My Marriage and Your Skincare?
Tarrah Bouts
My husband, Ryan, and I, just hit a major milestone in any couple’s relationship. We celebrated 15 years of marriage last week! After 15 years, 2 kids, and crazy careers, I feel as though we have learned the secret to an amazing and happy marriage and life…….communication!
Being in the treatment room and working closely with so many women, I hear what women everywhere are craving. They want to be heard. Really listened to! But guess what, ladies? Men secretly do, too! I have learned (big disclaimer inserted here, I do not have a background in psychology, lol!) that we all communicate differently, but we just expect everyone else to know and follow along. I read a great social media post not long ago, about how we are each the star of our own movie; but we forget to give everyone around us the script. WOW! That hit me like a ton of bricks! It hit me so hard, because I am guiltier than anyone over this! But I am learning, and each day gives fresh and new opportunities to improve!
With this revelation, I have learned that I have to tell my husband exactly what I am thinking or I want and need. For example, this time last year, he asked me what I would like for Christmas. I was shy at first, not wanting to sound greedy or stingy, because I had a want and not a need last year. (My family always jokes about my “practical gift list.”) I could have left hints, or made him merely guess. Instead, I found my courage, and I told him. You will not believe what happened next. Are you ready for this??! He actually bought it! And I had the most amazing Christmas! Then, I felt a little silly, that I hadn’t just been telling him all along. It would have been less stressful for him, and I would have had 13 more amazing holiday stories to share!
So why am I writing about this in my usual skincare blog, you may wonder? I am not trying to truly dole out marital advice; I am not qualified to do that! But I am qualified to teach you about products and ingredients in skincare, as well as what is hype from the truth.
The truth is, we have known for years that aging occurs partly because our bodies just start slowing down. However, this is only the first piece of the puzzle. Science is ever evolving with new findings. One of these discoveries, is that our cellular tissue “slows down” because of slowing communication. Our nerves are not firing as quickly. Our blood is not pumping as hard and cannot reach the tissue (skin) to feed it properly; as a result, our cells cannot turnover efficiently and our tissues start losing valuable components such as water and trace minerals. How does this present in the mirror? By looking dull, tired, dry, sagging skin, wrinkles, basically all the things we complain about when we are looking at our reflection.
Can I do something to increase communication? Yes, you can! While you cannot just ask old St. Nick for a youthful glow, you can use one ingredient in particular, whose only job is to increase communication. And not just generic hints at what you want for your skin. Much like my marital advice, you have to get specific with your words. We have found that Human Growth Factors are the master communicators. There is a Growth Factor for basically every single function in your body. There is one for fat replication, cellular turnover, bone growth and development, blood supply, you name it! It is important that we apply the right growth factor (communication/command) for the right problem!
Did you say human? Yes. Yes, I did. None of this plant nonsense. We are people, not plants. Our human cells cannot interpret plant communication. Our bodies do not have the same needs that your beautiful rose bush does.
What part of a human? This is my favorite topic! The growth factors are derived from stem cells. Now before anyone jumps the gun, let us look at www.dictionary.com’s definition of stem cell (it is the easiest to understand) A stem cell is a cell that upon division replaces its own numbers and also gives rise to cells that differentiate further into one or more specialized types, as various B cells and T cells. In the skincare world, stem cells are harvested from consenting, human, adults. The stem cells being used in the last few years, have come from adipose tissue, also known as fat. As fabulous as it would be to liposuction our tummy and smear it on our face to look youthful…(sorry! A little cosmetics humor! Haha!) I digress. Remember that science is ever evolving, though. And while the stem cells and ultimately the growth factors from fat tissue is not necessarily harmful, we have found a better way and a better source. This means better results for you as the end consumer.
While I would love to fully communicate to you, I think this is also enough to digest for now. When receiving a professional skin treatment, or purchasing your skincare products, be sure to communicate your concerns with who you are working with. And be certain that they can communicate properly to you about the specific solutions for your skin’s problems. And lastly, be sure to communicate with any relationship you may have how much they mean to you, and what you need from them. It will ensure you to have a beautiful day!