Catching Up, Big Number Birthdays, Readers, & Going Silicone Free

I’ve been thinking a lot about birthdays in the high numbers lately because I just celebrated my 51st birthday. I don’t know about you, but it seems the first year of a new decade is the hardest! Transitioning from 39 to 40, or 49 to 50 is much harder for me than turning from 38 to 39, or 50 to 51. I was in such a funk last year at this time over turning 50, but this year was a piece of cake! I guess it’s just a matter of getting used to a new number but I wonder if it ever gets any easier to see increasingly bigger numbers looming out on the horizon? (I’m guessing NOT)

I’ve heard that age is just a number, and that you’re only as old as you feel, so can someone please tell my 51 year old body to cooperate with the 20 year old in my head? There’s no denying the changes that the body goes through as it ages . . . the wrinkles and grey hair are one thing, but it’s the decreased ability to  see, the achey joints, and reduced energy that make things more difficult. Fortunately, there’s a product or solution for most of it, so we make our adjustments and proceed as best we can.

I just discovered bifocal reader sunglasses, and what a game-changer they were for me on vacation. I didn’t have to carry two pairs of glasses and take off my sunglasses to read on the beach! I ordered the sunglasses from www.peeperspecs.com along with some readers for putting on makeup, and couple more pairs for around the house (because now I need them in every room). 

It’s been occasionally hot, but consistently humid this summer and my face has been suffering from breakouts consistently as well. I read recently that using silicone based face products that don’t cause breakouts in the winter can cause acne in the summer, so I’m trying to go silicone free to see if my face clears up. But that’s no easy task. I never realized how many products are mostly silicone. In my normal morning routine I put on up to 5 silicone based products! My antioxidant serum, my sunscreen, my primer, and my foundation are all loaded with silicone and my moisturizer has some in it too.

I’ve been web searching and reading labels at the drugstore for a week now, and I’ve yet to find a silicone-free sunscreen from a major brand. I’ve ordered a few things from small companies on line, but in general they get mixed reviews, so I’ll let you know how I like them. In the mean time, the search continues . . .