Skincare Tips...Ft. My Grandmother

You think you already know a diva worthy of the name because they are the literal definition of one? You're wrong. Well, until now. You are kind of going to meet my gran, through the power of English. Yes.

My granny is 72 years young and her name is Dora, a nickname because if you knew her full Bulgarian name you'd find it hard to read. Anyways, she is my source of everything fashion/beauty/common sense/advice related because, well, she seems to know everything. Age before beauty it is, I guess.

I decided to sit down with Granny Dora to discuss her tips on how to stay young, how to have your skin glowing and all that fab stuff. To me, she's very helpful so I asked her one-to-one what her major tips are, just for you because sharing is caring. You're welcome.

(Just to let you know I had to wait until her favourite TV Soap finished because it was more important, okay, carry on.)

GD Tip #1—Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

"You have to drink water, I don't understand you sometimes you drink that Cola garbage. Disgusting. When I was you're age we—"

Cut her off there because you get the idea. I tried my hardest not to eye roll out loud, but, she's right. If you're not new to wanting to get that nice, clean skin then I am sure that you've read over 100 articles on how to get that perfect glow. So, I am going to repeat it again and again. DRINK WATER! It isn't just good for you're skin, it ensures you don't die because, like, you die faster from dehydration than you die from starvation! (I think, don't @ me.) My gran, as she tried to say, did not have money to buy fizzy drinks, if they even existed at the time. She drank water and so, I guess, because of that she partially contributed to the reservation of her skin. All natural right? You're going to hear this A LOT.

GD Tip #2—Try to eat natural foods.

I am not saying you go vegan, although, for those brave souls out there, that would be a great thing for your skin

"We never had anything fried or stuff like McDonald's, we ate things from the garden, our food never had any of the chemicals they put in today."

I say, do not grow your own food if you live somewhere where it's crowded but...Yes, my granny grew up in a Bulgarian village and to be honest, natural food is great when I go home to visit. This tip however is not very needed, it's quite hard to find anything natural right now. One thing I will say though is to eat more raw veggies and fruits of course and maybe cut down the dairy foods, those foods tend to have properties which might encourage acne, this happens to me at least.

GD Tip #3—Wash your face with cold water.

"When I was a young girl, we used to go out in the winter, early in the morning and wash our faces with the fresh snow. I've always been told by my granny, my mother and other women in the family to wash my face with cold water. It does help. I've washed my face with cold water only since I was young and I've always had glowing skin. Good for waking up in the morning too! You should try it."

I go to school, that's why I can't get up. Okay? Yeah, cold water is very refreshing, any day, except winter. If you're cold, don't do it. I personally quite enjoy it and I do it daily. To be honest, this is my favourite tip and the one I use DAILY. This has helped me so much and my skin has been so clear... except on the monthly...

HOWEVER, this tip is closely linked with the next one. Pay attention.

GD Tip #4—Don't use too many products.

Okay, so, my granny would tell you to not use any. I personally don't use any now after she told me but I understand some people do use it. I hardly put on anything on my face now, except makeup, but skincare product-wise? Nope. Why? Because I have used a million different face washes, 20+ exfoliating products, and a bunch of cleansers and all of them have done the opposite than what they said they would do. I used to get blemishes and spots and when I stopped using these products, my skin cleared up. I definitely use the cold water tip with this. After I wash my face with the cold water, I moisturise with the 'simple' face moisturiser and just leave my skin. I do not use anything more for washing my face.

GD Tip #5—Get sleep.

Yeah, this one I recommend too. Sleeping is essential. If you want to get scientific; it's when cells regenerate. Plus, you do not want to look tired in the morning, tired = older looking. Gran says get at least 8 hours (if you can of course because I'm the considerate one and I know that school/work can be a nightmare, okay love ya, carry on.)

I remember reading this ridiculous article once and I'm not sure of its accuracy but it said not to sleep on your side as it makes your cheeks sag and to sleep on your back instead. Interpret that as you will...

GD Tip #6—Be happy and enjoy life!

"Who cares about wrinkles? You're young when you're happy, we should be trying to keep the soul young, not everything else."

N'aww, she's so cute. But, yeah, BE HAPPY. Enjoy you're life and concentrate on being yourself. Find fun and happiness and be confident in your own skin. I decided to add this bit in because happiness is a good hormone, right? Must be good for you. Plus, everyone looks great when they're happy and smiling or laughing! Regardless of your age, face, race, or anything else—you're fab.

And that's it!

I hope you enjoyed that. Welcome is appreciated and I'm sorry if this was quite short. Maybe I'll do another post with my gran in the future XD.

If you have time and if you liked this post, I'm actually trying to raise money for my high school leaver holiday so if you want you can give me a small tip, I plan to travel and make posts about those travels!

Thank you so much for reading!

- Jessica x