Looking your best as you approach 40...

[dontcryitsonlyajoke]

So I've got a year to go to my 40th. My 30s has been all about huge changes - physical, emotional and career - due to 4 pregnancies, 3 babies, 3 years of breastfeeding and associated weight loss and gain.

The birth of my youngest a year ago brought unbelievable sleep deprivation and has aged my face significantly. I used to look young for my age but I look every day of my 39 years now!

I want to hit my 40s in a much better frame of mind - it's going to be the selfish decade where I reclaim a lot of "me".

So I want your tips on how to get myself looking and feeling better. The baby steps I've made so far are:

1. Good cleanse/serum/moisturise routine in place for the last 2 years but nothing more - no variants beyond my morning and night routine
2. finally found a hairstyle that suits and I think I can keep
3. started filing and clear varnishing my bitten-for-30-years nails so they're starting to look better (though still very weak
4. 2 litres of water most days
5. good exercise routine

What else would you suggest I do?

Oh yes, teeth!!! Sali Hughes has recommended Phillips sonicare toothbrushes many times. I ended up buying one and couldn't get over how much better it was then the electric toothbrush I already had. My mouth feels SO much fresher and my teeth look about a hundred times brighter. It's not a whitening effect so much as a brightening one but goes a hell of a long way towards making you look better groomed.

I'll look up the philips sonicare, although i have a sneaky suspicion i won't be able to afford it!

Goodness me. £250 for a toothbrush is quite a lot for a toothbrush. I see they do an £80 one, but that only removes x2 as much plaque when compared to a normal toothbrush. The best one removed x7 as much plaque. That's a lot of plaque.
[plaque anxiety]

Oh I know something that I have stopped doing since turning 40, which has a looking your best angle as well as health benefits, and that is giving a toss about coming back from a holiday looking tanned. Really don't care at all that I came back from a week in Spain exactly the same colour as when I went. Quite a relief really not having to think about gradual tanning or changing my bikini tops so I don't get a line, and all that after sun moisturising to keep your tan. Factor 50 all the way now.

Lipsiensis I don't think it matters which one you get, I've got the £80 one (although it was on sale at half price) and it's fantastic.

Are you troubled by plaque?

Not overly ????

Oops! That was meant to be a

I'm glad

This thread is awesome. Loads of great tips which I am going to try, mainly:

Drink less coffee - it's out of control is my habit.
More sun cream
More veg
Cleansing and moisturizing properly, rather than just falling into bed to exhausted to even apply it!

Lol at are you troubled by plaque :D

I bought some of the 0.25 retain A cream after reading this thread. Used it last night- alas, I woke up still looking 39.

No physical reaction to it at all when I put it on either- should I have expected anything? Tingling? Warmth? Etc?

I thought retinol had to be >1% to make a big difference

Dakota I don't feel any tingling/warmth when I apply retin-a, I did experience some peeling after about a fortnight's use though. But that soon settled down.

Prescription retin-a definitely has an effect at 0.025%, starting at a greater strength could result in a strong reaction.

Why not just get some Botox and save yourself all this humbug with creams?

Because botox often looks crap. It's no hardship slapping on a bit of cream in the evening. It's very relaxing in fact!

I'm not having botox again. I had it done three times and was delighted with the results the first two times but the third time my inner eyelid drooped in to a little bag. It's not as bad as it was, but I notice it, and it's also ageing imo. So thanks botox €250 well spent.

Right I've had my clinic consult. She's given me a salicyic acid facial wash, reckons I should wean off Clinique 3 step onto something better. She nearly had a fit that I use a sonic brush twice a day, I've to cut to once every second day or even better, never.

1000mg vitamin c every day. Hand sanitiser a lot to stop spreading bacteria to my face. Cotton pillowcase chNged every second day.

I'm getting medical microdermabrasion tomorrow. Possibly laser treatment as a follow up.

For the puppet lines I need dermal filler in y cheeks to pull everything up. But that's after I sort the skin tone out.

Wow I use my sonic brush twice a day too. Why is it bad? My skin always looks great when I am strict about using it.

I felt it's really helped my skin too but she said it's too tough on your skin. She seems to go for the gentle cleansing route - only use a Muslin cloth if you need a cloth, be gentle don't scrub etc. I don't know if it will work for me but she's qualified enough so I'll give it a try

What's the issue with the sonic brush?

I'll get an explanation in a few weeks. Basically she said it's too rough to use twice daily.

My skin feels lovely and soft after the microdermabrasion.

How is everyone doing? My skin is definitely better (cetaphil + sonic brush then Hydra stuff then moisturiser), but still getting spots so added retin a last night.

I need to find a mascara that doesn't make my eyes run, as I can't take a Benadryl every day just to wear makeup

For anyone who's interested in lovely clean, white teeth naturally, try 'oil pulling' you just drink some water when you wake up then 'swish' enthusiastically using almond or any light oil you like, or even water. for 20 mins e.g. while you shower. Then spit it out down the loo and clean your teeth and drink a glass of water. It loosens the plaque and it does work very well.

I went to see a PT today who was ( bless him) completely aghast by my admission that I drink at least 8 cups of coffee a day. He was so horrified by this I didn't dare tell him about the Burger King I had the day before.

But he did make me realise how terrible my diet has become.