Misc: all links so far

misc

• 10 Reasons to Publish a Book in Your Field

• Alcohol: What drinking does to your skin (new!)

• “But You Didn’t”—a poem from a 12-year-old, sentiments on Memorial Day

• Dermatology, skin care & 2 sets of belief systems

• I’m back from Europe—some photos of my trip

• Never a blank page when it comes to aging

• PLEASE: Don’t take Premarin! (new!)

• Skin care and sleep loss: “I need help!” (new!)

• Sugar, wine, and breakout (new!)

• Tips & Skin Boosters for anyone stuck in an office all day

• Too Busy for Skin Care? Sometimes doing The Basics is all you need

• WHAT are Capillaries? You want to know about them, especially if you have red or sensitive skin!

• What is the SHELF LIFE of skin care products? And how to tell if a product has “gone bad”

Sugar, wine, and breakout

I understand your stance on sugar and it causing problems with people’s skin. What about wine and its sugar content? Can drinking wine cause breakout?

When grapes are picked, they contain about 24% sugar by weight. That is a lot of sugar! During the fermentation of wine, yeast eats up this sugar and expels alcohol. So the process of making wine does reduce the amount of sugar in this alcoholic beverage. During most of my adult life, I was rarely if ever affected by the sugar content in wine. I didn’t breakout from wine (that I know of) and I am one of the most sensitive people when it comes to sugar.

Sweeter wines will have a higher sugar content, drier varieties will have less sugar. Dessert wines, of course, will have the highest sugar content of all. Because grapes are some of the sweetest, most sugar-concentrated fruits, and wine is made from grapes, you will find a higher sugar content in wine than other alcoholic libations. If you are sensitive to sugar, you may break out from drinking wine—it’s not out of the question. I’ve talked a lot about my own sensitivities to sugar, and following is yet another, perhaps surprising example of how sugar, in all its many forms, can affect your body if you are sensitive to it.

A few members of my family are wine makers. They have a small vineyard on their property and make wine for their personal consumption. One of the benefits, aside from having access to wonderful wines that are home grown, is I can have them test the RS (residual sugar) in any bottle of wine. I have asked to have two different bottles of white wine tested in the past few months because I had developed canker sores in my mouth for no obvious reason. Obvious meaning I ate ice cream or had a cookie or two, which even now at 59 will cause these sores to form.

Since on these two occasions, months apart, I had really bad canker sores, I had these wines tested and sure enough: they both had a high RS. Amazing! And problem solved. Neither one of these wines tasted particularly sweet—I don’t like sweet wine—but still they both had high residual sugar and that means I simply won’t drink them. If you’ve ever had canker sores, you understand why. It’s nice to have the RS confirmed by a wine maker with all the testing tools, something that is probably not readily available to most people, but if you get blemishes or canker sores after drinking a new bottle of wine, your body’s reaction might be the only test you need.

Although I no longer get blemishes if I eat things that are sugary, I am still prone to canker sores—something I also had a lot of when I was a very young girl. Both then as a young person, well before my teenage years and now after menopause, my hormones weren’t surging and therefore I didn’t then and don’t now get blemishes. But due to my extreme sensitivity to sugar, with these high RS wines, I developed canker sores. I find this so interesting!

My experience, although just one, is an example of the power of sugar and how even though you might have grown out of skin breakouts, if you are sensitive to sugar it can and probably will still affect you throughout your life. I find this fascinating and it keeps me from eating or drinking anything that has even a modest sugar content. Except for the rare time when I just give in and let go of my normal abstinence and just live a little!

For more information, see:

• Alcohol: What drinking does to your skin
• I’m sensitive to sugar—are you?
• “I don’t eat much sugar”—really?

PLEASE: Don’t take Premarin!

Warning: some of you may not want to read this article. I understand, I get it. Seeing the true of something is sometimes quite ugly. When it comes to imparting knowledge with conviction, I believe a jerk with a message is never heard. And so, here, I am going to try and not get preachy about Premarin. I will work on not being a jerk while at the same time giving you information you might not know about.

