Hair and skin care are everything. If you’re forty-five or older, you’ve figured that out by now. As we age, our skin and hair lose their vibrance. Heck, we may still feel like we’re in our prime, but we look in a mirror and see a stranger gawking back at us with crinkles, wrinkles, sags, bags, and drabby dry hair. We have at least one foot in the grave with all hope gone until we discover ULTA. (Cue the sound of angels singing) The Generation Xers and Millennials believe ULTA is hip and chic, created for them. The real scoop, though, is ULTA was created for those of us who are no longer climbing that hill. Let’s stop, raise our hands high in the air, and thank God for ULTA … am I right?
Here are a few of my ULTA must haves and the reasons why I must have them:
Tinted moisturizer is like putting a heavenly dew on your face that will even out your skin tone and make you look as fresh and new as Springtime. An over exaggeration, maybe … put this stuff is the bomb. My favorite pick is Derma E’s Tinted Moisturizing BB Cream with SPF 30. It has bilberry extract, which improves skin tone; vitamin C, which brightens skin; and vitamin E, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I apply it over my regular moisturizer, which helps it to go on my skin much easier. I apply it to my face and go. It’s my makeup. Nothing else. It’s so much lighter than traditional foundation or powder makeup, and as we age, often times, less ends up being more. You can find it here.
The Derma E Ultra Hydrating Alkaline Water Eye Gel is a magic roller filled with cool healing gel. It hydrates the under eye area, making your eyes appear younger and less puffy. I use it at least twice a day and am hooked. It’s less than fifteen dollars, which makes it very affordable. Think of it like a lipstick. Apply it whenever you want that fresh glowing look. You can find it here.
The Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer is currently my go-to moisturizer. I recently listened to a podcast that featured Dr. David Sinclair, and now I’m onboard with his take on the anti-aging benefits of resveratrol . This moisturizer contains resveratrol, as well as jojoba, shea, and vitamin C. It’s pricey, but it leaves my skin feeling completely hydrated … more so than any other moisturizer I’ve ever used. Moisturizing morning and evening is a must for healthy skin. I use serums as well (if you’re not using an hyaluronic acid serum, order it now), and the moisturizer goes on AFTER the serums. Apply using upward strokes, and don’t forget your neck. You can find this moisturizer here .
Are you into fitness? Then you absolutely need a dry shampoo. If you’re anything like me, you don’t always have time to wash your hair, so having dry shampoo on hand can be a life saver. In addition, because dry shampoo lengthens the time between shampoo, blowdryer, and flat iron, it’s actually a healthy alternative for your locks. It’s important, however, to invest in a good dry shampoo. If you purchase a cheap brand, you’ll find it might leave a weird residue on your hair. For the record, I’m a weirdo when it comes to dry shampoo, so I go outside to apply just so I’m not breathing it. You can find Big Sexy Hair Dry Shampoo here.
As we age, not only are losing vitality in our hair and skin, but we are losing muscle and becoming weak and flabby. In fact, after age thirty, we lose 3-5% muscle mass every decade. Many people have the misconception that you have to join a gym or a fitness class to be fit, but the truth is you can workout in the comfort of your own home. Here are five easy exercises you could begin doing at home today and everyday to fight back the flabs:
- Push-ups. Three sets of twelve. Even if you have to start on your knees and work up to a full push-up, you need to bite the bullet and start doing them. Within a few weeks, I promise they become easy peasy. Push-ups are beneficial for building upper body strength, working the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders.
- Planks. Three sets on elbows or hands for one minute each. Planks strengthen your spine, your rhomboids, and your abdominal muscles, which promotes strong posture. Good posture means you’re keeping your bones aligned properly, and that’s very important as you age.
- Crunches. Three sets of twenty-five. Crunches strengthen your abdominal muscles and core, improving your posture and balance.
- Squats. Three sets of twenty-five. In addition to tightening your glutes, squats improve core strength, overall mobility, range of motion, and natural hormone production.
- Donkey Kicks. Four sets of twenty-five. Like squats, donkey kicks tighten your glutes and improve core strength.
Just my thoughts,
~Mel
Brick Marshmallows 