Last week I received an email from Maira Thomasen: “Hello, Nancy I am an avid reader of your column and blog. I should tell you that your tips are very helpful.
“I just turned 45 and I noticed that my skin, which was once very oily is now extremely dry. I am also developing wrinkles.
“I don’t want to spend thousands on products so please advise me.”
Maira thanks for writing to me I always enjoy getting feedback from my readers.
Yours is not a unique problem as many women and men over 40 years of age will attest.
The older you grow the less your body generates natural oils, so you find that your skin generally getting drier.
This means that you are bound to be more prone to wrinkles, peeling and sun burn but all is not lost as there are a couple of things that you can do to fight back.
First off and most importantly eat a balanced meal with a lot of of fresh vegetables and fruit.
Drink more than two litres of water as this helps flush out the toxins from your body as well as keeping you hydrated.
Minimise on your intake of alcohol and avoid smoking, and caffeinated drinks because they tend to dehydrate your body and make appearance of wrinkles worse.
Use a good face mask to keep your beautiful skin hydrated and try as hard as possible to use natural products and foods as ingredients.
Here is a simple one to make at home which suits all skin types.
Mash one banana and mix in two teaspoons of yogurt and half a teaspoon of honey, (adjust the quantities of yogurt, and honey so that the mask is not too runny).
Apply it on your face and wait for about fifteen minutes or until completely dry then wash off with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Always moisturise your skin with a moisturiser that has good sunscreen. This is often overlooked by dark skinned women, because they don’t feel they are at risk of burning.
However, the reality is that while you may not burn, you do need a good sunscreen to prevent skin discoloration and texture changes that are caused by sun damage.
Add some coconut oil, jojoba, or olive oil to your lotion to give it that extra moisture locking kick and don’t forget your lotions best friend glycerine and a little water.
Go for a mammogram, it’s time to go and get tested for breast cancer as this is the age when you are most susceptible to it, this goes for men and women as well.
Gentlemen this is the time you start going for prostate cancer screening.
Have fun, you have earned it, spoil yourself everyone in a while who says life has to be dreary.
If your style has been the same since you were 25 its time to switch it up to a more distinguished noticeable look.
Many people opt to colour their greying hair when they get older but a word of caution, go to a professional hairstylist.
Your hair becomes drier and more prone to breakage as you get older so any harsh hair treatments can cause irreversible hair damage.
Another option you have is to leave the grey hair after all it’s a badge of honour and the salt and pepper look can be extremely attractive most times.
By age 40, you know yourself better than you ever have and you are hopefully more confident in your skin than ever before.
So choose a style that expresses the true you, just don’t steal your granddaughters purple skinny jeans leave that where it belongs, your memories.
Let go of baggy clothes that weigh you down and those old clothes that you so love, celebrate a new era by giving yourself a makeover.
Wear clothes that honour your ageless spirit and don’t leave you stuck in the past yes I know that people say dress your age but this does not mean you mustn’t wear bright colours.
Black colours are not very flattering when you are older so wear bright colours and if you must wear black then tone it down with other colours or classy jewellery.
Exercise, take walks, do a little jogging, take up tennis, Madalas football, anything that gets your blood up and pumping is necessary and a must.
Reduce on your oil, sugar, and salt intake, treat your body like a temple,it has brought you this far so give it some respect.
Invest in some shea butter, it’s a godsend and can be found in most chemists, get the raw one and apply it as a lotion, night cream, eye cream and in your hair.
Speaking of night and eye creams, some women say that they do wonders but some say they don’t.
My advice is to use what works our bodies are different so not everything works for anyone but hey you’re now 40 you should know this already.
Ladies, be that woman, you know those women who age gracefully, those timeless femme fatales that just sizzle and like wine get finer with age.
Gentlemen, in as much as mid life crisis is real let’s take a moment and appreciate the term, Distinguished gentleman.
A man who now knows that a well-tailored suit coupled with a great haircut, classy watch and  belt plus the right shoe are the perfect accessory.
Lets chat on in my inbox divadiarys@gmail.com, my blog divadiarys.blogspot.com and on twitter @Arushapot.
So embrace your life, and see you next week.