This month I had the good fortune of reaching my 47th year. The past year has brought so many changes, and pleasant things. It has been an interesting year (to say the least), for which I will be forever grateful. I truly believe that it’s a precursor of the things to come. 

Less than a year ago the Beauty Disruptor was born, which placed my life on a whole other trajectory. The creation of the Beauty Disruptor has given me a platform to express my ideas and exert my place as a Gen  X woman in modern society, as well as connect with other women such as myself.

After years of working in the beauty industry, I came to the realization that women over 40 were being phased out, and increasingly marginalised. But I digress…Right before my birthday I started to think about my life as a 40+ woman, the ability to maintain my youthfulness in a society that continues to push aside older women, and navigate in a world that glorifies youth over wisdom.

I’m often asked me how I do it, and what is it exactly that keeps me so young. To be quite honest, it’s a cocktail of things that work together simultaneously like a well oiled machine.  A combination of mindset, healthy lifestyle, clean diet, and a good skincare routine. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget genetics…but that’s a whole other story.  
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I’ve learned a lot of things over the years.  Overall I’ve realised that it’s important to keep oneself happy.  Happiness is the key to prolonging longevity.  I’d like to share some of my thoughts, little rituals and behaviours that have helped me retain my youthfulness for all of these years.  

• Feel the spirit of youthfulness. Youthfulness is a feeling and an attitude. Even though I’m 47, I’ve always believed in my heart that I am 21. I often find me referring to myself as a girl, and you can’t tell me otherwise.  Youth is a feeling.  Affirm “I am youth.”
• Know no bounds. Many people believe that they are limited because of their age.  I’ve always had an "I can do anything" attitude, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, and evolving always. One’s age shouldn’t be a deterrent to trying new things.  On the contrary, wisdom and experience in life should give one courage to seize fresh opportunities.  Say to yourself, “I am limitless.” 
• Never say never. We never know what’s around corner. Sometimes limiting thoughts and beliefs hinder our own growth. Always allow yourself room to grow and evolve.
• Keep an open minded. It’s important to stay abreast of the times. Abandoning outdated thoughts and ideas will keep you young, and in synch with changing tides. 
• Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Believe it or not, I love to poke fun at myself. Life’s not that serious! Laughing and joking at one’s own expense is liberating and a definite stress reliever.  
• Dance. I love to dance! I feel happy when I dance. It releases so much pent up energy, and is a good way to get in touch with your soul. Dancing helps to unblock the sacral chakra. Feel the rhythm of the music expressed through yourself by the power of dance.
• Protect your energy. There are a lot of energy vampires out there just waiting to suck the life out you. Remember that your energy is sacred. Do not allow people to project their negativity onto you or penetrate your aura. Not everyone should have access to you. If you practice this, you’ll lead a more peace filled life with less drama and headaches.  Say to yourself, “My energy is sacred.”
• Give up the need to control. The younger version of myself always felt the need to micromanage every aspect her life.  I was always meddling with my life in the hopes of gaining more control, to make things go the way I wanted when I wanted. Thank God for the wisdom that comes with aging! I’ve now relinquished control, and now flow freely with life.  I don’t care as much about the outcome of situations, because I know that the universe will always work things out in my favour. I’ve realized that life is a journey to be enjoyed, and allow myself to be guided by the process. 
• Celebrate yourself. What a blessing it is to be alive, and have the ability to express yourself through divine feminine energy.  I love being a woman! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to love myself more and celebrate all the qualities I’ve been blessed with. Celebrating oneself is what keeps you alive, feeling vibrant, and connected to this earth.  We each have unique qualities and abilities that deserve to be celebrated.  There are many ways to celebrate oneself.  The key is to do things that uplift you and make you feel good. 
• Allow yourself some grace. We can often be our own worst critic. As human beings, we naturally have a tendency to browbeat ourselves.  This is damaging to the human psyche, and can cause all types of emotional damage. Along my journey I’ve realised that there is no such thing as perfection, so stop seeking it.  Yes, I have goals and aspirations; But Rome wasn’t built in a day.  So I need to work consistently on my goal rather than pushing myself to reach unrealistic deadlines. The validation that we seek exists within, and it’s perfectly normal to be proud of yourself and your accomplishments regardless of how small they may be. Once I stopped beating myself up, I became happier. The imaginary weight that was on my shoulders miraculously lifted.  Giving yourself grace is an act of kindness. It’s funny because we’re often kind to others and not to ourselves. It may take some getting used to, and and a bit of reconditioning.  At first, it might seem weird. But don’t be afraid, go ahead and give yourself the grace you deserve.

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There are many ways to maintain healthy youthful looking skin naturally.  If  you’ve had the opportunity to read how to optimise your skin without injectables on our free pro-aging resource page, you would’ve discovered a wealth of information on how to optimise your skin.  It doesn’t cost a penny, or require a doctor’s appointment.  All one needs is a bit of dedication, a change of lifestyle, and an improved diet.

 Visit our pro-aging resource page

Some of us will choose to go a step further , especially when our habits, lifestyle, and diet cease to work.  For those interested in different types of procedures, the next step would be to visit a doctor for a consultation on non invasive treatments that do not  involve needles. Resurfacing modalities are a wonderful option for those who want to retain youthful, glowing skin.

