The Skinny

I’m pretty committed, as I age oh so fallibly, not to have “procedures” done to my face. But even I know it’s gone too far when I define a procedure as Windexing the mirror so I can take a quick peek.

When it comes to my face, I’m clueless. I still remember my grandmother and all her beauty potions. Unlike my mother—whose idea of a skin regimen was 13 pairs of tweezers, a round box of Mabelline powder with a puff on top, and a tube of red lipstick—Grandma dabbled in more refined beautification arts.

Which is to say, she plunked down $1.95 to try any formula advertised in the back of her movie magazines.

She often rhapsodized about Elizabeth Taylor’s magnificent violet eyes, and how no matter how much weight she lost or gained or how many husbands she married and divorced, no one could say she didn’t have the loveliest eyes in the world.

And then, since there were no violet contact lenses on the market to change Grandma’s eyes from plain brown to violet, she did the next best thing. She purchased—and wore—every brand of false eyelash (black and thick!) known to womankind.

Add those to the false fingernails, the mousy hair she kept red forever, eye shadows in every color including magnificent violet, and lipsticks to match each outfit, and well. You can imagine how much fun I had sitting at her vanity and playing grown-up.

While she had fun with cosmetics, she also had some angst about her fair, freckled skin. I’m remembering her at about age sixty, being terribly concerned about her “liver spots.” So concerned, in fact, that she read all the movie magazine articles about which stars were using what, and tried every concoction they swore by.

And then she started examining me. I was just a little kid, but Grandma was quite concerned about bleaching my freckles with lemon juice so that I wouldn’t face the horror of liver spots when I got to be, I don’t know, twelve. So, for a few years, every time I visited Grandma slathered me with a new ointment, cream, or salve guaranteed to save me from a fate worse than…hers.

But, you see, heredity (like gravity) is a winner. The movie magazines did not save Grandma from liver spots any more than People Magazine can save me. But now, after performing yesterday the procedure of Windexing the mirror, I’m getting…concerned.

It’s my neck, doing that thing it does. But it’s not only my neck. My jowls are falling and apparently they can’t get up. Plus, I’ve got laughlines in places that have never smiled.

And if you think I’m a candidate for a product that promises to “visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines,” think again. To call these fine lines is a gross insult to fine lines.

Maybe Grandma traumatized me a little, making me think my freckles weren’t acceptable. Maybe I rebelled by waiting too long in the game to pay attention to my complexion. But now I’m coming to you, O fallible ones, for your BEST tips on how to try to hold wrinkles (Dear Lord, I hate that word!) at bay.

Here’s my hope: I would love it if you’d suggest cheap, easy, time-tested, cheap, and easy remedies.

I would REALLY, REALLY hate having $34.99 plus $7.95 shipping and handling automatically deducted from my checking account each month, all because I skipped church and instead watched infomercials starring Jane Seymour. Seeing that charge come through would make me scowl in a way not consistent with helping the matter.

I also will not get involved in any type of multi-level marketing.

Anybody out there using olive oil as a facial? What kind of results have you had?

All cheap and easy advice graciously appreciated!

Posted by Katy on 05/28/08 at 07:26 AM

Fallible Comments...

I'm all for standing on my head. At least the skin flops back to my face.It's cheap, too
Posted by Christa on 05/28/08 at 09:30 AM
Katy,
I understand that laughing is very good for wrinkles. Since it is the opposite of frowning, the muscles get exercised and stay in shape. I think it has to be the ultimate remedy. Otherwise, time marches on....
Posted by Sandi Thompson on 05/28/08 at 09:30 AM
Drink lots of filtered water, eat veggies, and yes, fruit! And for topical, you can't beat pure unrefined extra virgin organic coconut oil as a moisturizer. I use Nutiva and I get it on amazon pretty cheap. Or pure organic jojoba oil if you hate coconuts. Get jojoba oil at amazon or health food stores. Organic Olive oil is good too, but pricey.

Regarding those expensive topical products, do not waste your money. They are all hype. If you use one and it makes you look good, you can never ever stop using it because it is all superficial. Nothing can really stop um, our very graceful aging. :-)

And remember, you're still beautiful, even after gravity has set in. :-)
Posted by suzan on 05/28/08 at 09:49 AM
Oh Katy...I can SO relate. It seems every time I look into the mirror I see a new something-or-other that just apparently happened overnight!

I have no miracle cures. I'm doing the healthy eating thing, but I recently read an AP news story that said Olay products tested better than pricey skin care creams when it came to actually reducing the appearing of aging! So I don't think we have to fork out a ton of money.

