The 50+ Face: Skin Care for Women and Men

As you can probably guess by the title, this post is going to be about ElderGoth skin care.  However, that does NOT mean that it's not relevant for those under 50!  Au contraire, it's a very good idea to make sure you are taking care of your skin as well as you can whatever age you are now, so that when you reach 50, your skin doesn't look 60.  (You want to have the face that "launched a thousand ships", not the face that sank them!)

Guys, this also applies to you, whether or not you wear makeup!  You don't REALLY want to look like Sean Penn in "This Must Be the Place", do you???  I didn't think so.

One major advantage that most goths have skinwise is that we stay out of the sun as much as possible, and out of tanning beds entirely. I knew a bellydancer years ago who must have lived in a tanning bed; her skin was brown, dry and wrinkled, and she looked at least ten years older than she was.  I don't know whether or not she used any kind of skin care, but if she did, I hate to think what she would have looked like without it.  ::shudders::

Anyway, back to our faces...   I don't care how expensive or cheap your makeup is, your skin care MUST be the best you can possibly find for your particular needs.  Right now I'm using mostly Mabelline and Revlon makeup items, but I save my pennies and buy almost all my skin care products from Estee Lauder.  This line is really excellent, and although people of any age can certainly use it, it's formulated with mature skin in mind. And, most importantly, it WORKS for me.

The best way to find the right skin care line for you is to shop for it.  (Yes, I'm giving you an excuse to go shopping!!)  Head for the nearest mall that houses either a Macy's, Nordstrom's, Sak's Fifth Avenue, or an equivalent store in your area.  Tell the sales associates in the cosmetics section that you are looking for the right skin care line for you, answer their questions, and let them work their magic!  (Try to get there early, so you'll be fresh, they'll be fresh, and you'll be able to wear the products all day.)  You don't have to buy anything right away; ask for samples so you can wear it the next day as well and see how it goes.  You may have to try more than one brand before finding the right one, but trust me, it's worth taking the time, especially since just going with the first one you try might cost you considerably more in both money and grief than waiting for the one that's perfect for you. 

Sometimes you do have to spend more to get the quality you need.  Case in point: I was running out of my Estee Lauder Daywear, but hesitated to spend money I really couldn't afford right then, so I tried a jar of Olay moisturizing cream, which was cheaper and available at the corner Walgreen's.  The company has a good reputation, so I figured it was worth a try.  It was a horrible mistake!!!  It didn't moisturize my skin at all, felt goopy and sticky, and the chemical smell followed me around all day AND night.  After a week, I returned it to the store, got my money back, and headed for the Estee Lauder counter at Macy's.

Once you've found the right line, don't go hog wild; you don't need every product in the line, after all, only the ones relevant to your skin.  For example, I have dry skin now (I used to have oily/combination skin), so I use Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift Creme and Perfectionist [CP+R] Serum to lift and firm the skin on my face and neck, Night Repair Serum and Daywear Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme under my foundation or by itself to protect my face and keep it hydrated.  Both cremes are SPF 15, and Daywear is available in both regular and oil-free formulas.  However, I stopped using Estee Lauder's liquid foundation; instead, I use Mabelline's Dream Smooth Mousse foundation on top of the Daywear.  Why?  Because it actually blends better on my now drier skin than the liquid formula does; the bonus for me is that it's also a LOT cheaper (Lauder's foundation is $23, while Mabelline's is around $10).  And yes, I consider foundation to be skincare as well as makeup, which is why I've included it in this post.

And don't forget that goth staple: SUNSCREEN!  Even if the skin care items products you use have an SPF rating, you need more than that if you will be outside for any length of time.  SPF only measures protection against burning, which is caused by UVB rays; we also need protection from UVA rays, which are what cause the deep-level skin damage that contributes to aging.  Make sure your sunscreen contains ingredients that will actually protect you from UVA rays: titanium dioxide, avobenzone, or zinc oxide.  And if your other skin care products contain one of these ingredients, so much the better!

Note for The Guys:  There are many excellent brands that carry skin care lines specifically formulated for men.  One of the best used to be (believe it or not) by Mary Kay.  I used to sell MK years ago, and from personal experience dealing with male customers, I can say with honesty that their Skin Management for Men was truly excellent.  I don't know what it's like now, but if you really would rather not hit the mall to look for skin care products, I recommend that you go online and find a Mary Kay rep in your area who can arrange to give you a free skin care appointment, or just give you samples if you'd prefer.  They can't put the product on you (they're not licensed to touch your face), but they can show you how to use it and let you try the products.  And if you find you don't like it after buying, you can return it for a full refund.

So, what do YOU use on your skin?  What works for you, and what doesn't?