When it comes to beauty, oh, if only we could somehow jump into a time machine, locate our younger selves and impart some beauty words of wisdom, whispering the do’s and don’ts into our ears. For most of us growing up, information wasn’t nearly as readily available as it is now – you couldn’t just jump onto YouTube to watch a tutorial or find a reddit post about that burning skincare or makeup question you had. Beauty blogs were not nearly as popular as they are now and reliable information was much harder to come by.
From following fad trends that had lasting repercussions, right through to jeopardising our health – if we could go back there’s definitely more than a few things we’d have done differently, that’s for sure.
The following is a list compiled of some beauty lessons that were learnt through good old-fashioned trial and error and whilst some are more permanent than others, others are never too late to start implementing.
Embrace and work with the hair you have
Ahh who’s younger self wasn’t guilty of wishing they had some other type of hair rather than embracing what they had? There is no point wishing you had pin-straight blonde hair, when in reality you have dark brown curls. Straighteners and other hot tools will wreak havoc on your hair. Likewise dying your hair incessantly will cause it to thin and fall out. And don’t even get me started on bleach….
If you are lucky enough to have curly hair – learn to look after them and look for products designed to enhance rather than undo…so put down the straighter and leave the bleach alone – the damage will take years to undo.
Put down the tweezers
For lots of us our poor poor eyebrows never recovered from the late 90’s early aughties trend of barely there pencil-thin eyebrows. Who doesn’t cringe inside every time they see photos of their barely there sad-excuse-for-eyebrows that we had plucked into oblivion? Sometimes, no matter how much caster-oil or lash growth serum we apply…they just don’t grow back.
Start laser hair removal now. Pronto
Whilst this one is an investment, it is also a no no-brainer if you consider all the time, money and hassle combined over the years with all the painful waxing appointments, bleaching, plucking, razers and all other shaving accoutrements…well you get the idea.
Also, laser hair removal machines have come a long way in the last 10 years and treatments are now quicker, cheaper and more effective than ever before. The sooner you book and complete your sessions, the quicker you are on your way to being permanently smooth and hair-free. The bonus? As hair removal laser machines work by killing the hair at the root shaft…you can kiss those pesky ingrown hairs goodbye for good.
Don’t sleep with your make-up still on
Most of us would be lying if we didn’t at some point break this cardinal rule – but we are not in our 20’s anymore. We are grown-ups and grown-ups take their make-up off before bedtime. Our skin regenerates itself at night and therefore it needs to be able to breathe – plus it’s the best time for your skincare to work its magic.
After a night out with friends or an event, it’s all too easy to return home exhausted and be tempted to launch straight for the pillow. For those nights it’s ok to cheat slightly with a naughty make-up wipe or some micellar water and a quick slather of moisturiser. Ok, it’s not your multi-step skincare routine but it’s certainly better than nothing and your skin will thank you later.
You might regret the tattoo…
Trends come and go…and tattoos are no exception. What was considered “cool” ten or 15 year ago – the more dated it probably looks now. Aside from the fact it has probably aged terribly, it might not feel like “you” anymore…..or perhaps it simply no longer holds the same meaning or significance that it did at the time you got it. No matter the tattoo regret…thank God for tattoo removal laser machines – a few sessions and you can thankfully quite literally erase the mistakes of your past.
Do not sunbake….ever
Having a tan was definitely considered “healthy-looking” or even desirable 15 or 20 years ago. Who remembers their 17-year old self going to a solarium or slathering themselves in the equivalent baby oil in order to get a tan? If only we could give ourselves a good shake and say “it’s just not worth it!”
In those days, double digit SPF protection meant 15+ tops and even that was considered maximum protection back then. We were certainly not armed with the knowledge of today, which is that any (and we do mean any) prolonged period in the sun unprotected is harmful for our skin. Even in Winter when the temperature is below 10 and overcast, the sun’s rays are still harmful, especially here in Australia where they are extra harsh.
Aside from the more obvious health risks to un-protected sun exposure, 80% of the visible signs of ageing are linked directly to UV exposure or sun-damage and the collagen in our skin starts to break down long before we start to turn pink or get a sunburn.
Moral of the story: SPF is crucial for the long-term health of your skin – sadly some of those unwanted fine lines and pigmentation could have been prevented. It is however NEVER too late to start so incorporate a dedicated sunscreen of your choice into your morning routine and make sure its 30+ or even better yet 50+.
Be gentle with your skin (and resist the urge to pick)
This one’s an easy one and we have all been there at some point. Some of us learnt this one the hard way and our poor old skin barrier paid the price. Getting over-zealous with skincare containing active ingredients or using products that are too harsh for our skin can easily lead to more problems than we what we initially started out with. Whilst regular exfoliation is great – over exfoliation is not.
Always test patch new skincare first (especially ones that include acids for example) and don’t overload your skin with too many new products all at once.
And lastly…resist the temptation to pick at those pimples. That brief moment of satisfaction when you successfully squeeze that black head is just not worth that scar or mark that it will undoubtedly leave behind.
And finally….learn to LOVE yourself
Although sometimes easier said than done – confidence and self acceptance are key to living a beauty filled life. Most of us would have loved to tell our younger, more insecure selves this: oftentimes the things you are self-conscious about now are the EXACT things you will end up embracing when you are older as these are the things that make you unique – this is some wisdom that simply only comes with the benefit of time.
Unfortunately we cannot rewrite the past nor turn back the clock. However, as we are now better armed with the beauty knowledge we have learnt along the way – we can share and pass on these nuggets of wisdom with those that come after us so they can learn from our mistakes.
This article was brought to you in partnership with beauty suppliers, The Global Beauty Group. If you would like to learn about tattoo removal machines discussed in this article, or to find a treatment provider in your area, please call 1300 006 607 or visit their website.