I like to think I take very good care of my skin, but I'm beginning to think that whatever is going to happen with it is just going to happen.

One comforting thought...the fact that we even care, and are trying to do something about it, and are TRYING to look good at our age, puts us way ahead of a lot of women who just give up completely.
Posted by Cindy Swanson on 05/28/08 at 10:41 AM
i once asked my grandmother how she kept her face without any wrinkles and she said, "I use Oil of Olay on my face every night and keep a little fat on it too."

She ate a scoop of ice cream and some pretzels every night before bed, even the night before she went to be with Jesus. She didn't believe in being too skinny (YAY!) but did use Oil of Olay products for as long as i remembered.
Posted by laura on 05/28/08 at 11:27 AM
Katy, you have got to read Nora Ephron's "I Feel Bad About My Neck". Absolutely hilarious! Warning - will only deepen the laugh lines.
Posted by anne on 05/28/08 at 12:54 PM
Christa--Tee, hee! I'm afraid standing on my head might introduce a whole new set of problems. Love the word pic, though!

Sandi--I laugh my fool head off!!! But I know that issues related to caring for my mother have aged me rather rapidly these past seven years. I remember reading that the older Barbara Bush, when her 3-year-old daughter died of leukemia, turned white-headed OVERNIGHT. Stress is hard on a body--and a face!

Suzan--Hi, girl! I've got some Nutiva Coconut Oil. Since I can't eat it without intestinal difficulties, I shall use it on my face! Now, you've nailed me with the water, fruits and veggies. I need to do better on all counts....

Cyndi--Ain't it the truth? The saddest words I hear said about a woman are, "She just let herself go." You look to have beautiful skin, and if you have your mama's genes, you will be fine!!! Oh, I do believe it about Olay.

Laura--Two votes for Olay! Good for your grandma. It's amazing how we so quickly abandon things our elders did, when they WORKED. We think we have to spend a ton of $$$ to get a similar result. I think Olay hadn't been around too long when my grandma died, but I know she used it toward the end of her life...

Anne--I have been wanting to read that book! Thank you for reminding me. And about laugh lines: those are the only ones I would NOT want to get rid of. I think they look fantastic on both men and women. Beautiful testaments to joy...
Posted by Katy on 05/28/08 at 02:48 PM
Vaseline and EB 5, Katy.
Winning combination.

BJ
Posted by BJ on 05/30/08 at 03:07 PM
Mom-Just "washed" my face with olive oil...my nightly treat. Face not perfect by any means...but, it's the best it's been since getting acne at 15. Excellent makeup remover as well! Oh, and I only use mineral makeup. Wonderful!
Posted by Carrie Dahmer on 05/30/08 at 10:08 PM
BJ--I had not heard of EB5. I know. I'm living under a rock! Googled it, though, and it looks great--and so do you. You're a "walking advertisement." Now, how do you use the Vaseline? Just as a make-up remover? After I had brain surgery, one of my eyes stopped tearing completely. Also popped open in the middle of the night (while I was sleeping! very freaky!) and dried out horribly. I had to use a tiny tube of Vaseline, applied inside my eyelid each night. My ONE EYE had the most wonderful eyelashes during that time, and the effect lasted several YEARS after I stopped using it. But I should have used it in BOTH eyes--ha!

