I watched many videos before trying out my version. Here’s one of the recipes I used. In this one, Lara suggests a little Clove Bud essential oil in each batch to help prevent cavities, as well as a larger amount of any other essential oil flavor you want. If the essential oil is therapeutic grade, you’ll use a few drops at a time; for non-therapeutic grade, you can use more with no problems. Just plan to start off using a small amount and add more as your taste desires. I also learned that you could add a teaspoon each of Magnesium Citrate and Calcium Citrate. Both apparently work well together for absorption and should also provide a little effervescent fizz.
Heidi from Rain Country has some recipes, too. She uses Clove Bud oil in each batch, too. Dr Janine Bowring, a Naturopath on YouTube, has this version to remineralize your teeth… it is my favorite so far. I did add five drops of Clove Oil and 1 tsp of Magnesium Citrate to her version, though. I like her explanation of two ingredients; she says Xylitol effectively fights cavities and gum disease and that Calcium Carbonate can help remineralize the teeth. It is very easy to make. She offers a Calcium Carbonate for sale at her company Vitatree, but it’s so expensive- so I use this one, which is made by NOW, a brand I trust that provides many non-GMO products.
Tip: Btw, in case you didn’t know, if you want more calcium than what you naturally get from your diet, you can consume Calcium Carbonate. If you have health concerns, ask your naturopath or doctor to be sure. Calcium supplements bone, muscle/heart, and nervous systems. If you don’t want the NOW brand or Vitatree’s, choose any other high-quality version without GMOs, fillers, etc. Many great ones are available, but some are expensive, which isn’t necessary. Calcium supplements come in tablets, too. It is also commonly used in chewable antacid tablets for acid indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomach.
To increase your calcium intake, the NOW version I linked suggests taking ½ tsp with a meal and claims to work exceptionally well in pulpy liquids like orange or tomato juice. I read that you shouldn’t take it for 1-2 hours from other medications because it may decrease their effectiveness.
If you are taking prescription Calcium, look at its ingredient list and see if a natural supplement like this has fewer unnecessary ingredients. Companies don’t always use the highest quality ingredients, as you may already know, but you can if you buy and mix it yourself.
Wrapping It Up
In conclusion, our approach to facial and oral care evolves as we journey through life, reflecting our changing needs and priorities. While youthful exuberance may have once led us to embrace heavy makeup and overlook the finer details of oral care, the passage of time brings a shift in perspective. For those of us in the aging stage, the mantra of “less is better” becomes our guiding principle in facial care, allowing us to embrace our natural beauty with grace and confidence. We learn to cherish the unique character of our aging skin while adopting mindful practices that promote health and radiance. Likewise, our oral care regimen transforms as we seek alternatives to conventional toothpaste, exploring natural solutions to safeguard our oral health. With every step, we take control of our well-being, proving that age is just a number and the journey towards self-care is timeless.
My “Better Aging” Journey Series:
- My “Better Aging” Journey (Part 1) – Introduction
- How to Eat Healthy & Hydrate – My “Better Aging” Journey (Part 2)
- Healthy Cooking & Stretching – My “Better Aging” Journey (Part 3)
- Taking Good Supplements – My “Better Aging” Journey (Part 4)
- Better Gut Health – My “Better Aging” Journey (Part 5)
- Getting Better Sleep – My “Better Aging” Journey (Part 6)
- Forever Chemicals and Breathing Better My “Better-Aging” Journey- (Part 7)