14 Ageless Beauty Secrets

14 Ageless Beauty SecretsPhysical WellnessFrom Words of Wellness,A regular column by Angela Brown, Mar 12, 2003

Summary:How can you be eighty and not a wrinkle on your face? we wondered. Pursed lips and a hand on her hip she proclaimed, Grandma mustnt tell her secrets. But after much prodding, pleading and begging Grandma, she finally caved in.Say cheese the photographer chirped as he clicked away. He didnt believe Grandma was eighty. She didnt look a day older than forty-six. That would have been tough though since Dad was well into his fifties.

Later at her birthday party, we girls took Grandma aside and asked her to let us in on her secrets of youth and ageless beauty. How can you be eighty and not a wrinkle on your face? we wondered. Pursed lips and a hand on her hip she proclaimed, Grandma mustnt tell her secrets. But after much prodding, pleading and begging Grandma, she finally caved in. Heres what she told us:

Create a daily self-care ritual to establish good habits. The ritual should include care from head to toe and everything in between. Begin with your hair. Washing and rinsing your hair is fine, but avoid overworking it with blow dryers and curling irons. Thatll burn your hair and leave you with split ends.

Wash your face with a non-abrasive cleanser and pat it dry. Scrubbing it tears and pulls the skin in ways thats not pretty later on.

Check your eyebrows for strays. Pluck or tweeze the strays when necessary to keep your tailored arched shape.

For the eyes, the best thing to keep them alert and free from dark circles is plenty of rest. Make sure you get at least six hours of sleep a night and seven when you can. Less than that will leaving you feeling as tired as youll look.

Your lips should be lined with a lip liner so your lipstick doesnt smear or bleed and you should wear a good expensive lipstick that doesnt melt when you kiss.

Your teeth are precious and you want to keep your real ones as long as you can. Brush them at least twice a day to keep the plaque off and your breath fresh. Its a good idea to keep a toothbrush and a small tube of strong toothpaste in your purse just so you always have them with you. Another note on teeth, the whiter they are, the younger you look. Avoid substances that stain your teeth or brush immediately following coffee, tea, tobacco, cooked beets and carrot juice.

Wear sunscreen. Every time you go outside for any length of time, wear at least SPF 15 and SPF 30 if youre smart. If you dont have sunscreen with you, cover yourself with long sleeves and long pants.

Wear sunglasses when outdoors or a big straw hat to deflect the bright sunrays.

When you go to bed at night, gently apply liquid vitamin E (available at most drugstores) under and around your eyes, and on any visible wrinkles. You can also use it on the back of your hands for a youthful look. By morning, youll see a remarkable improvement.

Avoid eating late at night. You want your digestive system to be sleeping when you are. Overworked organs make you feel exhausted not refreshed in the morning.

Drink plenty of water every day. It refreshes dry withered skin just like watering a drooping plant.

Exercise every day. It doesnt have to be much, just enough to get the old heart pumping fast. Walking, yard work, housework or chasing kids will jumpstart the old engine and keep you young.

And most important practice moderation in all things. Excessive behaviors will kill ya. Overeating, too much work, too much sleep, too much fightingit will all age you prematurely. Balance, thats what you need to keep you young, a healthy life of balance.

Angela Brown (c) 2002, Angela is a highly sought after speaker and seminar leader and can be reached at Angela@WordsofWellness.com