As we get older

(Conclusion)

Last Thursday, we enumerated some realities in life that are bound to happen — or already happening — as we get older. This time, let’s get superficial as we give you tips below on how to maintain physical appearance as age sets in.

And so, as we get older, we should:

• Not over brush our teeth. Our gums recede with the advancing of years. It’s fine to brush only twice a day (as prescribed by most dentists), but not vigorously. The up and down motion (as prescribed also by a lot of dentists) may do us harm because that pushes our gums upward.

If you have to sneak in a midnight snack after you’ve brushed your teeth, just gargle with mouthwash. Some people simply apply toothpaste on their teeth with their fingers and sleep with that. We doubt if there are already scientific results on that though.

And speaking of gargling, try to choose the non-colored ones to avoid teeth getting even more discolored, which is what happens as we get older. If you have to take tea, coffee or any colored beverage, try to rinse your mouth immediately after.

• Shampoo hair less frequently. Filipinos are very hygienic people. Some take a shower before going to the gym and bathe again after a good sweat — shampoo, conditioner and all.

Maybe we can just wet hair to make us feel fresh and to boost our energy to workout. Our best recommendation: Apply a hair spa (very cheap — buy one, take one in some drugstore), keep that on the hair some 20 minutes before going out. Don’t shampoo anymore. Just rinse with water and you need not be so thorough about that because residue from the hair spa may not be harmful. On the contrary, that allows the hair spa to penetrate the scalp longer. Of course, you also have to do your regular shampoo rituals, but go easy on it because we are not getting any younger.

• Slap sunscreen on face and body. That is sticky and messy. But if you read regularly the lifestyle pages of this paper, every beauty columnist pushes for the application of sun blocks. Even Dr. Vicki Belo wrote a piece on how she spent endless nights figuring out how to develop sunscreen that is light and doesn’t irritate the skin that leads to breakouts. That was how the line of Belo Essentials was formulated.

• Go easy soaping face and body. Unless you roll in mud as part of your fun activities or you have no choice but to work in Malabanan unclogging those septic tanks, you don’t have to soap every day every surface of your body’s skin (but do a scrub once in a while to remove the dead skin on the body).

Soaps in general tend to dry the skin and rob us of its moisture (to make it soft and supple). Shower every day, but soap only the essential parts — the crevices where bacteria may breed.

And whether male or female, be a slave to lotion. That is a tall order for men who prefer less fuss. However, if you don’t start taking care of your skin, you may just wake up in the middle of the night with your wife gone beside you — having transformed into a cougar in prowl of young, fresh meat.

As far as the face is concerned, soap only the oily parts, usually the nose — which is the center of the so-called T-Zone. Lavish on moisturizers, especially in areas that tend to dry.

• Consider getting the help of experts to fight against the ravages of time and age. If your face isn’t of corduroy texture yet, there is still hope. We recently discovered Forever deCrease, which reduces fine lines and wrinkles. You just get a jar from any Flawless branch and that may delay your date with your doctor for an aggressive Botox injection. This deCrease solution that comes in flesh tone can also serve as concealer for dark circles under the eyes while at the same time working on those fine lines. 

• Load up on veggies. When faced with red meat, we ask ourselves: Do we really want that inside our system? The lowly kangkong (swamp cabbage or morning glory) is said to give us healthier hair. Don’t believe the myth that it is dirty. There are now proper plantations for that today.

• Diet and exercise because that is still the key to staying fit and young. We need not embrace those expensive fad diets. Just eat in moderation — try to stay away from sodium — and exercise regularly. We swear those are the basic ingredients to youthful looks.

If all the tips above don’t work in time and you still end up wrinkly and old, just take comfort in the saying that beauty is only skin deep. There is truth to that.

In the end, what matters most is having wisdom — which we all gain as we get older.