Carrie--Tell me again how you are doing the olive oil treatment. And are you buying the mineral make-up through the mail, or from a local store? Love you!!
Posted by Katy on 05/31/08 at 09:54 AM
Here is a link to a google search. Lots of great sites that explain the process of the oil cleansing method.
http://www.google.com/search?q=oil+cleansing+method&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
I use Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation by L’Oreal. It's about 11 bucks and lasts a couple months.
Posted by Carrie Dahmer on 05/31/08 at 02:15 PM
Nice and Informative Article!
Posted by brave on 09/20/09 at 02:14 AM
Usually use sweet almond oil and rosemary essential oil.
However! Rosa mesquite oil is supposed to be THE best one, but it is REALLY expensive!
Posted by Try Resveratol on 09/21/09 at 02:39 AM
Sweer almond oil is almost religious! Try it, I bet youl like it!
Posted by Läppstift on 10/28/09 at 03:03 PM
I have fair freckled skin and I don't want to cover them I love my freckles I just want to be a little more tan and no matter what I try I either get burned or streaks. Please any suggestions will help
Posted by Denver Skin Care on 11/27/09 at 01:33 AM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	The Skinny I’m pretty committed, as I age oh so fallibly, not to have “procedures” done to my face. But even I know it’s gone too far when I define a procedure as Windexing the mirror so I can take a quick peek. When it comes to my face, I’m clueless. I still remember my grandmother and all her beauty potions. Unlike my mother—whose idea of a skin regimen was 13 pairs of tweezers, a round box of Mabelline powder with a puff on top, and a tube of red lipstick—Grandma dabbled in more refined beautification arts. Which is to say, she plunked down $1.95 to try any formula advertised in the back of her movie magazines. She often rhapsodized about Elizabeth Taylor’s magnificent violet eyes, and how no matter how much weight she lost or gained or how many husbands she married and divorced, no one could say she didn’t have the loveliest eyes in the world. And then, since there were no violet contact lenses on the market to change Grandma’s eyes from plain brown to violet, she did the next best thing. She purchased—and wore—every brand of false eyelash (black and thick!) known to womankind. Add those to the false fingernails, the mousy hair she kept red forever, eye shadows in every color including magnificent violet, and lipsticks to match each outfit, and well. You can imagine how much fun I had sitting at her vanity and playing grown-up. While she had fun with cosmetics, she also had some angst about her fair, freckled skin. I’m remembering her at about age sixty, being terribly concerned about her “liver spots.” So concerned, in fact, that she read all the movie magazine articles about which stars were using what, and tried every concoction they swore by. And then she started examining me. I was just a little kid, but Grandma was quite concerned about bleaching my freckles with lemon juice so that I wouldn’t face the horror of liver spots when I got to be, I don’t know, twelve. So, for a few years, every time I visited Grandma slathered me with a new ointment, cream, or salve guaranteed to save me from a fate worse than…hers. But, you see, heredity (like gravity) is a winner. The movie magazines did not save Grandma from liver spots any more than People Magazine can save me. But now, after performing yesterday the procedure of Windexing the mirror, I’m getting…concerned. It’s my neck, doing that thing it does. But it’s not only my neck. My jowls are falling and apparently they can’t get up. Plus, I’ve got laughlines in places that have never smiled. And if you think I’m a candidate for a product that promises to “visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines,” think again. To call these fine lines is a gross insult to fine lines. Maybe Grandma traumatized me a little, making me think my freckles weren’t acceptable. Maybe I rebelled by waiting too long in the game to pay attention to my complexion. But now I’m coming to you, O fallible ones, for your BEST tips on how to try to hold wrinkles (Dear Lord, I hate that word!) at bay. Here’s my hope: I would love it if you’d suggest cheap, easy, time-tested, cheap, and easy remedies. I would REALLY, REALLY hate having $34.99 plus $7.95 shipping and handling automatically deducted from my checking account each month, all because I skipped church and instead watched infomercials starring Jane Seymour. Seeing that charge come through would make me scowl in a way not consistent with helping the matter. I also will not get involved in any type of multi-level marketing. Anybody out there using olive oil as a facial? What kind of results have you had? All cheap and easy advice graciously appreciated! Posted by Katy on 05/28/08 at 07:26 AM Fallible Comments... I'm all for standing on my head. At least the skin flops back to my face.It's cheap, too Posted by Christa on 05/28/08 at 09:30 AM Katy, I understand that laughing is very good for wrinkles. Since it is the opposite of frowning, the muscles get exercised and stay in shape. I think it has to be the ultimate remedy. Otherwise, time marches on.... Posted by Sandi Thompson on 05/28/08 at 09:30 AM Drink lots of filtered water, eat veggies, and yes, fruit! And for topical, you can't beat pure unrefined extra virgin organic coconut oil as a moisturizer. I use Nutiva and I get it on amazon pretty cheap. Or pure organic jojoba oil if you hate coconuts. Get jojoba oil at amazon or health food stores. Organic Olive oil is good too, but pricey. Regarding those