Women's beauty regimens - ridiculous

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It's always been like that, I've read some creepy stuff about what women would do to make themselves supposedly look more attractive that would make some of the extreme cosmetic procedures people do now look safe and normal. Like put lead powder on their face and poisonous belladonna into their eyes to dilate their pupils, or wear girdles that squished their waistline to under six inches.

I've always felt I got away with being lucky not needing to 'do much' to my skin as two of my three siblings have severe acne to contend with, and have prescribed creams that lessen the effects of their condition. I put on makeup when going out because I feel more camouflaged and less corpse-like without it, but removing it is always the first thing I do once home after dropping my bag because I can feel it sitting on top of my skin, which makes it feel like some horrible petri dish for bacteria. I would love to be more confident and not bother with anything though.
Our consumerist cultures, egged on constantly by the multi-billion pound beauty industry is grating, so even if I myself am partly a victim of it's lies, I do agree with your take on the issue.

I definitely think it's gotten ridiculous. I understand why people want to look young and attractive, but I think it's WAY simpler than a lot of people think. I think the industry tries to sell all these products, (of course, because they want to make money) and somewhere along the line society absorbed the idea that products are necessary. Instead it's a lot easier to go to the source.... take care of your body with healthy lifestyle practices, and you won't need much else. I guess it's fine if you enjoy makeup and stuff, but I don't think anyone should feel obligated to use those things.

I do use a good deal of lotion to try and keep my skin young for longer, but it definitely doesn't take much time, and it's pretty inexpensive.

+1

Makeup is fun for me, but not when I have to learn all that crap on youtube lol. I have other things to do.

Does Bert's Bees lip balm count?

^ I don't think so because that's something you use for medical reasons, not vanity-related ones. I sometimes use lip balm because it soothes my lips when when they're chapped, not to improve their appearance.

Lotions and stuff for sunburn or bug bites overly dry skin and cuts - those are really to make you feel better physically or help you to heal faster.

The most-effective method for staying young-looking is to simply take care of your health in a consistent and disciplined manner by eating the right foods and never consuming the wrong food but mainly has to do with one's consumption-habits than for any other reason. Always stick with filtered/purified drinking water and never drink the sugar-waters known as sodas/pop/soft-drinks/energy-drinks/etc. Use a water-filter that gets rid of fluoride.

Use a shower-filter that also filters out both chlorine and fluoride. Eat fruits, LOTS of them, especially the ones with high water-content, such as grapes and water-melons. Organic of course (growing them yourself is even better if possible if you can get access to top-quality organic-soil). Stay away from starchy and dry foods at ALL costs (this means no eating of breads, crackers, chips, cakes, tarts, etc). Sugars (refined/processed) also need to be BOYCOTTED. Only the natural/organic cane-sugar is acceptable for consumption. Use honey if you need a food-sweetener.

The nutritional-value of fruits has to do mostly with keeping your system clean from impurities.
The nutritional-value of vegetables has mostly to do with strengthening your immune-system against diseases.
The nutritional-value of drinking lots of CLEAN drinking water cannot be over-stated;
Don't believe that crap about water-poisoning from drinking too much water; the one who died from that didn't pee when her body told her to pee, and she continued to drink even when her body told her she was full, plus that water was fluoridated anyway so of COURSE you'd end up dying from consuming so much RAT-POISON.

I have covered most of the bare minimum BASIC requirements for OPTIMUM health and beauty.
P.S.: For most people, a simple solution/mix of Baking Powder with Coconut-Oil is the most-effective, fastest solution to effective youngest-looking skin, including keeping the face from looking like it must have Psoriasis.
(Baking-Powder/Coconut-Oil: Approximately 50%/50% or 30%/70% if Baking Powder is too strong)]

Don't forget that, apart from the make-up itself, there is the daily obstacle course of applying the make-up in the car's rearview mirror. Yikes!

To treat redness it depends on what causes it. If it is rosacea then it would require a different treatment than redness caused by allergies, or skin irritation. Or whatever else causes redness.

I was told to use a retinol cream (from a clinic, not a drugstore), I use a 1% cream but it makes my skin dry and break out. My redness is from allergies, but I was misdiagnosed as having rosacea.

Depending on skin condition and age, you could talk to a clinic and see if microdermabrasian is right for your skin. It is strong exfoliation, which helped me with redness and made my skin feel smooth. Unfortunately my skin issues are caused by allergies (smoke, dust, my roommate's rabbit), so until I can live somewhere where I don't have allergies my skin conditions will continue.

Taking care of your skin, is more about prevention since treating issues is much more difficult, and expensive. Sunscreen, sun avoidance, moisturizing, exfoliating, eating healthy foods (especially fresh produce) will all help your skin's condition.

It's unfortunate, but appearance is really important in society. And women especially are pressured to not look over 30. If it doesn't matter to you personally, then it's okay if you don't get it. But if you don't get it, and it does matter to you, people here can offer advice.

A lot of the products don't even do what they claim to do because there is very little regulation in the cosmetics industry.

I do understand it, I just don't know if I want to be part of it.

Well, the reality is that beauty attracts people.
Biologically speaking.
Is it right? is it wrong? is it intelligent? is it shallow? I am not talking about the moral aspect of it. I am talking about the biological aspect of it. The human being is attracted by simmetric and regular facial traits and by a young and athletic body. Because it is sign of strong genes and good reproductive systems. There have been studies on toddlers that has shown how, even at that age, babies prefer beautiful and young features.

So it is pretty instinctive for people to accept and like a beautiful and young person more than an ugly or old one.

Then there are other stereotypes that can be added to this. Social position, strenght (especially for men), cultural symbols for power, elegance, sexual availability...

And if you think that this is something valid only when you are searching for a partner... well, you are wrong. Studies have been done about how a person looks like and how much competent on their job they are considered and a person who is more attractive, tidy, well dressed and who takes care of their outlook, is perceived as more professional and able to do a job.

They are stereotypes that are embedded in our brain, because this is how our brain works. Especially the neurotypical brain (but this is just an idea of mine).

Therefore, to present yourself as much attractive and young as you can, it is a winning move if you want to be perceived as positive, in almost all the situations.

I have learned it pretty late in life, studying people and sociology books. I have filled my closet of what I call "costumes" to act my play in public and I have found the way to look attractive as much as I can without losing my mind wasting too much time for make up and stuff.

Is it right? no.
Is it helping me in the everyday life? yes.

And, in my opinion, when you are not neurotypical, you need all the help you can get.

Then, I also think that is kind of stupid, and I also do the less that I have to do to take care of my look. I am 38 years old and I don't use beauty cremes, mask or stuff, I never go to the beauty saloon, I don't like to shave, it takes to me 5 minute to do my make up, never go to the hairdresser (I even trim my hair by myself because it is more easy ad quick), when I am not in public I can stay in pajama all day.
But I have found a quick routine and a look that fits me and it is easy to mantain.
And it helps. For real.
In the everyday life, it helps.

I think as far as women’s beauty regimens go it all depends on the woman. I like wearing lipstick, sparkly eyeshadow and if I feel like it loads of black mascara and gel eyeliner. That doesn’t mean other women have to who aren’t like me. There are some women who probably just don’t have the patience or that’s not who they are as a person.

Some women like me are all about dresses, cute shoes (I wear sneakers most of the time but I make sure the color or pattern looks right with my outfit), pink lip glosses and skinny jeans (skinny jeans are the only jeans I wear) and other women are about clothes that are two times bigger than them. I personally prefer to wear super cute clothes that aren’t super tight and form fitting (Bodycon dresses are very overrated and look a bit too clingy for my body shape) so it really all depends of preference and personal choice.