2017 December « OMG I'm Thirty

If you ever read our post at OMGIm30 “If You’re in Your 30s, You’re Not Old,” you’d know that we believe that the 30’s are an extremely youthful decade and nothing to get down about.

So if you’re worried about being old, we’ve got your back, and don’t want you to worry. That said, we might as well all take precautions about getting old LATER in life as we can. (Though, honestly, there is no LATER…I know 60 something and 80 something year olds who are still quite young. And when you meet people like that, you’ll know that it really is an attitude…a youthful glow.)

But if you’re worried now about the physical aspects of getting old as well as preventing aging skin, I want to bring up one expensive adult purchase that I’ve really gotten into in my 30’s: eye cream.

Eye creams can prevent and/or solve many issues associated with aging skin. These are: dark circles under the eyes (too much adulting? Or let’s be honest…partying?), puffiness (a really good cry? adulting again?), or eye wrinkles (darn smiling for more than 30 years).

And ya see, I’m a big smiler. I smile for work. I smile when I’m off of work. I smile way too much- because when I don’t I have Resting Bitch Face. So I think I’ve accidentally trained myself not to stop smiling. This constant smiling can cause lines around my eyes, which is something I’d like to prevent in my youthful 30s decade. So I’ve gotten into eye cream- something I’ve always put on my “Ridiculously Way Too Expensive” list in my 20’s, but now have put on my “It’s My Damn Face So It’s Worth It!” list in my 30s.

Also, eye creams aren’t always as expensive as you think. We found an amazing page on Reviews.com that has a list of eye creams with natural ingredients, from the very expensive to very affordable. Here’s the link to find the best eye cream for you. This list is great, as these eye creams have all been tested and compared and are highly recommended by multiple dermatologists and a ton of skincare research. I’m personally making my way through this list, though before I found it, the eye cream I’ve liked is Shiseido. Now I’m using Biossance from Sephora, which is amazing and really new. It hits the spot with my puffy eyes (I’m a stomach sleeper), plus smile-caused eye-crinkles.

I like how this list eliminates eye creams with questionable ingredients or packaging- I definitely lean towards putting more natural ingredients on my face. The reviews.com eye cream research really narrows the eye cream list and divides the creams according to their perks (dark circles, wrinkle prevention, or puffiness).

We’ll have more recommendations for anti-aging as we go— and it’s not all products. Attitude, quality sleep, stress reduction, eating well, and more all contribute to youth well into your 90s! So enjoy your 30s, try some eye creams if you like, and stop saying you’re old for goodness sake!

A few weeks ago, a package arrived in the mail from a friend. It was a small box that was surprisingly heavy. The return address on the package said it was from The Monastery Store in Mt. Tremper, New York. Hmm. I knew a friend was mailing me a package as she had told me to be expecting something…but what was this?

When I opened the box, I discovered a small cast iron Buddha looking statue. What was this thing, I thought? A Buddha to pray with?

The packaging slip included described this little guy as “3” Cast Iron Jizo.” Okaaay. Who is that? (Sounds a little naughty too, but ahem, I digress…).

Before calling my friend to thank her for her gift, I did a little research. (Didn’t want to be completely Jizo ignorant.) So, apparently a Jizo is a Bodhisattva (Japanese Buddhist god) who plays the role as a protector of children and unborn children who died before their parents.

From Jizo Statues: The Japanese Statues Giving Closure To Women Who Have Miscarried:

“The statues are believed to be protectors of children and unborn babies in traditional Japanese Buddhist teachings. It is believed that as the babies did not have the chance to build up good karma on earth, Jizo helps smuggle the children into the afterlife in the sleeves of his robe.”

Many women who have experienced miscarriages put them in their homes as a remembrance of their unborn child. (The Japanese Art of Grieving a Miscarriage.)

But Jizo is more than that. As The Monastery Store describes on their website: “Small, yet fierce as a mother protecting her child, Jizo Bodhisattva–Ksitigarbha, or “Earth Womb”–aids all those in the six worlds of existence who need relief from suffering.”

I hadn’t experienced a miscarriage, but I have had a rough year. When that package arrived in the mail, I’d been feeling lost, unsettled and uncertain of everything for awhile, on and off. My friend, so kindly, wanted to give me a little peace.

I put my Jizo on my bedside table, where she (he? I don’t know, but I like to think of her as a woman) watches over me and provides me comfort. I do feel a small sense of relief when I look over at the statue before I go to bed and wake up in the morning.