Practically every newspaper, magazine, or TV ad these days is promoting some kind of anti-aging product. Just what do you think about spending money on these products? Are they all a waste of money or do some of them actually work?
I think what bothers my wife most are the age spots, and the dry parched look of the skin, especially on her arms. She uses tons of moisturizers, even her bath soap is either Tone, Dove or another so called moisturizing bar. She also has a problem with bruising. She was told to avoid aspirin and Vit. E for that reason, however she still takes a low dose, 81 mg. aspirin a day at the urginging of her doctor. Possibly showering and shampooing every day with rather hot water for a long period of time is partially responsible. She says she can't change her ways. I had read that hot showers do dry skin and should be avoided on a daily basis. She works in retail and dresses up daily. Any suggestions? I know when I had knee surgery, we rubbed Vit. E straight from the capsule daily to eliminate a scar... worked really well!
Yes bathing daily does dry out the skin if you use hot water and soap. Vaseline is a much overlooked product. Its not what one would think, greasy. If you use it on feet it works wonders to keep the skin soft. I use it frequently at night on my legs and feet. If you use after a shower it holds in moisture. Just a light film and rub it in. Too much would block pores. I use on my face when I have a cold so that mouth and nose dont chap. I never bath or shower without putting cream on after. The cheaper the better. Does not matter. It is all basically the same. However face creams are different. If you look at women to day and of the same age a couple of generations ago there is a huge difference in their skin. So it must work. I again do not use the expensive stuff. For the longest time I used Noxema to wash my face because it was oily. Now I dont use anything but water and put on face cream day and night. Never use soap on your face.
I hope this isn't too far off topic, but there are medical issues and nutritional deficiencies that can cause skin problems. Hypothyroidism is a major one. If you have to take a long hot shower in order to get going in the morning, and you have skin problems, for example, I'd be wondering about thyroid function. Like are you cold sensitive or does your temp usually run well below 98.6, are you tired a lot??
This was brought clearly to my attention quite recently. My thyroid medication was reformulated by the drug manufacturer this year, unbeknownst to me, and stopped working for me. One of the first symptoms was wrinkling, cracking and then skin infections. Also felt tired, cold, achy, and depressed. All symptoms reversed when I got onto a working med.
I think they are a total waste of money. It is sad when we are afraid to age. We have have so much more than the younger generation. We have experience, we seniors know what we want and often how to get what we want. We have to have a sense of humor and I would rather be over 60 than 30 again. Wrinkles don't bother me a bit. Wear a smile and keep those $$$.
There are cheaper products than those they advertise all the time. Some swear by olive oil, I use a cream (which I also market) called Body Butter. It's shea, mango and coco butter. One or two drops cover a large area and it has re-texturized my skin. Although it's called Body Butter, I use it on my face, hands and sometimes in my granddaughter's hair before I brush it. I'm almost 63, yet people guess my age as 47-48. Recently a bus driver started to refuse me the senior rate because he didn't believe I'm a senior. Of course being African American helps since our skin generally ages much more slowly.
When I asked my dermatologist what anti aging creams she thought were best, she said Neutrogena Anti Aging Intensive, ROC Nighttime and a third which I can't remember. Of course good health habits matter. Don't go out without sunscreen, quit smoking, get good nutrition, etc. Oh and I agree....smiling takes years off. :-D
At 71, I am way past my prime, what's evolved is here till I bite the dust. I only use virgin olive oil as a moisturizer, works for me. Seems like wrinkles have alot to do with genetics too.
Anakris...also meant to say that the dermatologist advises against using anti aging creams around the eyes. She says it's best to use eye creams formulated for that purpose.
