PoppaNut recently went in for a deep-tissue massage at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, and he signed us up for the membership package. Basically, you can get a signature facial or massage every month as part of this membership. If you forget to get your treatment during the month, you can get two treatments the next month. GLORIOUS!
I immediately made my appointment for a facial. I’m turning 30 soon, and I think I should be taking better care of my skin … and the facial expert seems to agree. Here are the five lessons I learned during my treatment.
1. There Is a Decade Effect: Whatever you did to your skin in your 20s shows up in your 30s and whatever you do to your skin in your 30s will show up in your 40s. Man, can a girl catch a break? I wasn’t thinking about my skin in my 20s! I could literally go to bed with a face full of makeup, touch it up the next morning and head out of the house. Now, I need a skin-care regime.
2. Pillowcases Are the Devil: My esthetician asked me how often I change my pillowcase, and I said once every two weeks. You would have thought I told her that I kill small children for fun by the look on her face. She was mortified! She said, “Think of all the filth that comes off your face when you are sleeping, and you wait 14 days to change the pillowcase? You have got to start changing those more frequently.” Needless to say, PoppaNut and I slept on freshly cleaned sheets that very night.
3. Sunscreen Is Not Always Good: When asked what type of moisturizer I use, I said some generic kind with SPF, and I wear it every day. I was actually proud sharing this fact, because I thought I got this one right for sure. No one can get down on me about my skin, because I wear sunscreen religiously. I was wrong. I had failed this question too. You should never wear sunscreen at night … duh! Whatever is in the moisturizer to keep your skin healthy is basically destroyed by the SPF (I’m not a dermatologist so if you want the real meat and potatoes of this, you’ll have to seek out a professional). So, get a good night cream so you won’t embarrass yourself during your facial.
4. Don’t Touch Your Face: I have heard this rule before, but I didn’t take it that seriously. Do people really take it to the extreme and say they can never touch their face again? Apparently, they do. My esthetician said to use a knuckle if I needed to touch my face. Oh, that looks so natural … I’m sure no one at work will give me a funny look as I dab my face with my knuckle or the back of my hand. I’m still resistant on this one, but in the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to pass the tip along. Do what you will with it.
5. It’s Time to Upgrade: I’m a sucker for a sales pitch, because as soon as I heard all the things I was doing wrong with my skin, I headed to the nearest Walgreen’s to stock up. I got new cleanser, toner and moisturizer. I’m going to get this right if it is the last thing I do. After all, what you do in your 30s catches up to your skin in your 40s, and I want to be looking good! I learned that my old Clean & Clear is full of alcohol so it was actually drying my skin out. My new products are working GREAT, and I think I can tell a difference.
And that’s life in a nutshell … learning that getting a facial is a lot like getting a cleaning at the dentist; they tell you everything you are doing wrong, but you feel good after you leave.