updated photo

This photo is of me about 6 months ago. I'm 57 1/2 years now.

What have I been doing for my facial skin?
Wearing 70 - 90 factor sunscreen;
Avoiding sun exposure from 11am - 2pm;
Wearing a visor or hat when in direct sunlight for lengthy periods of time
Always wear good sunglasses

I use translucent glycerine soap and don't pamper my face.
I only wear a little blush makeup or a little lipstick but no other makeup.

I use a clay facial mask about once every 2 weeks to tighten my facial skin and reduce enlarged pores.
I use Pascalite Clay which is mined in the Bighorn mountains right here west of where I live.
It is purified and splendid.  it can be purchased at:

http://www.pascalite.com

About Me . . .

For those reading my blog who would like to know a little bi about me...

I am a woman who turned age 55 in early December, 2011.
I don't always look this serious.

Actually, most of the time I look like this (with my trifocals!!)

I try hard to keep my sense of humor but yes do have a serious side.

Perhaps many of my wrinkles are from me laughing!

And this..........is my sensual side.... !!

 

 

I was 29 when this photo was taken.  

Just a year and a half later, my smile wrinkles were already getting more pronounced.

What causes changes in a face?

This was me several years ago (around age 52).  I finished menopause at that age, so then my hormones changed, which surely contributed to the beginning of more wrinkles in my face.

I was about age 45 in this photo (with makeup), and I still had all my hormones!

I went through a phase after turning 52 using Pascalite clay facial masks.

The clay helps tighten one's skin.  However, it can also remove moisture from one's skin.  Perhaps that contributed to my wrinkling?

So here is pretty much what I look like today.

They say wrinkles give a face character.

I think I look like quite a character already!!

 

New approach: Horse Tail Herb and Rose Hips Seed Oil

This is me a few weeks ago.

Well I gave up on the synthetic snake peptide with aloe vera powder and the other stuff I made into a lotion. It was all a waste of money!

So now I've discovered two new products I'm trying.

I picked up some pure Rose Hips Seed oil at the health food store in a town over the mountains last weekend.  Rose Hips Seed Oil helps minimize the appearance of wrinkles and damage to the skin.  It also is used to treat dry skin, scars, and hyper pigmented tissue.  The oil contains high concentrations of Vitamins A, C and E.

Applying the oil directly on my face results in no stinging or burning whatsoever.  I can leave it on my face all day and it leaves no redness and causes no irritation.

I have gathered wild rose hips every Autumn here in the mountains but the seeds are so tiny, you would have to somehow pulverize those tiny seeds to extract the oil from them, and you would need a LOT of rose hips to produce enough seeds to get an ounce of oil!  So for $6.25 an ounce, I think I got a good deal, considering I've seen it cost more on the internet.

The other product I am using on my arms, backs of my hands, neck, legs, etc. is a cream I purchased on the internet in bulk.  The Crafter's ChoiceTM

butter blend contains extract from the Horse Tail herb plant.  I'm excited to find this product because I have not seen any other cream or lotion or other extract of Horse Tail made into a skin care product.

This stuff smells amazing and does a great job of moisturizing your skin!!

And I have dry skin living in Wyoming with our semi-arid climate, plus working in a hot office environment where the air is dry and ruthless to one's skin.

I've gathered horse tail in the mountains and dehydrated it for making tea; also made tinctures from it.  It is fabulous if you get any rashes and the extract can be applied directly on the skin without any burning or irritation.

I purchased it from Wholesale Supplies Plus.  Their website is:

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com 

Here is link to the Horse Tail Cream of theirs:

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.comProductDetail.aspx?CategoryID=1387&ProductID=6965&ProductName=Crafters+Choice%E2%84%A2+Horsetail+Butter+Blend

It is a company in Cleveland, Ohio of all places.  They sell products in bulk for people who make their own soaps, lotions and cosmetics.

Shipping was well packaged and the product arrived quickly.  I also purchased some Sweet Almond Oil for a decent price, which is also wonderful for the skin and serves as a superb massage oil or carrier oil for massage and hydrating one's skin.

The Horsetail Butter Blend cream comes in 1 pound jars!!  The container says "safe for use on the skin at 100%". It contains Almond Oil (#1 ingredient), then Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horse Tail herb extract) (#2 ingredient), and lastly, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.  It comes in a clear jar so you can see how much contents are left.  It is kept in a dark, cool place (I keep mine in the refrigerator).  The product is good for one year.  Amazingly, it appears the made up the batch of butter blend for me right after I ordered it!!

