We all have regrets or things we wish we knew 10 years ago, but some lessons can only be learned in retrospect. Here’s a list of beauty advice we wish we knew way back when. Some are permanent, some are not. Others are never too late to start implementing.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could time-travel back to have a chat with our 20-year-old self? Some regrets are indicative of the times (hello pencil thin eyebrows), but other pieces of advice are related to our bodies and our health and overall wellbeing.
If you’re ready to take a trip down beauty memory lane (even if it’s to remind yourself of a few things to never do), keep reading!
#1 – Give sunbaking a miss
Most of us, if we think back can see our younger selves at the beach with our friends – either slathering our bodies with something akin to baby oil, or simply sunbathing without any UV protection on at all. Getting or having a tan was definitely considered “healthy-looking” or even desirable when most of us were younger. Solariums were still a thing and maximum protection meant SPF15+.
Aside from the more obvious health risks to un-protected sun exposure, 80% of visible ageing is linked directly to UV exposure or sun-damage. Those unwanted pigmentation spots and fine-lines most of us now have? Mostly preventable.
Moral of the story: it is never too late to start wearing sunscreen. Even when its 14 degrees and overcast, the sun’s rays are still harmful (especially in Australia) so it’s crucial to wear your sunscreen every day and make sure its at least 30+ (or even better yet 50+).
#2 – The tattoo that doesn’t look as good as you think it does
What was considered “cool” ten years ago does not necessarily age well. In fact, the reality is that the cooler it was for the time, the more dated it probably looks now. There’s more than a few of us out there with some serious “tattoo regret”.
Perhaps your tattoo doesn’t align with your current vibe or perhaps simply hasn’t aged well. Regardless of the reason, in 2023 we can be thankful for medical lasers and laser tattoo removal to help us right our wrongs!
#3 – Don’t sleep with your makeup on
Always take your makeup off before bed. Most of us are guilty of breaking this cardinal beauty rule but we are not in our twenties anymore. We are grown-ups and grown-ups take off their make up before bedtime. And yes, its ok to cheat with a sneaky make-up wipe now and again.
#4 – Smoking is not cool
Just….no. Don’t do it. Not cool people.
#5 – Put down the tweezers
For most of us, our poor eyebrows never – and we mean never recovered from the late 90’s/early 2000’s trend of barely-there pencil-thin eyebrows. If only a crystal ball could have told us we would forever be trying to grow them back 20 years later!
#6 – Be gentle with your skin (and do not pick – EVER!)
This one’s an easy one and pretty much all of us have been guilty of this at some stage: don’t use ingredients that are too harsh or strong for your skin as these can end up causing more problems.
Exfoliation is great – over exfoliation is not. Some of us have learnt this one the hard way and our poor skin paid the price. It might have taken ages to our skin to get back to where it was before we tried the onslaught of harsh products. Test patch new ingredients first and don’t overload your skin with too many products all at once.
Also, picking pimples is just a no. The brief moment of satisfaction you feel when you successfully squeeze a pimple is just not worth the scar or mark it leaves behind. A lot of us still struggle with this one and it is a hard habit to break.
#7 – Embrace and work with the hair you have
Learning to love and accept the hair we naturally have is definitely a lesson lots of us could have learnt earlier. Oftentimes our younger selves longed or wished for something we didn’t have – ie craving pin-straight blonde hair when in reality you have dark brown curls.
Long-term use of straighteners and other hot tools will wreak havoc on your hair in the long run. Likewise dying and bleaching your hair without downtime will cause it to thin and fall out over time. Trust us, take it easy as it will take years for your hair to recover.
#8 – Start laser hair removal now
This one is an investment. But it’s also a no-brainer and never too late to start. If you consider all the time, money and hassle combined over the years with all the painful waxing appointments, bleaching, plucking and razers …well you get the idea.
Also, hair removal laser 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 smooth and hair-free. Permanently.
#9 – Invest in a good skincare routine (and stick to it)
See a professional (i.e. aesthetician dermal therapist, dermatologist) and get a proper skin analysis, preferably with a skin analyzer to work out your skin type and/or condition you wish to treat, plus the best skincare products for your particular skin needs.
Once you are armed with that knowledge (and perhaps some professional skincare), you can then work towards achieving your skin goals, both with targeted treatments and the help of an at home beauty device or two.
If you check out this dentist in Decatur TX, they’ll also advise you to take good care of your teeth while you’re young. Remember, they are as much a part of what makes you beautiful.
#10 – Finally, learn to love yourself and embrace yourself exactly as you are!
On a final note, if we could travel back in time, I’m sure that most of us would take the chance to be a little bit kinder to the younger version of ourselves that we saw in the mirror all those years ago.
Quite often, the things we are self-conscious about when we were younger, then become the things we learn to love most about ourselves – precisely because they do make us different and unique. Above and beyond everything else, self-acceptance and self-love are some of the most powerful lessons we can learn over time.
This article was brought to you in partnership with beauty suppliers, The Global Beauty Group. To find out more about any of the technologies mentioned in this article or the best skincare products for your skin concern, please visit their website https://www.theglobalbeautygroup.com.au
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