Growing up, there were a lot of things my mom told me that I wish I listened to. When I was a teen, she would knock on my door to hand me moisturizer, which I never used since I found it too greasy. She specifically warned me about shaving my legs, telling me and my sister that the hair strands would grow thicker; they did, when I shaved for the first time.
I have three boys, and a lot of times I catch myself telling my husband how I dread having a girl, since they seem to start everything so young. For instance, I’m surrounded by friends who have daughters who sport nail polish at five years old.
I really have no idea what it’s like to have a girl, so I wouldn’t really know what troubles I am docking or missing out on. At any rate, if I did have one, here are some tips I would share with her:
Use moisturizer with SPF. I’d tweak my mom’s nagging a bit and tell my daughter to wear moisturizer with SPF. I’m thankful though, because fortunately, I started earlier than most of my friends. I still wish I heeded her advice earlier though.
Ditch the razor! I would personally take my daughter and have all the hair that is not supposed to be there lasered, especially now since there are clinics that offer stingless, painless laser treatments.
Do manicures the right way. Though I feel that having your nails done at salons is better, most salons make the mistake of completely removing the protective cuticles. My mother always warned us about having our cuticles removed. If my daughter wanted to have hers done, I would insist on sharing the same manicure girl so the same rules apply.
Learn to properly apply foundation. I was always quite confused about using foundation. I used to rub it vigorously on my face. Now I shiver as I realize the consequences of those unnecessary tugs and pulls. Teens should be taught that foundation should only be patted onto the face, just enough to cover surfaces where discoloration occurs. Most of the time, foundation is not even necessary.
Expensive hair jobs are unnecessary. I see a lot of teens with really bad hair color. I figure it’s probably because they have less budget, so they tend to go to less reliable salons. Personally, I don’t believe in spending so much on hair color. I would go to a drugstore and help her find hair color in a box with a color that is two shades lighter. I would also apply it on her myself to make sure her hair doesn’t get too damaged.
Thick makeup is a no-no. I am quite surprised at how thick some teens apply their makeup when they go out at night. I would teach my daughter about balance. Pick one feature and play that up. If it’s the eyes, then go easy on the lips and vice-versa.
Don’t self-medicate. When acne occurs, go to a derma. They will give the right medication for you. Toying with over-the-counter medication can sometimes irritate skin further.
Don’t compare yourself to others. When I was a teenager, I noticed there were a lot of girls who developed much earlier than I did, and this made me insecure. I think the most important thing to understand is that real beauty comes from within.
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