expensive topical products, do not waste your money. They are all hype. If you use one and it makes you look good, you can never ever stop using it because it is all superficial. Nothing can really stop um, our very graceful aging. :-) And remember, you're still beautiful, even after gravity has set in. :-) Posted by suzan on 05/28/08 at 09:49 AM Oh Katy...I can SO relate. It seems every time I look into the mirror I see a new something-or-other that just apparently happened overnight! I have no miracle cures. I'm doing the healthy eating thing, but I recently read an AP news story that said Olay products tested better than pricey skin care creams when it came to actually reducing the appearing of aging! So I don't think we have to fork out a ton of money. I like to think I take very good care of my skin, but I'm beginning to think that whatever is going to happen with it is just going to happen. One comforting thought...the fact that we even care, and are trying to do something about it, and are TRYING to look good at our age, puts us way ahead of a lot of women who just give up completely. Posted by Cindy Swanson on 05/28/08 at 10:41 AM i once asked my grandmother how she kept her face without any wrinkles and she said, "I use Oil of Olay on my face every night and keep a little fat on it too." She ate a scoop of ice cream and some pretzels every night before bed, even the night before she went to be with Jesus. She didn't believe in being too skinny (YAY!) but did use Oil of Olay products for as long as i remembered. Posted by laura on 05/28/08 at 11:27 AM Katy, you have got to read Nora Ephron's "I Feel Bad About My Neck". Absolutely hilarious! Warning - will only deepen the laugh lines. Posted by anne on 05/28/08 at 12:54 PM Christa--Tee, hee! I'm afraid standing on my head might introduce a whole new set of problems. Love the word pic, though! Sandi--I laugh my fool head off!!! But I know that issues related to caring for my mother have aged me rather rapidly these past seven years. I remember reading that the older Barbara Bush, when her 3-year-old daughter died of leukemia, turned white-headed OVERNIGHT. Stress is hard on a body--and a face! Suzan--Hi, girl! I've got some Nutiva Coconut Oil. Since I can't eat it without intestinal difficulties, I shall use it on my face! Now, you've nailed me with the water, fruits and veggies. I need to do better on all counts.... Cyndi--Ain't it the truth? The saddest words I hear said about a woman are, "She just let herself go." You look to have beautiful skin, and if you have your mama's genes, you will be fine!!! Oh, I do believe it about Olay. Laura--Two votes for Olay! Good for your grandma. It's amazing how we so quickly abandon things our elders did, when they WORKED. We think we have to spend a ton of $$$ to get a similar result. I think Olay hadn't been around too long when my grandma died, but I know she used it toward the end of her life... Anne--I have been wanting to read that book! Thank you for reminding me. And about laugh lines: those are the only ones I would NOT want to get rid of. I think they look fantastic on both men and women. Beautiful testaments to joy... Posted by Katy on 05/28/08 at 02:48 PM Vaseline and EB 5, Katy. Winning combination. BJ Posted by BJ on 05/30/08 at 03:07 PM Mom-Just "washed" my face with olive oil...my nightly treat. Face not perfect by any means...but, it's the best it's been since getting acne at 15. Excellent makeup remover as well! Oh, and I only use mineral makeup. Wonderful! Posted by Carrie Dahmer on 05/30/08 at 10:08 PM BJ--I had not heard of EB5. I know. I'm living under a rock! Googled it, though, and it looks great--and so do you. You're a "walking advertisement." Now, how do you use the Vaseline? Just as a make-up remover? After I had brain surgery, one of my eyes stopped tearing completely. Also popped open in the middle of the night (while I was sleeping! very freaky!) and dried out horribly. I had to use a tiny tube of Vaseline, applied inside my eyelid each night. My ONE EYE had the most wonderful eyelashes during that time, and the effect lasted several YEARS after I stopped using it. But I should have used it in BOTH eyes--ha! Carrie--Tell me again how you are doing the olive oil treatment. And are you buying the mineral make-up through the mail, or from a local store? Love you!! Posted by Katy on 05/31/08 at 09:54 AM Here is a link to a google search. Lots of great sites that explain the process of the oil cleansing method. http://www.google.com/search?q=oil+cleansing+method&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official I use Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation by L’Oreal. It's about 11 bucks and lasts a couple months. Posted by Carrie Dahmer on 05/31/08 at 02:15 PM Nice and Informative Article! Posted by brave on 09/20/09 at 02:14 AM Usually use sweet almond oil and rosemary essential oil. However! Rosa mesquite oil is supposed to be THE best one, but it is REALLY expensive! Posted by Try Resveratol on 09/21/09 at 02:39 AM Sweer almond oil is almost religious! Try it, I bet youl like it! Posted by Läppstift on 10/28/09 at 03:03 PM I have fair freckled skin and I don't want to cover them I love my freckles I just want to be a little more tan and no matter what I try I either get burned or streaks. Please any suggestions will help Posted by Denver Skin Care on 11/27/09 at 01:33 AM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: O.P.T. Previous entry: A Mother Remembers << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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The Skinny

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri