What An Amazing Age For Skin Care

Thank goodness we no longer have only a big jar of greasy cold cream to keep our skin in good condition!

Many women are excited that their special skin care needs are getting special attention nowadays. Cosmetic research and medical research have combined to produce some of the most impressive products ever created for skin care.

However, scientists have invested so much research in learning about skin and how it works that we’re blessed with a whole new range of products and treatments especially for mature skin. Many of us like to think of our skin as ‘experienced, ‘ just like us. And what some of those experiences have been! We’re outside more, enjoying sports, traveling or sightseeing, but we’re also getting lots more exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays that can damage skin. We’re exposed to more pollutants in the air from dust and smog. Most of all, the fact that we’re juggling jobs and family responsibilities, household chores and social relationships just piles more and more stress on our bodies, including our skin.

Some of us were talking the other day about what a wonderful age we live in when it comes to skin care for older women. For instance, one of our group just finished a round of treatments with intense pulsed light. She’s always been active in outside sports, so she had some minor sun damage, freckles and redness in her face and neck. She had about six treatments and they really evened out her skin tone. The treatments even removed some age spots she had on her cheeks! Now she’s thinking about getting another round of treatments for the spider veins in her legs.

Many of the ladies have been trying all kinds of anti aging skin care products. We even joke that we’ve formed our own consumer products testing panel! Whenever we get together we invariably talk about how well some new product is working. It’s just amazing to us how much research has been done on what it takes to keep skin looking younger, smooth and evenly toned and with a minimum of lines and wrinkles.

Of course, the thing that works best with these products is the same kind of discipline we were taught early on about good skin care: the old ‘cleanse-tone-moisturize’ formula, twice a day. Only now we have so many new products to try, the regimen might be ‘cleanse-tone-moisturize-treat!’ It all depends on how a woman’s skin responds to the products she’s trying, because each woman’s skin reacts differently. The trick is to keep trying products until we find the right combination. It’s a good idea to try a new product for at least six to eight weeks to give it plenty of time to work properly. Otherwise, our skin might become over-sensitive from too many changes over too short a period of time.

Good skin care has become an even more important a part of our health regimen. Some women find it’s even more essential than wearing their favorite beauty perfume.