Skincare is one of those things many of us in our early 30s become obsessed with, despite perhaps failing to acknowledge the importance of prior to that time… So here are the top 3 things I wish I’d learned earlier in regards to skincare. As I saw the high definition photos my iPhone takes showing more wrinkles than I can see with my naked eyes, it became a higher priority to find ways to avoid botox and still see benefits of youthful skin. I was beginning to get those “elevens” on my brow and forehead lines became more pronounced, as well as some lip lines. Then I went into internet sleuth mode and realized I could try some non-invasive options before resorting to the ‘tox. Let’s preface this by making it clear that I am not against botox, in fact I had a consultation on my calendar prior to discovering some other options and deciding to try them first. Preventive botox was newly introduced to me when I moved to Tulsa, and I thought it would be wise to get it started before my face got to the point of no return without fillers. Let’s just say, I am really glad I held off!

*Not my face below, photo credit Mom Blog Society

3 Skincare secrets I wish I knew earlier in life 

1. RETINOL.

Using retinol early and frequently, and using high quality skincare in general. Retinol scared me for a LONG time – but it is now a part of my daily routine. After a nasty reaction of my eyes swelling shut with some new medical grade antiaging skincare last year, I got cold feet on the more powerful products. I consulted with some experts and learned that retinol gets a bad rap, but as long as you protect yourself from the sun when using it (and really all the time), don’t layer it with any Vitamin C, and keep it out of your eyeballs, you’re getting some major benefits without any needles. My favorite option is Replenix 5X dry serum!

High quality skincare is a MUST in my life these days. After trying so many brands and having less than impressive results with most, I have real concerns about using so many creams and lotions with so much marketing and hype attached. Luckily I’ve found a few brands I really, really like. As y’all know, one is Dermae and the other is Replenix. 

2. Investing in Frownies

FROWNIES to the rescue! These were just introduced to me by my acupuncturist and I am obsessed. They are basically like putting papier mache on your face, so that you prevent the natural habit of furrowing and squinching which leads to more wrinkles, especially overnight or during bouts of intense work, such as while writing blog posts…. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love these little guys. It’s also the kind of thing you’ll notice the difference in immediately! Like the next morning you’ll see that the more intense lines are softer, which makes sense as they’ve been splinted overnight rather than continually redefined by your overnight worry faces. They say to use them daily for 30 days for the most immediate results but then falling back to a few days a week depending on the severity of your wrinkles. Just look at these before and afters above though – this is not my face but WOW!

3. Getting “natural botox” aka facial rejuvenation

Facial acupuncture rejuvenation treatments are a hidden gem in skincare! Now don’t freak out – you barely feel these tiny needles but they work so well when you follow the treatment schedule as directed! I was introduced to this by Dr. Tamara Hall in Tulsa, who I’d been seeing regularly for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture since moving in 2020. I purchased a starter package for facial rejuvenation with her and saw major improvement. I’m now going back for just maintenance as well as using my retinol and Frownie patches consistently. I definitely noticed that my muscles felt a bit frozen after my facial acupuncture, as in it was more difficult to make intense frowning faces which is a good thing! If you’re willing to spend on one procedure but not ready for botox, this is definitely it!

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