When it comes to taking drugs, perhaps it’s easy to turn a blind eye as to where they came from. I think Premarin is exactly one of those instances. For obvious reasons, how the hormones for this drug are extracted are not well publicized—at least not by the drug companies. But if you go online there are copious amounts of information and accounts of the “extraction” process. Some websites are militant, which I think may turn some people off. But even so, they are simply giving the true account of how horses are used and abused in order to give women a hormone replacement that may not even be safe for them to take.

For those of you who don’t know, the hormone replaced Premarin stands for pregnant mares’ urine (PREgnant MARes’ urINe). These 4-leggeds subject to the drug companies are called “PMU” horses, sometimes called Premarin Horses. No matter what you call these female equines, their life is dismall at best and miserable and filled with cruelty for sure.

I can recall countless clients being surprised when I told them that taking the birth control pill makes the body think it’s pregnant. And when a woman takes Premarin, she may not really understand what the horses have to go through in order to extract their urine. And this drug contains hormones—for a horse—that a human woman takes to offset some of the symptoms of menopause. This just sounds crazy to me even if it didn’t involve animal cruelty as well.

The life of a PMU horse—24/7

Horses are nomadic, herd oriented, and prey animals. This means they travel (walk) for most of the day and stay in groups, not just because they are social animals but most importantly to keep predators away. The saying “safety in numbers” is what a herd is all about. The Premarin horses are kept tied up 24/7 while they are pregnant in order to extract the hormones used in this drug. Therefore they can’t roam around, satisfying their nomadic nature; and although they are near other female horses, they are constrained; and because they have no freedom of movement, their strong drive to be in a safe place away from any predators no doubt causes considerable stress on these magnificent beings.

If anyone reading this is currently taking Premarin or considering it from a doctor’s recommendation, perhaps with this (new?) knowledge on how massively inhumane it is to take horses from their natural habitat into this catastrophic environment you might choose another option for your hormone replacement therapy.

I personally take bioidentical hormones—still prescribed from a doctor—that are not from an animal source. There are countless studies showing the benefits of bioidenticals, but I don’t need to read anything—I know from how they make me feel. And not having hot flashes and dramatic high and low hormone swings is all I need to know they are working. I have tried many different roads to quelling my hormone issues (see Help for Hot Flashes! below), but bioidentical hormone replacement has been the best way for me.

My blood gets monitored and I have regular checkups with my hormone doctor just like someone would who is using Premarin. The difference is by taking bioidentical hormones—or even other hormones whose source is not animal—I am not negatively influencing the life of a precious horse, their offspring (who are usually sold at auction) or other living thing.

When asked by my clients about a trend or fad or newfangled treatment or even about possibly harmful ingredients in skin care products, I always say I choose my battles. I don’t get up in arms about every single possible negative in the world of skin care. With that in mind, you can say that the use of Premarin and the abuse of horses to extract it is one of my battles. It is an unnecessary drug taken by means that are cruel and unusual and because of that I cannot stand behind its use at all.

I’m not perfect—I do have leather belts and shoes and occasionally I’ll eat meat from a quadruped. But when it comes to animal cruelty of the sort this article is about, I have to take a stand. As many of you know, I love horses so this is a particularly close-to-home subject for me. In the end, each person will choose what they do in life. Hopefully for any of you that didn’t have the low-down on Premarin and its source now might consider a different drug to help with your hormonal symptoms.
  
For more information, see:

• Help for Hot Flashes!—updated
• My experience with Prometrium (“natural” progesterone hormone)
• Dermatology, skin care & 2 sets of belief systems

Alcohol: What drinking does to your skin

Why is alcohol bad, and what does drinking do to my skin?

As much as alcohol can add to a situation, like helping you to relax or otherwise enjoy a social event, there are many reasons why it isn’t great for your skin. I wouldn’t classify alcohol as “bad” per se, but it certainly isn’t helping to keep your skin hydrated and healthy-looking. Depletion is the operative word for what alcohol does to your body in general and specifically to your skin.   

First of all, alcohol is a diuretic, so drinking it depletes your body’s supply of water. A good rule of thumb is to drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic drink. Then you are helping to replace water you will lose from drinking.

