Top 10 Beauty Tips from Mom

As a youth and teenager I can remember my mother chiding me for the little things I would do to my skin. She constantly told me one of these days my "habits" would catch up to me and I would regret it. Over the years her sayings still ring true and I wonder why I never took her advice sooner? Most likely because she is my mother and because "I knew everything" or perhaps the sheer fact that it was coming from her made me want to rebel against it. Very rarely did my mother tell me why I should or shouldn't follow certain beauty tips but over the years I realized one thing; she was right. She was right about all of it and I learned the reasons why on my own.

Mascara

My father enforced the make-up rule in our house and during my teen years I was only allowed to wear mascara, lipstick or gloss and light blush. Although I owned all of these products I would never wear them but my mother would insist on mascara and the use of an eye lash curler. At the time I never realized that curling my long stick straight lashes and adding mascara would make my lashes look fuller and longer. More importantly, it added dimension to my almond-shaped eyes and really made them pop. That small addition of mascara made a huge difference between looking "sleepy eyed" in comparison to open and bright eyed.

Wear Blush

When I first began using blush I couldn't understand why anyone would wear it or why my mother would want me to for that matter. It made me look and feel like a clown. Then it hit me; I look like a clown because I used too much of it. My mother's theory behind blush was to dust it in a light layer so it would give a healthy and natural glow. Her intentions were not to make it look like I had been out in the extreme wind but I never understood that concept until I was in my mid-twenties.

Don't Pick Your Face

My mother would often stop by the bathroom to catch me picking my face and yell at me for ruining my skin. In my youthful mind the only thing I could think was the pimples were ruining my skin. Once again she was right. Yes, the acne could make a teenager feel very awkward during and an awkward time but the fact was picking my skin was damaging it. Besides the short term bruising and broken skin from squeezing I now have enlarged pores, some scarring and a couple of very small broken capillaries.

Stop Squinting

I would stand outside and squint from the sun. I would watch TV from a distance and not wear my glasses. I would "angry talk" as my mother put it and it has lead to the two furrows I now have between my eyes. They may not be furrows but they're definitely noticeable creases. Now, in my mid-thirties I think of my mother telling me not to make the "mad face" while applying products with Retinol and Glycolic Acid (but never together).

Use a moisturizer

The popularity of sunscreen was not in fashion when I was younger but my mother would insist on a moisturizer whether it was in the high heat of summer or the dead of winter. I dreaded the oily concoction and tried to escape from using it everyday. Although my acne was not severe I hated the idea of adding the greasy liquid to my fresh, over scrubbed face. I preferred the feeling of dry cracking skin over skin but I now know very dry skin has a greater chances of creasing and wrinkling.

Wear a hat

Each summer I would by a new stylish summer hat and never wear it. "Protect your face" was her saying and although I never listened I get it now. Although getting some sun is a great thing being out in it all day is sure to lead to sun burns, large pores and skin cancer. Sunscreen was not popular until I was in my late teens and by then most of the damage to my skin had already been done.

Protect my hands

My mother believes your hands can give away your age as much as your facial skin and she's right. It's very easy to put lotion on your face or your body but you're hands are often forgotten leaving them open to harsh elements. Sun spots, dark moles and liver spots can surface and make your hands look older. My mother also believed in wearing gloves whenever possible to protect your hands. Constant exposure to dish soap and water or activities like gardening or weight training adds additional stressors to the skin which can make it look older.

Stay out of the sun

My mother loved the look of smooth alabaster skin but due to my father's genes I would never have that. Though my skin is slightly yellow with freckles that spreads like wild fire during the summer my mother would often yell at me for spending hours in the sun. The dark tan and additional freckles to her stood for worn-out skin in the years to come. Although she was a bit zealous I learned as I got older the sun is good in moderation and only if my skin is protected with a moisturizer that has sunblock.

How to Wash my Hair

Washing my hair was a nightmare and I could never understand why my hair was less tangled after mom washed it than when I washed it. She later explained that I should start at the top and work my way down and never bunch it up on the top of my head, which old commercials were so famous for. Washing it the way my mother explained it left my hair with less tangles and meant there would be less snapping and breaking the strands when it came time to brush it.

Big Sun Glasses

I laughed at women who wore huge bug eyed glasses when I was younger and would scoff when my mother told me I should do the same. The bigger the better in her point of view since the glasses covered more surface area. The more space it covered around my eyes meant less squinting from the sun and would protect my skin from early creases and crows feet. Although it took me years to take this advice my present-day glasses would put Jackie O. to shame.