Manic Panic!!!

Notice when you start doing a bit or research about skin care you end up on either websites or blogs full of links re-directing you to some obscure self proclaimed miracle product that will give you a "face lift" effect without going under the knife?

Yeah Right! Madness!

Oops! Not the right madness more like this:

The Scream, Cross Eye Version 1893 Edvard Munch

There are thousands of skin care lines out there! It's a jungle, for real! Don't get me started about the endless number of studies published about this or that miracle ingredient that will be sure to make you look 20 years younger. I wish!

Then, when you kind of figure what your skin needs to look it's best, chose the products you will spend your money on, you decide to go back on the internet for more information and that's when you hit a wall! You read that you can't use this with that or you shouldn't mix that with this! Huh???

*pulls hair out* Notice that the little guy represented by Munch doesn't have any? Hair I mean!

Where am I going with this?

The internet? Well there is a "link" here, pun intended.

Thank you Tim Berners-Lee for giving us the opportunity to be a part of the global society the world has become today. With all this information at the tip of our fingers we are getting smarter by the minute.

Are we? Really? Well it depends on where you look, on how you use your search engine, what words you use.

Manic Panic!!!

Somehow, some women in their late 30's and 40's completely lose it because they start to see aging creeping up on them. Well ok, I'll admit it, I had the same reaction. I probably looked like the little guy in The Scream but now, imagine him with extra thick long hair. Well, ok, maybe not!

Expression lines slowly become wrinkles with little friends appearing along next to them. The face starts to "fall". Hey, that's called gravity people! There will be a point, whatever we do, where we won't be able to fight it anymore unless we do go under the knife. Even then, there's only so much that can be done, seen Joan Rivers lately?

Botox and fillers? Tempting! Not sure I'd be brave enough for Botox. I'm afraid I would end up with brain freeze. Fillers, well that could be an option eventually but I wouldn't want to end up looking all blown up.

What's left? Skin care? Partly. Diet, sleep, exercise.....you know the drill. Most of all, good genes. Unfortunately we haven't all been blessed with those.

Why am I rambling this way? Because from time to time new members appear on MUA with a bucket full of questions:

What's the best anti-aging regimen?
What's the best retinol?

It's retinoid people!
What's the best vitamin C serum?
Should I use BHA or AHA?
What's the best eye cream?
If I use a retinoid, can I use niacinamide?                                                      

 Not me, I'm a brunette! 

They get answers, buy products and.....come back all confused because they read a new "study" on the internet saying, "if you use this, your face is going to fall".

Remember, it will fall eventually! Let's take a second here to shed a tear....

Sniff!

There's this girl/woman who for the past month or so, keeps posting every single day, about new stuff she read, seaming all confused about the information she apparently insists on reading. Do you get what I mean about the internet now? I give her an "A" for trying to learn more but a "D" for smartness. Sorry but this is a case of Manic Panic!

You're under the impression that if she doesn't get an answer right away something horrible is going to happen, like her life depends on it. She keeps referring to recent purchases as being HG's (Holy Grail) but a week or so later, wants something different, more potent or should I say more effective.

Stop it!!!!

I even told her once, as nicely as I could, to stop the insanity. Getting new skin care will not change your skin or face in a week! On the contrary, trying to many new things at once can do a pretty horrible number on it. In some cases, with prescription retinoids for example, it can get worse before it gets better. With over the counter options, well, it's also trial and error. It can take months to see any significant improvements.

"Someone recommended this cream last week but it's not doing what I want it to do, any other options?"

ARGH!!! 

Off for a TALL glass of Lemoncello!

For Laura & Ashley (the smart one) xoxoxo H


Photo of the British group Madness
Art credit: Pulling hair out