Memoirs of a Skincare Junkie: Practical Women Need Not Read

When I hit my mid 20's, my older sister promptly informed me that my skin would start to lose its elasticity and that the sooner I started a skin maintenance and prevention routine, the better I would look in the long run. Well this bit of news began my psychotic obsession of a very expensive nonstop cycle of buying and trying just about every anti-age cream, moisturizer, cleanser and so on that I could get my hands on. On special occasions my sisters asked for the latest craze in jewelry or purses as gifts from our parents, I sacrificed fashion and begged my mom to buy me the latest skincare craze. I charged exuberant amounts of money on my credit cards during sleepless nights as I fell victim to those ever so convincing infomercials that promised me everlasting youth in a bottle. My family laughed. My friends laughed. They dubbed me crazy. So here I am now in my early 30's and well, I look like I am in my early 30's. I suppose the sun block and creams that I have been slathering on for the last 7 or so years have helped to prevent some aging, but have I found my miracle? Not yet!

All my research has undoubtedly led me to believe that out of all ingredients out there, retinol is one of, if not the, best ingredient to minimize signs of aging. With this knowledge I found myself approaching my dermatologist last year in regards to using Retin - A. He agreed that this was a good choice and wrote me a prescription. However, as I started to ask him questions about the skincare products advertised around his office, he cut me off. My doctor explained to me that he truly believed that wasting money on many of the expensive products was just that - a waste of money. He explained that he felt over the counter creams, such as Neutrogena and Oil of Olay had great skincare products that would work quite effectively. While he did agree that certain procedures, such as, chemical peels and microdermabrasion were beneficial as well, he actually recommended that I arm myself with an Allure magazine, stating that he felt they offered women excellent knowledge on new products as well as effective ways to care for our skin.

As you can imagine, I left his office shocked. I walked in there fully prepared to sign up for chemical peels, microdermabrasion, injections, purchase miracle creams, basically whatever I had to do to insure that not one more line or crease would appear on my face! So I went home, not sure what to do with this revelation; my husband filled my Retin-A prescription and bought me an Allure magazine that same afternoon. I called my sister. I called my friends. I called my sister again, and we continued to ponder the dermatologist‘s advice. Is he not in business to make money? Or perhaps my skin is so perfect that he felt he could be of absolutely no assistance to me whatsoever? Ok, so that's obviously not the answer. But I think I have found what is.

We, as women, need to take charge of our own skins destiny, meaning we need to educate ourselves (enter Allure Magazine), or whatever other source we can trust to provide a non-bias review of products as well as provide feedback that will allow us to make more informed decisions on what skincare products we buy. I have also learned, once and for all, that expensive does not necessarily mean it will work, and (UGH!) no such thing as a miracle cream exists. While I have to admit, my obsession with skincare will never subside, its focus has changed. I still use Retin-A every night, get an occasional facial and plan on trying chemical peels soon; I now have a "do it yourself" attitude. I focus primarily on prevention (SPF 45 please), seek real reviews, and no longer waste ridiculous amounts of money. Ok, ok, so I do occasionally harass my sister at work to inform her that I have found the cure for cellulite as I am rubbing coffee grinds all over my thighs, or am slathering olive oil on myself from head to toe...in a circular motion...but hey....it's instinct...natural feminine instinct to try whatever necessary to perfect our bodies. I like to believe I am doing this a bit more intelligently now. Besides, when I yell at my husband for leaving his boxers on the floor, he now has a valid response, "did you even attempt to clean the coffee grinds out of the shower?"