Next, alcohol depletes vitamins and minerals, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, choline, inositol, magnesium, and potassium at the very least. Vitamin C and B-complex are both water-soluble vitamins, meaning they are easily flushed out of your system, especially by alcohol. If you are drinking alcohol on any kind of a regular basis, be aware you may be lowering the vitamins stored in your body. I’m not saying never have a glass of wine. But if you drink, I think it would be beneficial to know what it is doing to your body, which ends up affecting your skin.

Alcohol takes the mineral calcium from bone and reduces your body’s ability to metabolize iron; both of these processes are especially bad for women. According to Dr. Christiane Northrup in her book, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, alcohol increases the amount of free-floating estrogens in the bloodstream and has been linked in some clinical studies to an increased risk of breast cancer.

Alcohol is toxic, so when you drink it, your eliminating organs swing into high gear. You may be feeling tipsy from your libation, but your kidneys and liver are hard at work trying to filter out and release the toxins found in that glass of whatever you are drinking.

Finally, alcohol impairs your judgment. Without going into great detail, making poor choices can be catastrophic, like getting behind the wheel. If you drink, don’t drive. Poor choices can also be as minor as not washing your face before going to bed. Better choices? Drink lots of water when you are drinking alcohol and drink a lot of water the following day to help your body (especially your kidneys and liver) process the alcohol.

I like to live my life by this saying: Everything in moderation, including moderation. If you want to have some wine with dinner after a hard day’s work or at a party, don’t stress out about it. Your skin isn’t going to be ruined by a few drinks. But if you drink regularly or even infrequently, I highly recommend taking supplements and other health-producing measures when you do indulge.

Hangover? I’ve written a few articles on things you can do to help keep a hangover to a minimum. Even if you only have one glass of wine, try the suggested cures to help your body recover from the toxic effect of (even a little) alcohol. 

For more information, see:

• Holiday Hangover Helpers
• Hot water and lemon to the rescue
• Emergen-C—a little effervescence for your health 
• Sugar, wine, and breakout

Skin care and sleep loss: “I need help!”

What can I do to help my skin when I’m suffering from a lack sleep on a chronic basis? And please don’t say “get more sleep.” That just isn’t possible right now in my household due to family illnesses.    

I love this question. My guess is that some of this client’s well-meaning friends have been telling her the obvious but unhelpful suggestion of “just get more sleep.” Although the obvious solution, I’m pretty sure anyone who isn’t getting enough sleep is well-aware that sleeping would be the first line of defense without hearing it from an outside source.

In this situation, I believe the help she’s looking for isn’t just a matter of what she uses on her skin, and many times under stress the skin care routine flies out the window anyway, what’s even more important is what she’s putting in her body in terms of liquids and solids. Nutrition when under duress is going to be the key to better health, inside and out. 

Think about what you get from a good night’s sleep: regeneration, detoxification, and your organs get a rest too. So if possible, if you can eat simply, meaning don’t overeat and try to eat foods that are easy to digest vs. a big fat juicy hamburger with French fries. Usually when stressed out overeating or eating easy to acquire foods like fast foods are the norm. So if you want to do right by your body when you’re not able to get good rest each night, eat easy to digest, simple foods as well as making sure to drink more water.

On the skin care front, my recommendations are just about the same as they would be for anyone with problem skin: Be sure you are doing The Basics daily (cleansing, toning, and moisturizing), and if you do The Extras (exfoliating and using a clay mask) once to three times each week, that would be a good choice for more rested-looking skin. In the end there is no amount of skin care that will erase the ravages of not-enough sleep, but through a commitment to proper skin care, you can face the world with healthy skin, even if you are exhausted. Maybe if you can’t sleep, get up and gommage or do a mask while you read a book or write in your journal.

If possible, and I’m writing this during the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic, so perhaps I should say when possible, get a facial and/or a massage. In fact setting up regular appointments to help ease the stress of sleepless nights can go a long way to help you look and feel better. Sometimes just knowing you will be in the hands of a capable practitioner—even if it won’t be until next week or longer—can really take some of the stress you’re carrying off your back. At the same time, I realize these professional treatments are usually pricy, so doing an at-home facial or just putting your feet in a tub of hot sudsy water can give you the temporary relief you’re looking for.

Perhaps the following has the same impact as saying “get more sleep” but if possible don’t stress out about not getting sleep. Usually in life things have a cycle and perhaps your sleeplessness is just a cycle that you will get out of hopefully sooner than later. Regardless, stressing out about not sleeping certainly won’t help you to sleep—especially if you stress about it while in bed.

