Do you like my mysterious and quizzical title?

The idea for this post came when Bry and I were waiting for a delayed plane out of PDX and I wandered around a Keihl’s store. I skirted around the outside, close enough to sample a little hand cream but keeping far enough away to avoid getting badgered by sales folk. Then I overheard a conversation between the sales gal and woman with (if I’m honest) not-so-good skin. Hyper pigmentation, dark spots, lines, wrinkles, and pores big enough to store loose change.

She stared open-mouthed in frustration as the sales girl talked about this product and that. A corrective and firming regiment of balms, tonics and creams seemed to be just the ticket! Bryan wandered over at that point and I asked him what he thought of the promises of all these products. He looked at me blankly and replied, “C’mon Nat. We’re all slowly dying.”

A bit morbid, sure. But I am beginning to think he was dead on (pun intended). We’re all trying to reverse a process that is inevitable for all humans. A slow breakdown of our youth and beauty sounds just horrific, so we look anywhere for help. We look to the $350 cream in a fancy pot and laquered box. We look to medi-spas, botox, fillers and even surgery. We will do anything.

So I wander up and down the aisles and aisles of skincare, reading words like “age-defying”, “wrinkle-reducing” and my favorite, “luminescent”. I think, I want to defy my age! I want a reduction in my wrinkles and OBVS I want to be luminescent. Of COURSE I do.

But I think the day Bryan uttered those words to me it finally clicked.  Sadly, NO amount of money is going to give me the skin of an 18-year old. Nor will I ever “glow from within” unless I’m just really sweaty. And the recent photos of Ms. Renee Zellweger prove that going the surgical route is just SO wrong. So what CAN I do?

• I can drink water (even though I MUCH prefer Diet Coke).
• I can exersize, eat things that are good for me and try to get in m’8hours.
• I can douse myself in SPF, wear floppy hats and always find a spot in the shade.
• I can keep my skin in great shape using simple methds of washing, exfoliating and making sure my skin is hydrated.
• I can do fun things with my makeup like like eyelash extensions, a bold red lip and fierce brows (on fleek!).

I guess what I am saying is, although I’d like to belive that dropping thousands of dollars on laser treatments and creams laden with chemicals could make a difference in restoring youth – it’s mostly a bit of smoke and mirrors. Clever marketing, beautiful packagaing and perfectly trained sales people that rattle off 75 reasons why YOU NEED this product. It’s a bit of a circus, or a carnival that can be confusing and a bit scary to those who can’t see through the fog.

But don’t fret because believe it or not, it is pretty easy to take excellent care of your skin with products that keep it simple. If you’re interested in my opinion of products and lines that fit the bill and are worth the money, stay tuned.