Mirror Mirror on the Wall

dermHA loves to share thoughts and comments about beauty and its impact on our lives.  Please take a moment to hear GG Renee's musing on the 'Power of Pretty'.

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“Almost always it is the fear of being ourselves that brings us to the mirror….”

I’ve never liked my toes or my knees…I have my reasons. My arms and hands are so long that my fingertips are ridiculously close to reaching my knees when I stand with my hands at my sides. My forehead selfishly stole a good inch from my scalp that it really didn’t need. I’m in my thirties, but I still have acne-prone skin. And somewhere inside there is still a 13 year old, insecure girl who wants bigger breasts, clearer skin and smaller feet. This girl in me wills me to compare and contrast myself to other girls and wonder what it feels like to have all the physical qualities that I have told myself will make me feel more desirable. I know this girl very well. We go way back.
I have recently acquainted myself with a newer part of me that is spreading a different attitude and becoming the Girl to Watch among all the little girls that make up the woman that is me. Word on the street is that nobody can do what I do quite the way I do it. My long body, sensitive skin and big head are mine to love and carry with grace. I’m finally believing the idea that there is no benchmark for beauty and that how I feel about myself determines how I look. It’s my business to feel good on my own terms without apology or fear of judgment. This is the hottest trend , the fashion must-have, the magical beauty secret of all fabulous women: Believe you are beautiful and beautiful you will be.

Let’s not make it more difficult than it needs to be! Who is the fairest of them all? The one whose mirror reflects self-love, self-awareness and the boldness to live out loud.

GG Renee

GG Renee loves to write and advocate for the success and emotional well-being of the modern woman. She infuses the concepts of self-love and personal development into everything she creates. Based in the Washington DC area, she does relationship management for a financial services company by day; while her free time is spent studying the complexities of love and life. She is a peace warrior, a dancing queen, and a scribe hopelessly devoted to personal freedom. GG is one half of the duo behind the happiness blog, Peace Love and Pretty Things. She also shares her personal journey of transformation on her blog, The Write Curl Diary.

Women, Hormones and their Skin

Many of the changes you experience in your skin are a result of hormones. Hormones are crucial to the healthy functioning of your body. they fluctuate throughout your lifetime and are responsible for both physical and emotional changes that we feel. When your hormones are out of wack, skin problems can occur...most notable, acne.

During puberty, acne occurs due to an increase in oil production in glands. During menopause, the loss of estrogen results in the body having more androgens (the male sex hormone), so hair growth on the chin and jaw line along with adult acne becomes more common in women.

Breakouts occur when pores become blocked with a sticky combination of dead cells, sebum and bacteria. This accumulation can be as small as a pimple or it can become as large and painful as a cyst. The severity of the acne breakout is determined by a variety of factors including heredity, diet, environment, and the way that you care for your skin. No matter what the cause, acne can be a wake up call to take better overall care of your health.

Tips for improve your overall health:

• Exercise daily to stimulate circulation, healthy sweat and oil secretions, metabolism, as well as those feel-good hormones.



• Drink plenty of water so toxins can be flushed from your body through the kidneys and liver



• Eat a diet full of colorful veggies and fruits and switch to organic meat if you can afford it.



• Eliminate sugar and sweets, caffeine, and sodas.



• Dairy is a suspect in contributing to acne and should be eliminated for a month to see if the condition improves.



• Cleanse and hydrate your skin daily and exfoliate when needed.



• Look for a hyaluronic acid based moisturizer to keep skin hydrated without blocking pores. A hydrated skin functions better by keeping skin soft and allowing for the transfer of oils. Dry, tight skin constricts pores and solidifies sebum, trapping it and causing pores to become congested.
  

As we age, women lose precious hormones. Visible changes occur in the bones, muscles, hair and skin. Skin and hair may begin to thin and skin loses elasticity, gets dry and begins to form wrinkles. Aging skin also becomes more vulnerable to infection and often more sensitive. Irritants such as fragrance, alcohol, lanolin, dye and propylene glycol should be avoided in skin care products. Hyaluronic acid, found in dermHA products, is the most powerful natural moisturizing ingredient known to science and a key ingredient in keeping aging skin healthy and younger looking.

Understanding the affects of hormones as they relate to unwelcome changes in skin during puberty and menopause, and every stage in between, can help you make healthy choices in diet, lifestyle and daily skin care. Learning to incorporate proper skin care into your daily routine is essential for improving the health, appearance and integrity of your skin.

Stay beautiful!

Millie