When I was in my mid-30s, my sweet mom found out she had stage-3 colon cancer. A devastating blow to all of us to say the least. Up to that point I never really had any trouble sleeping, but that all changed during my mom’s illness, and I developed insomnia. It is something I don’t recommend—it is a debilitating “disorder” and not an easy thing to get on top of. Eventually it did “cycle out” of my life, but while I was living through it, it truly made a bad situation worse.

I remember each night as I was getting ready for bed (and each of those nights I was exhausted from not sleeping the night before), I could feel myself starting to tense up at the thought of not being able to fall asleep that night. I kept telling myself to calm down, breathe, and hope for the best but try as I might, that night and for weeks and weeks and months of nights I did not sleep. I took to giving into it and just started watching TV or reading books during the wee hours. It was better than tossing and turning and agonizing over not being able to get some shuteye. In a word: it was horrible!

To my point about cycles and how they come and go, the insomnia I was experiencing eventually did go away. I don’t remember exactly how or when it did leave my life, but now over 20 years later I have thankfully never had long-term insomnia again. I went through that cycle and eventually, although it couldn’t have ended soon enough, it did go away and I went back to a more normal sleeping pattern. And I’m extremely lucky to say that my mom survived and is now 88 years old and thriving. An unexpected but welcomed blessing.

So to those of you who aren’t getting good sleep, I completely understand. The things in your life that may be keeping you up at night will usually somehow eventually fade and you can resume a more peaceful sleeping life at night. It may be that your children grow up or a relationship that is turbulent mellows, or perhaps, if you’re mourning the loss of a loved one, you come to a place of peace about it. Maybe good sleep will not be yours today, and perhaps not tomorrow, but at some point your body will readjust and you will get sleep, glorious, restful, deep and peaceful sleep.

For more information, see:

• Coping through tough times
• Life in Transition: Take this moment for You
• Doing The Next Best Thing
• Skin care is not rocket science—Back to The Basics

Tips & Skin Boosters for anyone stuck in an office all day

The recycled air found in most offices and work places is no friend to your skin. A daily work life spent indoors can often leave your skin dull, dry and irritated. Makeup can turn blotchy and will often require frequent retouching. The good news is there are easy ways to combat the ravages of dry office air. If you are eager to recapture a glowing, healthy look to your skin, try adding one or more of the following tips into your daily or weekly routine.

• Do some form of stretching exercises once or twice during the work day to improve circulation. This will give an energy boost to all parts of your body—including your skin!

• A lunchtime break spend outside has many benefits. The extra oxygen in the outside air can give your skin a healthy glow. Breathing in fresh air is invigorating and can help you face the afternoon’s work with more energy. (Don’t forget to wear a cream with SPF!)

• At night, cleanse your skin twice. The first time to remove any makeup you may be wearing (especially foundation), and the second time to get your skin really clean. For a relaxing treat: Take a clean, warm (not hot!) washcloth and place it over your face before cleansing to help lift off some of the makeup and to prepare and soften your skin for deeper cleaning with your cleanser.

• Stimulate blood flow to the face by exfoliating (sloughing off dead skin) 2-3 times weekly. Yonka’s Gommage is my personal favorite and an excellent choice. (See link below.)

• Give yourself an at-home facial. Start with a thorough cleansing, use an exfoliant, and follow with a mask that suits your individual skin type. A clay (cleansing) mask is my favorite recommendation. Then, take a relaxing bath while masking. After your bath, remove the mask and follow with a spray toner and moisturizer.

• Water helps to hydrate the tissues and aids with detoxification. Drinking more water and eating high-water content foods like raw fruits and vegetables helps the body’s eliminating organs do a more efficient job. Many people are surprised to learn that our skin is the body’s largest organ of elimination.

• Vitamin C helps in the manufacturing of collagen, a protein essential to the healthy elasticity of the skin. Vitamin C also aids the body in detoxification. When the body is free of toxins, you are more energetic, feel less bloated, and your body performs optimally so you look and feel healthier.

