Beauty Tuesday: The Best Anti-Aging Secret

I've heard black women say proudly, "Black don't crack." And I've got to admit, African-American women do age well. But I've often wondered what that meant for me being neither black nor white.

Right, my mother is white and my father is African-American. Yes, that makes me a good old fashion mulatto. And honestly, I seemed to be uniquely blended with both of their genes. So I wonder about my skin, if it will hold up. I've seen it both ways with biracial women. Take a woman like Halle Barry, she seems to never age. But then there's Jasmine Guy, who hasn't aged as gracefully.

While I believe that some of it is genetics, there is still something every woman can do to help slow down the aging process. Yes, some of it is diet, exercise and skin care regiment. But scientists have repeatedly shouted from the rooftops, "It does not matter your race, sunscreen is the God of skin care and the secret to slowing down the aging process."

Beauty Guru Iman's "most important" tip for the skin is "sun protection!"  She argues no matter your complexion you have to protect your skin from the sun's rays and free radicals. I had a hard time wrapping my brain around that for the longest time, then I surrendered to the experts. Finding the right sunscreen was difficult at first. They tend to be oily, heavy and interfere with my make-up.

But I started following the reports on sunscreen and experimenting. My choice is Clarins UV Plus with a sun protection factor of 45.

I love it because it is light and not greasy. Yes, like with most sunscreens you have a tad of a shine, but once you apply your foundation or face power the shine disappears. It does not run when you sweat or interfere with your make-up regime at all. It's concentrated so you only need to apply a small amount. It's a little pricey so I only use it for my face.

My second more economical choice is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock. Like with Clarins, they both continually make In Style Magazine's best beauty list. It's half the price of Clarins, but with some of the same benefits. It's light and non-greasy. Aveeno also comes highly recommended and I plan to give it a try soon. I apply my moisturizer first and then my sunscreen. I wait 10 minutes to allow the sunscreen to absorb then I apply my make-up.


Post Script: I'm not sure if the sunscreen is working or not. Well, I have nothing to gauge it with. I could not use sunscreen and wait to see if my skin will age quicker or have more damage. But really, I have more to lose in the scheme of it all. So at 48 I'm working hard to maintain what I have.

This picture is me at 46 with no make-up two days out of the hospital, gray hair and all, well, that is until I decided to color it and it started to fall out in the sink... But that's another beauty blog... For Real...

I think I'm aging well... Other than a little fat loss in my cheeks due to the side effects of medication, I'm hanging in there. So this is the bottom line for me: I've lived a lot longer then I ever dreamed I would. While I'm living I'm taking advantage of every possible thing that can help me live longer and healthier. Anything else, I believe, is a lazy excuse. Always be the best that you can be. You owe it to yourself!!