MARCH 19, 2011 YOUR MATURE COMPLEXION

"JOY IS A SUSTAINED SENSE OF WELL-BEING AND INTERNAL PEACE- A CONNECTION TO WHAT MATTERS" - Oprah Winfrey

Who doesn't want a sense of well being with internal peace? These days I have more internally peaceful days than not. Even the days without internal peace are much better than the days when I was not sober. I try to have a sustained sense of well-being by being active most of the day but also having my moments of tranquility and meditation. I need a connection to what matters every day. I need to connect medically, spiritually and emotionally with my patients in order to help them with their healing process. I am the facilitator of the healing process. It has to come from within the patient. You could say I am a catalyst to their healing. I make a lot of suggestions to the patient in order to allow them to achieve their own healing. Some individuals already know they are on the right path, but still need encouragement. I am honored to be part of an individual's healing process. It makes my heart swell with enlightenment.

The one part of your body that takes on more character than any other area is the FACE. I would rather keep my immature younger, smoother face. Lines start to form in your thirties. Those of us who are "Baby Boomers" already have wrinkles. If you have wrinkles at a young age, you probably have a fair complexion and thin layer of fat under your skin. Most mature skin is dry. This is me. I have wrinkles at nearly 51. Not horrible deep lines, but lines that distinguish me as mature, debonair and handsome. I even started to grow a goatee. I left it gray despite the fact that my daughter thinks I should color it. I try to keep it short. I think it looks distinguishing.

I have changed a well known quote to say, "If G.O.D. has to give men wrinkles, he might at least put them on the soles of the feet." At least a pedicure could be done to remove the wrinkles. Perhaps Mae West would have said to put more wrinkles in the 'gun in their pockets.'

For the dry skin I like to apply rose geranium, jasmine and myrrh to rejuvenate my skin. Myrrh is mentioned in James Duke's Medicinal Plants from the Bible. I have seen some herbalists use very unusual essential oils on dry skin such as carrot seed and rock rose. I prefer comfrey to stimulate skin-cell growth and soothe skin. You can also use marshmallow.

As far back as Egyptian times, there were a few anti aging herbs that are still used today. They are lavender, rose, rosemary, fennel and neroli. You probably have never heard of neroli. It is the plant oil from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. It is written that the 13th Duchess of Alba used rose water and almond oil mixed with egg white for her wrinkles. The Duchess' relationship with famed Spanish painter Francisco Goya and her somewhat eccentric personality have contributed greatly to a continuing interest in her life during the two centuries since her death. It was her complexion that everyone talked about. Goya executed several well known portraits of the duchess. I am sure that foreign film actresses like Garbo and Dietrich used similar techniques.

Until tomorrow...