• Laser Skin Therapy
• Microneedling
• Chemical Peels

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​Lasers are a  modality that use both light and heat to create a controlled depth tissue injury in hopes that the body’s healing response will make the skin look better. The top layer of skin is singed off to reveal an improved fresher layer of tissue. ​Over injury to the tissue can deleterious consequences, and under injury to the tissue will not see enough of a result. ​

There are many types of Lasers. One of the newest and best on the market is called Erbium. The Erbium laser is an ablative resurfacing laser that specifically targets resurfacing the top layer of the skin. It gives a nice polishing effect to the skin, and improves overall skin quality. Down time ranges from 2-5 days. Settings can be adjusted to allow for a varied amount of down time, which is great for people of different skin types, skin tones and textures. ​
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BENEFITS OF LASER SKIN THERAPY

• Boosts collagen production 
• Smooths the appearance of scars, making them less visible
• Diminishes the size of pores
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Treats hyperpigmentation and discoloration 
• Reduces the appearance of sun damage 

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Microneedling is a procedure that involves using a device with  very thin, sharp needle tips to create punctures on the surface of the skin. Since the cuts are only on the surface, the pain is quite minimal. The science behind microneedling is that the body’s healing response will kick in to heal those surface wounds, which will result in an improved, more rejuvenated  look.  
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BENEFITS OF MICRONEEDLING

•  Stimulate collagen production
• Helps reduce hyperpigmentation and acne scars
• Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Improves skin texture 
• Reduces the appearance of sun damage
• Shrinks pores
• Improves the penetration of topical products

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​A chemical peel is a cosmetic treatment that involves the use of AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid) to remove the top layer of skin.   The most commonly used  AHAs in chemical peels are lactic acid, glycolic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid and citric acid along with salicylic acid (BHA). Chemical peels can be customised to suit your skin concerns. They are normally used for the treatment of hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, sun damage, acne, fine lines, and wrinkles.  Chemical peels are unable to turn back the hands of time, and cannot do wonders for sagging skin, very deep wrinkles or pitted acne scars.

TYPES OF CHEMICAL PEELS

​The majority of chemical peels penetrate the top layers of the skin.  As the skin peels, the old skin cells are replaced with new ones. 
  

• Light chemical peels (more commonly known as superficial peels) remove the top layer of skin. Light chemical peels target uneven skin tone, fine lines, acne and dryness. Superficial peels have minimal to no downtime, with mild redness to flaking. This type of peel can be performed every 5 weeks on average, under the guidance of a doctor or licensed professional.  
• Medium chemical peels removes skin cells from the top layer of skin and also penetrates a bit deeper.  Medium chemical peels treat wrinkles, acne,  and uneven skin tone. This procedure may need to repeated in order to achieve or maintain the desired result.
• Deep chemical peels penetrate even deeper to remove skin cells.  This type of peel is recommended for the treatment of deep wrinkles, scars, pigmentation and precancerous growths. Deep chemical peels result in moderate to advanced flaking. There is no need to repeat this procedure to get the desired effect. 

Before embarking into the world of chemical peels, your skin must be assessed by a professional to determine which type of peel is best for you. Your skin tone, skin concern, and texture are all determining factors in deciding which type of peel is best suited for you. 

BENEFITS OF CHEMICAL PEELS

• Improves irregularities in skin texture
• Helps even out skin tone and diminish hyperpigmentation
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Diminishes the size of pores
• Helps treat acne
• Smooths scars 

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AHA & BHA PEELS

AHA peels  which consist of glycolic acid, lactic acid and mandelic acid exfoliate the top layer of the skin.  The most commonly used contain glycolic acid, and lactic acid.  Lactic acid is much gentler than glycolic acid, and is used on sensitive skin types.  

BHA Peels contain salicylic acid, and are used on acne prone skin.  BHA peels target oiliness by penetrating into the pores to break down sebum and dirt that cause acne.

WHAT IS A RETINOL PEEL?

Retinol peels contain vitamin A, and have the ability to penetrate the skin deeper than acids due to its small molecular size.  Retinol peels help to reveal new skin cells, and are great for treatment of fine lines, wrinkles, irregularities in skin texture, and sun damage. 

There is some peeling that occurs after the application of a retinol peel, which typically lasts 2-4 days. The final result is smoother, brighter, and healthier looking skin.

​There is some mild stinging or a tingling sensation that will occur during the peel before the product is removed. One should expect some redness, flaking, and peeling on the days following the procedure. Superficial peels produce mild redness to flaking, while deep chemical peels produce moderate to advanced flaking/peeling of the skin.

PRE-TREATMENT & POST-TREATMENT

Before a chemical peel you should avoid the use of all exfoliating products (both chemical and manual).  It is equally just as important to avoid procedures on the face beforehand like waxing, and lasers. 

Aftercare is essential to ensure a good result.  One must avoid manual scrubs of all kinds, products containing AHAs, BHAs, and retinol for at least one week.  Avoid the sun, and wear SPF to protect the skin from darkening.  During the healing process, your skincare routine should be filled with simple, gentle products that do not irritate the skin.  For more advice on post-treatment, consult with your professional on the best products to use for your skin.