A few months
ago, I was in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City attending to my
quest for the most expensive item obtained at the cheapest price.
While waiting for one of my bargains to be rung up, a very attractive
woman makeup artist offered to freshen my makeup, now almost nonexistent.
Now, since I'm 63 years old and looked a bit wan from my day job
a couple of blocks away, I welcomed the invitation . What surprised
me was that after Maia had finished, I actually did look
fresher and, for once, not 'made up'. Usually, after a professional
makeup session, I'd run back home or to the ladies room and remove
a large portion of what had been applied. Shockingly,
Maia didn't even take my elbow and try to steer me to to what she
considered to be 'for me only' at a 'special price,' perhaps expecting
that I would splurge on a specific brand of cosmetics. I went
back to the office feeling quite pleased with the way I looked:
fresher and rested.
I've asked Maia Moura to give us a few tips about what the older
woman encounters as her skin ages and what can be done to mask
and correct some of those conditions. Too late we've realized
that since we didn't put SPF #82 or higher on our face to protect
it from the sun, we now have to pay the price. We belonged to
the generations that put baby oil on our skin to increase the
reflection of the sun's dangerous rays while baking and
broiling to achieve a requisite summertime bronzing.
Q: What are the common skin types
that you encounter with a woman over fifty?:
Maia: There are six categories of
skin that we see: normal, normal-to-dry, or very dry complexions; oily,
normal-to-oily or very oily complexions.
Q: What kind of skin problems are common
in the older woman?
Maia: Some are common to women of
any age. Most problems that women encounter with aging skin consists of
dry skn, dehydration, fine lines, augmented pigmentation, age spots, sun
spots and otherdamage from the sun.
Q: How would you advise a woman who has
dry, sun damaged skin?
Maia: The best treatment to use to
help this a condition of mottled or hyper-pigmented skin is to use the
following types of products before applying makeup or just before retiring
in the evening:
-
a gentle cleanser
-
a good eye cream and
-
a rich moisturizer with a sun-block protection during
the daylight hours
-
a creamy concealer and a foundation with moisturizer
for daytime.
Remember, you don't have to use heavy overall coverage
to hide blemishes. If you have dark spots (commonly called 'age spots')
or blemishes, they can be covered with an undercover concealer prior to
using a light foundation.
Q. What about the more average skin conditions?
Maia: If someone has normal to oily
skin, especially in the t-zone, I'd recommend a good cleanser and toner,
a moisturizer for combination skin, and a creamy concealer. I'd also recommend
an oil-free moisturizing foundation. You can, in addition to the above
steps, dust your face with translucent powder in order to set the
oily area and dull any shine.
Q: What do you suggest for someone with
Rosacea?
Maia: First, it's important
to use the correct moisturizer for a dry or oily skin type, but a
foundation with a yellow-tinted base is very helpful in toning down a reddish
coloration. Several companies have developed specific products to help
the condition known as Rosacea.
Q: What are some of the important factors
when considering skin products:
Maia: I recommend a creamy
concealer for all kinds of skin types because the area around the eyes
is the driest, usually. Mixing this with a eye cream is helpful in
covering heavier lines around the eyes.
The use of skin cleansers,
toners, eye creams and moisturizers are both necessary and important to
maintaining good, healthy skin. Select the ones that best suit your condition
but do use them daily before going out and each night before going to bed.
An older woman's individual facial skin condition will dictate the choice
of the right foundation, the right concealer and/or the right powder.
All three products are not necessary for everyone but any combination of
the three can contribute to a fresher, more rested look.
There are many reasonably
priced products made for different skin types that will give the
older woman a clean, healthy appearance and a natural, radiant
look. Next time, we'll focus on makeup tips.