Think of these tips as “skin boosters.” A little care can go a long way in getting rid of the office’s drying effects on the skin and helping to keep your skin healthy from the inside out. Practicing these steps on a regular basis will give you visible benefits to enjoy while at the office 9 to 5, but really 24/7—365.

For more information, see:

• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• What IS Gommage?
• At-Home Facials—A DIY How-To
• Tips to help you Drink More Water!

WHAT are Capillaries? You want to know about them, especially if you have red or sensitive skin!

Capillaries comprise part of the blood network to the skin on the face. They are weak by nature and very susceptible to “breaking” or dysfunctioning. Unlike veins, arteries, and blood vessels that are very strong, capillaries are thin and fragile. Once damaged, the only way to reverse the damage is by getting them lasered. This does not truly reverse anything, but lasers can cauterize the capillary, rendering it invisible.  

Capillaries are very susceptible to extremes in temperature. If you are exposed to cold weather or put cold water on your face, the capillaries will constrict (contract). If you are out in hot weather—especially direct sunlight, a hot tub, bath, or steam room, the vessels will dilate or expand.

Sun exposure for long periods of time will weaken the capillaries. And going from one extreme to the other (hot outside to air conditioned inside or vise versa) will really cause trouble for these already weak-by-nature capillaries. Other extremes such as an excess of alcohol, smoking, or caffeine can damage the capillaries as well. (Alcohol and caffeine dilate, smoking constricts.)

The moral of the story is be very moderate with the temperatures you expose your skin to. With hot or cold weather, there isn’t a lot you can do, but you certainly can avoid putting either hot or cold water on your face. And if you smoke, drink alcohol, or are in the sun a lot, know that your capillaries are being adversely affected. Capillaries are very important to the overall health of your skin; be sure to take good care of them!

There have been and continue to be many advancements in laser technology that have proved to be beneficial for removing damaged capillaries, therefore reducing redness, from both face and body. The article listed below on IPL gives you more information on this type of laser procedure for broken capillaries.

For more information, see:

• Couperose Skin explained
• IPL & PhotoFacial treatments for hyperpigmentation, capillary issues & scarring
• Are you sensitive to fragrance?

Dermatology, skin care & 2 sets of belief systems

My dermatologist told me it didn’t matter what I used on my skin. Is that true?

My first question would be does that make sense to you? How can it be possible that what you are using on your skin isn’t affecting it? The products you are using are either helping to maintain healthy skin, or they are helping to cause problems. There really isn’t much room for anything else to be occurring. I suppose a product could just be sitting on your skin doing nothing, but this would be possible only if you had perfect, no problem skin and if the product was inert or inactive.

You may think these are old beliefs that don’t hold true today, but just the other day I was talking to a client whose dermatologist told her that facials were a waste of time. Ten years ago that statement wouldn’t have surprised me, but to hear it now was somewhat disappointing. So many dermatologists nowadays have joined the bandwagon and have aestheticians on staff at their clinics. I believe this is more fiscally motivated than based on a belief that facials are beneficial, but you can’t ignore the fact that dermatology and aesthetics are now holding hands.

Having a dermatologist you like and trust is very important, and I highly recommend that you begin to build a relationship with one in your area. Usually, skin problems need immediate attention, and if you are experiencing a reaction or have a strange-looking mole you want to get looked at, it’s better to already have someone on board to help you.

I also recommend getting a baseline mole check if you haven't done so already. You and your dermatologist can and should work together to decrease your chances of skin cancer. I believe it’s not a matter of whether you will develop some form of skin cancer, but when. Sun damage is so unpredictable, and having a qualified doctor monitoring your skin irregularities and moles is a good idea. I hope you will take my suggestion and if you don’t already have one, find a dermatologist.

How do I go about finding a dermatologist? It seems like everyone I know has one but me! What do I need to look for?

Finding a dermatologist is no different than finding any doctor. You want to find someone whom you trust and who offices in an area that is convenient for you. Not all dermatologists are alike, but there does seem to be a common thread that runs though many of them. I know this from my own experience and from hearing countless stories from my clients over the years.

Dermatologists tend not to spend a whole lot of time with you. Typically a dermatologist will come in, take a quick look at your skin, and either prescribe something or otherwise diagnose the problem and send you on your way. Because of this, I always encourage my clients to have a list of questions with them and get answers before they leave the office. I know when I’m at the doctor’s, I tend to lose my train of thought and forget the questions I may have wanted to ask.

