12 Step Program for BBs
Hello. My name is Lucille and I’m 58. And I’m not recovering.
I don’t lie about my age and I really believe it’s a mistake to. Say you’re 10 years younger than you are and people think, “Oh. She looks so old for her age.”
Of course, it pays to look younger than you are, which is probably why I’ve never felt the urge to lie (except when I was 18 and said I was 21. . . but that’s a different story.). Because I’m sometimes asked what my “secret” is, I’ve put together my own 12 Step Program for Non-Recovering BBs:
- 1. Don’t smoke. It’s probably too late for that piece of advice. Sorry. Tell your daughters.
- 2. Don’t tan your face Really. A little bit of face tan won’t be so bad, but with self tanners and makeup, why risk it?
- 3. Take extra precautions when tanning your chest. Ever see a leathery, wrinkled decolletage? Believe me, it’s a major turnoff, no matter how shapely you are. Some advice from a “professional tanner”: whatever strength sun tan lotion you’re using on the rest of your body, use a higher number on your chest. It’s closer to the sun and burns faster.
- 4. Limit sugar. Studies have shown that sugar attaches to collagen and skin proteins and causes wrinkles. So there, you Atkins Diet non-believers!
- 5. Never, never use soap on your face. Years ago P&G introduce a new soap and suggested you “lather up for 30 seconds” before rinsing your face. So I tried it and my face burned for about a week. That was the last time I used soap on my face. Which leads me to. . .
- 6. Only wash your face once a day. Seriously. No matter what you use, washing your face dries it. Limiting yourself to once a day leaves it twice as moisturized. I haven’t washed my face more than once a day since high school.
- 7. Moisturize – duh
- 8. Avoid squinting Squinting causes crow’s feet. Wear your reading glasses – at least they’re not permanent, like wrinkles
- 9. Wear sunglasses because then you won’t squint! I wear sunglasses all year round. Not only does it help me avoid wrinkling, I also look mysterious and stunning!
- 10. Wear a hat at the beach. I’m obsessing over the face tanning thing because I can’t emphasize enough how much you can irreversibly damage your skin from sunburn, not to mention increasing your risk of skin cancer. And here’s an interesting blurb from WebMD: Over 80% of the signs of skin aging in adults result from their tans as teens.
- 11. Pick parents with very good genes. Yeah, I know. In this you have no choice. But it’s probably the biggest factor in my “youthful” looks, as with all my sisters and my mother. Sorry!
- 12. Lie If all else fails, lie about your age in the other direction: say you’re older than you are. Then people will say, “You look great for your age!” and be none the wiser.
Tags: 12-step program, Ageing, Ageism, Babedom, Botox, genes, over 40, skin, smoking, soap, sugar, tanning, wrinkles
Ha Ha Ha…12 steps, eh? whatwva…by the way, you’re not 58…that makes me older and I am not going there YET!
My favorite thing to tell others is “I’m a grandma”…most think grandma equals old and gray….then I say I’m 47 and they’re still amazed. Yup, Lucille, you are correct…we picked parents with great genes…
Also, a tip…always put lotion on your face & neck in an upward direction…..about the washing once a day…no thanks…that’s just GROSS…and what about those with really oily skin????? come on….that’s just disgusting…next thing you’ll say is don’t wash your hair either….NOT!
Actually, if you wash your hair daily you make it oilier because your body is trying to counteract the fact that you’re stripping it of natural oils. Stop washing it every day for a week or two and you’ll realize you don’t have to.
Well, I pretty much follow your 12 steps, although, sorry to say, I like my sugar. I have worn sunscreen on my face for years and always wear a baseball cap at the beach. I always use a high spf when I am tanning no matter how much of a base I have. Most people find it hard to believe that I am nearly 50–I find it hard to believe myself! So, I never lie about my age. I am proud to say that I will be 48 in December, but most people when I tell them think I am closer to 38–for now. Don’t know how much longer I will look nearly 10 years younger, but I’ll take it as long as it lasts! LOL We have good genes too!
Ok, genes definitely play a factor but watch out girls, things started to go “downhill” for me after 50. My older sister says that you see a significant change every 10 years…then you level off and the process continues, if you are lucky…..lol lol. I have a problem with telling my real age but I do agree with go “older” but now I try not say anything because I don’t want to get my feelings hurt, if you know what I mean. I am sure that eventually I will be “proud” of my age….I am working on that one.
I believe in the genes. I am 61 and look….. I don’t know how old I look but I know that my skin is pretty much wrinkle free and clear of age spots. I have very dark skin so I don’t need to lie on the beach to get a tan so I will skip that step.. LOL!!! But when I go out to play tennis I do wear sunscreen the higher the better.
Hi Lucille,
I nominated your blog for the Lovely Blog award! Hope you can stop by to pick it up.
All the best, Jo
http://www.over40style.com/blog-award-over40style-11378980