Presentation Is Everything, Part VI: Skin — Good Looking and Looking Good

IN WHICH I CONSIDER THE SEMINAL IMPORTANCE OF THE LARGEST ORGAN. (The saga of Atticus continues with the next post.)

The fuel that powers our Life à la Hot is GAS — Glamour, Attractiveness and Sexiness. But the “S” could easily stand for “Skin.” That’s because, when polled about the most important factors influencing attraction, the number one deal breaker for both sexes is bad skin. Some of these conditions can only be addressed professionally by a dermatologist with a laser, but the majority of us require only disciplined skin care regimen, including cleansing, exfoliation and moisturizing.

What we take in affects our skin, as well, so lay off the sugar and unhealthy fats, while amping up the healthy fats like those in salmon, avocado and flax seed oil; eat yogurt and other probiotic foods, as well as take probiotic supplements — they counter the bacteria which creates pimples; drink a minimum of half a gallon of water every day to flush out toxins that are otherwise released through your oily T-zone; keep your pores porcelain with a natural astringent like my favorite, Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner; and adopt regular stress-reducing practices such as exercise, meditation, yoga, deep-breathing and spending time in nature.

Because before you see the long-term gray hairs that come from stress, you’ll get some short-term previews with lunar landscapes on your cheeks or my own breakout of choice: a red honker in the most obvious, center position on my face. And in my case, my unwelcome “friend” (which suddenly everyone is focused on, instead of my eyes) launched from worry, too much chocolate, or both. I try to head these off as soon as that hard redness appears, with drying agents like tea tree oil and acne creams with a high percentage of salicylic acid. If you don’t use these, you are in for several days of company with this unwanted frenemy, as it morphs into various stages of ugliness.

As our outer wrapping, let’s let our skin deliver the glowing, vibrant first impression that insures a second look.

After all, it’s all about the package.

Yours truly,