I also recommend that you have your dermatologist check your moles even if you are seeing them for something unrelated. Skin cancer is preventable and curable if caught early, so don’t pass up an opportunity to be looked at from head to toe.

Another commonality I have found in the field of dermatology is there isn’t a lot of emphasis on nutrition as it relates to skin problems. In fact, I ask my clients to pose the question “Do you think diet affects the skin?” to their dermatologists, and nine times out of ten, the answer is no. If this is the case, know you are probably dealing with a doctor who chooses to look at the symptom alone, without considering the body as a whole.

As you probably know, I believe the body must be looked at as an entire machine, although it may be only one part that is in need of repair. If your dermatologist is progressive and understands this wholistic approach, consider yourself lucky. As with any doctor or health care practitioner, if you don’t feel comfortable or confident in someone you go to, listen to yourself and find an alternative next time. 

Touching back to the original question of what you use on your skin doesn’t matter—it does! If you have no-problem skin, you can get away with using less expensive products or products that a problem skin would have issues with. In most cases, it matters what you use. There are dozens of articles on this blog for sensitive, problem, acne and even no-problem skin types to help you navigate the sometimes overwhelming world of product sales.   

For more information, see:

• Products—Finding What’s Right: all links so far
• Wholistic or Holistic: However you spell it—make the healthy choice
• MYTH: Food doesn’t affect skin

10 Reasons to Publish a Book in Your Field

I was asked by the printer of my second book, Skin Care A to Z, if I’d be willing to write an article for their newsletter about why and how it can be beneficial to author a book. I love to write so I set out to write my thoughts on the subject. Below is the article that, although it’s not about how to take care of your skin, I think you may find interesting nonetheless. With that said—Enjoy!

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Over the years I have met numerous people who have a book in their head and a dream to “one day” write it and have it published. I was that person 15+ years ago. Now two publications later, I have to say that writing books has been a wonderful way to promote my business as well as myself as an expert in my profession. If you’re one of the many, consider writing and publishing a book in your given field. Here are some reasons why:

1. Writing a book can help people. Writing about what you know offers people the ability to learn from your years of experience. I’m in a personal service industry, and prior to my first book coming out I was basically helping one person at a time. Now through my books, I can help people who may not be able to come to my office, yet they are able to absorb the knowledge I am imparting through the written word.

2. Writing establishes you as an expert in your field. As I mentioned, many people want to write a book, but few actually do the work. Holding up a book you have written helps to elevate you as an expert in your field like no other. Become a trusted resource with a published book.

3. If you want to reach a wider audience, write a book. Perhaps you’re a coach, a consultant, you own a small business or are in the personal services arena. By writing even a short book, you can enlarge your area of influence. You’ll not only reach your target audience, but your book may spill over into an even wider group of new followers. Reaching a larger audience equals more credibility for you and can translate into more clients for your business.

4. Writing a book brings self-gratification. I love to write, so publishing books is a wonderful way for me to get information out to the public while giving me a huge amount of self-satisfaction. I love the entire process, from the initial outline to opening a newly printed book. Writing a book will give you the confidence to excel in your chosen field. There’s nothing better than accomplishing a long-standing goal.

5. Writing puts you in the media’s headlights. If you have a published book, you are more likely to be approached by the media for quotes and interviews. After all—you’re the expert! You have taken the time and trouble to write down what you know, and the media is always looking for new ideas or even a new angle on an old story. They need content, so provide it for them.

6. Writing a book can and will drive traffic to your website. If you are looking for a great way to get people to your website, then get that book out into the world. Within the pages of any book you write, you have endless possibilities to promote yourself. With an About the Author page you can add information to drive people to your website, other books you’ve written; the list goes on. However you want to promote yourself—include it in your book.

7. Increase your revenue with the written word. Counter to what many people think, writing a book doesn’t necessarily make you a millionaire (unless you’re JK Rowling!). But having one or more products (books) out on the market can bring in extra revenue year after year. This is especially true if you write about an evergreen subject (something that doesn’t go out of style), then you can sell books forever.

