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Quick Fixes for Your Face After 40

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 Attractive Blonde Woman Applying Her Makeup Indoors.

Skin care after 40 can present some challenges. Sometimes these challenges translate into the need to carry an emergency “quick fix kit” with you at all times, you know — just in case! Three common ones are blemishes, swollen/puffy eyes, and a wandering eyelash— also known as a chin hair. While these can wreak havoc on your best day, the good news is that these are easily managed, even on the fly, with some simple techniques.

Facial Hair

The appearance of a random small, coarse hair on a woman’s chin is usually due to hormonal changes, and if you are in your mid-40’s or older, it is most likely part of the menopause process. If you begin to sprout facial hairs and are concerned that it’s sudden or multitudinous, you should contact your doctor (Medline Plus).

Random chin hairs are easily removed with tweezers as you discover them, which leads to this advice for anyone over 40: never, NEVER leave the house without a pair of good tweezers in your bag! Although I have no hard and fast scientific evidence, I have it on good authority that these nefarious hairs can appear from nowhere, almost overnight.  This means that it is entirely possible for you to check your face on Tuesday night and find nothing, just to wake on Wednesday morning to a surprise.

If your chin is sprouting more than the random hair or two, and your doctor says there’s nothing medically to worry about, you might want to consider other methods such as waxing, chemical removal like Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo, or a device like the Bellabe Facial Hair Remover. The good news in all of this is that there are some terrific options out there if this is an issue for you.

Blemishes

Once we escape adolescence we may believe that we’ve moved past the danger point for pimples, but this is not the case. While most cases of acne continue to plague teens, 20% of acne issues do land in the adult population, and ladies: we’re more prone to it than the men.

I feel safe in suggesting that most of us have attempted to cover a large, red and unsightly blemish that appeared on our nose, forehead or other prominent place. For me, tackling these is a 2-step process: treat, and cover.

Blemishes result when a pore in the skin becomes clogged with sebum, or oil and/or an over-production of a naturally occurring bacteria (Propionibacterium acnes) in the pores, so keeping our faces clean is an important first step.

Treatments abound for blemishes, and I prefer salicylic acid, which works to soften keratin and loosen dead skin cells, as the main ingredient. Two of my favorites are Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads or Clean & Clear, Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment.

I also like to spot treat with benzoyl peroxide, which is thought to work by creating reactive oxygen species in the follicle to kill P. acne (which is why it should only be used as a spot treatment) (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology). My favorite for this is Clean & Clean Persia-Gel 10 — I’ve had great results.

At night after cleansing my skin, I apply the treatment of choice to the blemish and, most importantly, I leave it alone! No pickling squeezing, or other manual manipulations. In the morning I then wash, reapply the medication and let it dry before trying to cover it with makeup.

Once the medication is dry, I did in my bag of tricks for some color theory for the finishing touch. You may recall from grade school that mixing red and green paint makes brown paint; now apply that same principle to your face (NYU).  I always keep a light green, matte (no sparkles) eye shadow on hand for this purpose. After the medication has dried and before I put on foundation, using a small brush or cotton swab, I dab green eye shadow on the red blotch. I set it with a little powder then proceed with the rest of my makeup routine. I should mention that I use a mineral powder foundation, so you may need to switch this up if you use liquid foundation (foundation, then eye shadow).

Resist the urge to use light foundation or light cover-up alone, which tends to draw attention to the area, instead of masking it.

Puffy eyes

This is a bit of a misnomer because I am actually referring to the under eye area, which when you pass the age of 30, can add years to your looks if the puffiness if not managed well.  “Puffy eyes” result from a buildup of lymphatic tissue around the eye, which can be prevented by avoiding salt, drinking plenty of water, and sleeping with your head elevated, according to Dr. Gregory Nikolaidis in this Huffington Post article. And irritation can increase the puffiness.

Common home remedies for the irritation include applying cucumber slices, or chilled tea bags to the affected area — both of which offer cooling sensation to soothe inflamed tissues. Cucumbers are said to have antioxidants and other soothing properties, while teas are know for their antioxidant capacities (Mosby’s Handbook of Herbs and Natural Supplements). Using these — and coolness is a must — is thought to help reduce swelling. I keep my eye gel in the refrigerator and enjoy the double benefit of the gel and the cool temperature.

When I travel, I take the cooled eye gel and place it into a small thermal pouch (which is also great for keeping lipstick from melting during the warmer months) so I have it any time that I need it (in a pinch you can refresh the temperature by placing ice in the pouch overnight).

Focal Point

After you have treated and camouflaged your blemish, chilled your puffy eyes and chased as many chin hairs as you could find, it’s time to create a distraction. No, I’m not referring to a 007-esque explosion. For this type of distraction the goal is to draw the eye away from the imperfection to another point on your face.

If you have a big red pimple on your nose, and you’ve covered, camouflaged and powdered it, you’re not done until you create that distraction. The easiest way is to opt for a darker lip color that day so that when people look at you, their eyes are naturally drawn to your lips, and not the red spot on your nose.  If your blemish is close to your lips, you could turn it into a Cindy-Crawford-faux-mole (I personally think this is easier to pull off if you’re under 30, but hey – if you’ve got the moxy to do it and the placement is right – go for it!), OR opt for dazzling eye makeup. In a similar manner to the great renaissance painters who used perspective to draw the observer’s eye to certain points in their art, we can use makeup to divert attention toward the areas we choose, and away from those areas we wish weren’t so prominent.

Bottom Line

As a Girl Scout, I was taught to “always be prepared”.  This was great advice out in the woods, and it’s indispensable as when it comes to skin care and makeup after 40!

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Nicki Zevola is the founder and editor-in-chief of FutureDerm.com. Named one of the top 30 beauty bloggers in the world by Konector.com since 2009, Nicki

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