Aging beautifully starts when we are
very young with good eating habits and a good hygiene routine.
So developing
good skin and hair care habits should begin early. When playing with Mommy's
make-up
becomes "when can I wear make-up", it's time to commence
encouraging grooming habits that will last a
lifetime.
Whatever age you set as the proper
time for using make-up, give it a good six month head start by letting
her
demonstrate her developing maturity by twice daily face washing, body lotions
with SPF, lip balms. Showing
you she will take responsibility for herself in
these small items will help you to measure her willingness to
maintain her skin
once she is allowed to use more grown-up cosmetics. After all, if fried fast
foods are her
snack of choice and make-up is allowed to remain on overnight, it
is very likely she will develop acne or other
skin problems. She may not thank
you for the strict regimen right away, but she will as a teen when her skin
remains clear and when she is turning sixty and still looks fifty!
Make it a fun experience and a
challenge with a reward. Shop together for her first "grown-up"
products.
Discuss the importance of skin and hair care. It is hard
for someone so young to imagine herself "old" (and
remember even you
are old to her), so you might want to find a few pictures that demonstrate
women with
older, uncared for skin and a few with skin that has obviously been
well-cared for. Challenge her and offer
the reward:
"You are growing up so
beautifully. I know you want to start wearing make-up and you will be
allowed to
[..when...]. It is my job to teach you as you grow and your
job to show me how responsible you can be.
We will start you with
[...]. If you can show me you will wash you face every morning and every
night without
being reminded, and you will [...] for the next [...] months,
then I think you will be ready to begin using [...] ."
Be sure to get products that work
well for young skin. Go for the natural products in a good quality face
wash
to rub gently
for a little longer than to scrub hard quickly, and to blot her face dry.
Moisturizers should be used
daily. This can be part of the shopping fun. There are lots of
high-quality natural
moisturizers that are naturally scented. Let her
choose her first "signature scent". We like CND Scentsations
Choose a good lip balm. Not
the candy scented roll-on's you have used as stocking stuffers, but one with
Finally, and most important, encourage her good
eating habits. Start packing her lunch with a few carrot sticks
instead
of two cookies. Let her go to the grocery store to help you pick the
healthy snacks. Stress the
importance of eight glasses of water a day for
a healthy looking skin. She should come away from this
experience feeling
good about herself and you will know she is on the road to a lifetime of
healthy skin care. 