8. A published book is the best business card ever. I think of my books as a marketing tool for my business. Yes, they are information books and have helped a lot of people. But they are also the best marketing tool I have at my fingertips. Put two experts side by side: One has written one or more books, the other has not. Who would you choose as your go-to expert? I would pick the author over the other expert every time. And so will your prospective clients. 

9. You have a large knowledge base, why not write it down? I’m sure you’ve heard that it’s best (and perhaps easiest) to write about what you know—and it’s true. The subject you are well-versed in is the best one to write about. Even if you’re just an expert in your own mind, writing and publishing a book will establish you as an expert in everyone else’s minds too. When you write about what you know, you may find you have so much to say, the pages just write themselves! 

10. Don’t be afraid to write a book! Perhaps you can come up with many reasons for not writing a book, but my suggestion is to acknowledge the fear and publish anyway. Even if there are already 10 books on the subject you want to write about, you may have a different angle that hasn’t been explored or you have something entirely new to say about your subject matter. Write about the topic you know well and are passionate about, and don’t let fear be your guide.

Publish a book to establish yourself as an industry leader and an expert in your field. The rewards you will experience far outweigh any apprehension you may have about starting the process. So—write! You’ll be so happy you (finally) did.

 

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A special thank you to PUBLISHERS’ GRAPHICS for doing such a great job printing my 2nd book, Skin Care A to Z. You do great work!

For more information, see:

• My Books 
• Another Aesthetician Helped with Timeless Skin
• Publishers’ Graphics website

Never a blank page when it comes to aging

I read somewhere or was told by someone at some time that when producing a book there should never be a page left blank. If you have a copy of Timeless Skin, you can see that I received this advice after its publication! So for Skin Care A to Z, I heeded that advice and came up with quotes relating to age and the aging process from famous (and not so famous) people to fill any blank pages that came up in production. Following are all of the quotes I used in the book. Enjoy!

Taking joy in life is a woman’s best cosmetic.
– Rosalind Russell

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.
– Stanislaw J. Lee

Age is just a number. Old is a state of mind.
– Carolyn Ash

Don’t just count your years, make your years count.
– Ernest Meyers

Perhaps one has to be very old before one learns to be amused rather than shocked.
– Pearl S. Buck

You’re not as young as you once were, but you’re not as old as you will be.
– Irish Proverb

For more about my take on the aging process, see:

• Ageless Beauty—Part I
• My Gray Hair Story
• Aging, “Anti-Aging” and Beauty: Notes to My Readers

Too Busy for Skin Care? Sometimes doing The Basics is all you need

I’m a busy [executive, mom, or any person], and I don’t have much time to spend in front of the mirror taking care of my face. What can I do for optimum healthy skin?

This could have been written by a person in any profession, whether an office worker or a stay-at-home mom. Believe it or not, you don’t have to spend a lot of time on your skin; you just need to be consistent and conscientious. Your twice daily routine is simply to clean your skin, spray on a pH balanced toner, and apply an appropriate moisturizer. The moisturizing step includes using eye cream. That’s it—what I call The Basics 1-2-3. This may be enough for you, depending on the condition of your skin and your lifestyle habits, which include diet.

If you are having problems with your skin, of course you will want to spend a little more time doing a few extra things. The Extras include using an exfoliator, and especially if you have congestion problems, a good clay-based mask. The Extras can be done once to several times per week depending on your needs.

If you have no-problem skin and don’t want to do anything extra, you can do The Basics and nothing more. Your skin will be better off doing extra steps, but you may not have the time or inclination to do so. I would recommend having facials or giving yourself facials from time to time. Your skin will reflect this extra care with a healthier glow and smoother texture.

I think people (women and men) see all the commercials on TV and the advertisements in magazines for numerous skin care products and perhaps mistakenly think it will take a great effort along with many products to accomplish simple skin care. And as you have read, this is simply not true. Like many people, I don’t have a lot of time to spend in front of the mirror; therefore, I completely relate to this reader and her concerns for a simple program. Optimum health will be found doing the optimum elements to healthy skin.

To understand the minimum for a skin care routine plus a few added steps for healthy, vibrant skin—even if you run on a busy schedule—see:

• A Few Quick Tips from THE BASICS
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• The Extras—Do more to have healthy skin