Hi, friends!
…So, I was just talking to a friend the other day… And because in our old age 🙂 we’re concerned about such thing as…. well, aging 🙂 (in particular the signs of it like facial lines and wrinkles), a subject of Botox popped up!
And I’ll tell you the truth: this subject kind of… scares the daylight of out me, because I’m just so opposed to messing around with what Mother Nature had given us! So, although I am curious about all the possible ways of keeping my skin looking youthful for as long as I can (because our skin is really the “foundation” to our beauty!), I am pretty positive that I don’t want to get a shot of Botox (or anything alike that involves needles!) any time soon!
But then… what can we do because aging IS REAL and none of us can really escape it!
Well, of course there’s the skincare regiment that if you do it right, will play a big role in preventing and reducing the signs of skin aging. If you found the right products and if you use them correctly – they can make a huge difference in how your skin looks!
Some of my favorites are the Clarins Double Serum that not only nourishes my skin with the Hyaluronic acid (that moisturizes the skin from within), it also keeps all the moisture locked to my skin because of the oil in its formula! I also began using this YstheAL Cream from my favorite brand Avene in the evenings, and I am very pleased with the results as I can see how my skin’s been looking even smoother since I began using it! Finally I am a big fan of this bee-wax based undereye balm that just keeps my underage skin very smooth and soft. And let’s not forget about our everyday sunscreen!
But… Let’s recognize the truth: no cream can do what Botox does, just because Botox and alike work on a completely different level! Basically instead of treating the problem they treat the very source of that problem! And so, I cannot fool you or myself by saying that there’s a “miracle cream” that’ll treat it all! But I still believe that there are things that we can do, aside from using the creams, that can help us avoid the radical needle-involving procedures!
But to find our own more natural solutions let’s first take a look at how Botox really works:
- So, Botox basically freezes our facial muscles to prevent them from contracting and with that to prevent the skin from folding into lines.
- So then… it’s not the SKIN that wrinkles! It’s the MUSCLES underneath it that make it wrinkle, right? Right. But… do we really need Botox to help us with our own facial muscles? I believe that the answer is NO!
So, then what can we do to prevent our muscles from contracting too much and folding our skin into ugly wrinkles? And the answer is… RELAX! Yes, just relax! Relax your face; relax your whole self!
…OK, but what if in our difficult, rushed world you cannot just relax? Well, then, I hear you! At times it’s VERY, VERY difficult for me to relax when I’m running late to get the kids from the school on-time after juggling my chores and I’m stuck in traffic! Or when my two boys start a fight (the seventh in that same day!) Or when… Well, each one of us has more than a few stressors that make us (and our facial muscles) tense up! So then we need to find a way to relax ourselves against ALL ODDS!
Here’s what helps me when I feel like I (and my face), am getting all tense:
- If I am at home I just step back and do something that aways relaxes me. For me it’s… opening a beautiful cookbook like this one or this one (my favorites!) and getting lost in it! I begin planning the next meal, and it makes me feel… so relaxed! For you it might be something different. But I am sure that there is an activity that puts you in that dreamy state of mind, that helps you relax! Right?
- Another thing that I do at home if I begin stressing out about something, is I treat myself for a nice cup of hot coffee (or tea if it’s late in the day). The warm drink nourishes my body and calms my mind!
- Dedicating just a few minutes to take care of myself also helps a lot! It can be doing my manicure. It can be looking to see if my skin is getting a bit dry and reapplying my favorite moisturizer. Or, it can be something as little as spraying a bit of my favorite perfume on my hair. Every little thing helps!
- Finally if all else fails – I take a few minutes to close my eyes for a 5-minute nap! It’s amazing how rejuvenating that could be!
- OK, but what if I’m not home? What helps me relax then is… thinking of doing one of the above things when I do get a chance to do them! …And you know what else helps? (I’ve read this but I don’t remember where, otherwise I’d give them a credit). SMILE! Yes, just smile! And if you’re afraid of looking a bit… silly, then just smile… in your mind! Smile at the world around you! At yourself – because you deserve a smile! Smile at the silly everyday stressors that we can’t avoid anyway! And I don’t know why, but this one REALLY helps! Even if I’m stuck in traffic with the two screaming kids in the back seat! Seriously, guys! Just smile! 🙂
Somehow Pusheen the Cat always makes me smile! He’s also my go-to Facebook emoji! 🙂
Oh, and even if you’re out and only have a moment for it – treat yourself sometimes! Treat yourself even when you are not yet stressed! Because if you don’t take care of yourself, you’re more likely to get stressed! And treating yourself doesn’t have to involve a lot of spendings! Buy yourself a nice cup of coffee. Buy yourself some flowers! Or, heck – you don’t even have to buy them – take a moment to just look at them! Smell them, and… RELAX! 🙂
…Although I believe that learning how to relax our facial muscles is the most important part of preventing wrinkles without Botox, there are a few more things that I do to protect my skin from aging. But I’ll be writing about it in my next skincare post. Because this one is already a bit too long! Let’s come back to it later, OK? 🙂
So… what is your favorite way to relax? I’d love to hear all about it! 🙂
Please, comment!