I paid $28.70 for 3 pounds!!! Not a bad deal at all, considering so many hydrating creams cost that much for just 6 to 8 ounces!

The company describes this product below:

Proprietary blend that contains horsetail extract which is thought to contain the building blocks needed for collagen and elastin synthesis in the skin. Also thought to help rebuild and regenerate damaged skin cells.

Common Uses: Cold & Hot Process Soap. Lotions. Lip Products.

Points of Interest: Contains Horsetail Extract, believed to contain the building blocks needed for collagen and elastin synthesis in the skin. Also thought to help rebuild and regenerate damaged skin cells. Contains Sweet Almond Oil, a natural moisturizer that is thought to relieve (among other things) itching. All Natural.  

One reviewer who tried it said:

"This butter is silky smooth and penetrates rather quickly, avoiding the greasy feel you'll have with most butters. "

I find that the product does have a very slight greasy feel to it but that quickly goes away so its not a problem if you don't slather globs of it onto your skin.

It is light pistacho-nut green in color and is just plain wonderful stuff!

As far as the face experiment goes:

Other than putting on the Rose Hips Seed Oil on my face, and the Horse Tail herb Cream on the rest of my body, I do not expect miracles.  What I want to do is keep my skin hydrated. I realize wrinkles are inevitable as one ages.

However, on the backburner of my mind, this is my thought:  I think in another two or three years, I'm going to have laser treatments done on my face.  I think that is the best route to take to treat serious wrinkles on the face.  And if that doesn't cut it, then I guess I'll just wear a bag over my head or a scarf over my face, heh heh heh!!!

Stay tuned!  I'll post more pics as time goes on here.

After all --  I still don't think I look all that bad, considering I'm 55 1/2.

This photo is me without makeup a few weeks ago.

Now, I need to dig out the chin exerciser I bought where it tightens the chin and do face massage -- these are easy to do and can't hurt, but only help!!

 

 

 

 

With a Smirk

With lotion 5/25/11

Me 5/25/11

5/25/11 with lotion

Face Today without Lotion

Face 5/25/11 without lotion, just after removing clay facial mask.

My Face Today 5/25/11

Heres what I look like 5/25/11.  The redness from the clay masque has subsided. I applied the lotion.

Side Profile of Face

Side profile of face 5/25/11.

Side of Nec k

Side of neck 5/25/11.  I just removed a clay facial masque so skin is reddened.

Wrinkles by side of mouth & side of chin

Wrinkles by side of mouth and side of chin 5/25/11

Mouth

Mouth area 5/25/11

Forehead Lines

Forehead lines 5/25/11. I just rinsed off a clay facial masque so my skin is reddened.

Between Eyebrows

I believe the crinkles between my eyebrows are improving; this photo was taken 5/25/11.

Chin

Here is my chin today May 18th, 2011.

Photo of my chin taken May 6th - 14 days ago, with lotion on. I don't notice an improvement yet in this area.  
I must remember that noticable results aren't to be expected until one has applied this lotion faithfully twice daily for 30 days - at that time, I hope it will reduce appearance of facial wrinkles by up to 50%.  I'll post updated photos in about 1 week so stay tuned!

Better color in cheeks

Side of my cheek and mouth taken today May 18th.

Photo taken May 6th - 14 days ago.  My skin appears to have more color today than before; perhaps the lotion is stimulating the blood vessels and tissues beneath the surface layer of skin. 

Mouth & Lips

Here is what my lips, area around mouth and area above chin look like today on May 18th.

This photo was taken May 6th -- 14 days ago, with lotion on.  It appears to me that the depth of the wrinkles don't look as deep or pronounced.  Also the wrinkles above the top lip don't look as pronounced.

Side of Cheek

This is the side of my cheek today.

Here is the same view on May 6th.

Crowsfeet Wrinkles by Eyes

Here are what the crowsfeet wrinkles by my eyes look like today.

This photo was taken with lotion on May 6th -- 12 days ago.
I don't notice any improvement yet in this area.

Forehead & Between my Eyebrows

Here is what my forehead and area between my eyebrows look like this evening, without makeup or lotion applied after just washing my face.


It appears to me that the wrinkles between my eyebrows don't appear as deep as they were a few weeks ago.  

Here was my forehead on May 6th -- 12 days ago. I had lotion applied, which I think may not give a true impression of the wrinkles so from now on I will take photos of just my plain face with nothing applied to it.  It appears to me that the forehead wrinkles don't appear as deep as they first appeared.