What I Wish I’d Known

I imagine you girls have seen or at least heard of Get Ready With Me videos–maybe even created one yourself. The person in the video, usually a girl or woman, demonstrates their routines for getting ready for the day or for bed, and showcases the methods and products they use (sometimes with affiliate links to make money from viewers). Reflecting on my teen routines from the 90s and early 2000s, if I had made Get Ready With Me videos, now knowing what I’ve learned over the years, I would change a lot of things. In hopes that you will learn from my mistakes, here are some of my Get Ready With Me Redos.

Sun Protection

First and most important of all, wear sunscreen. I realize that was probably anticlimactic. But when I was younger, I spent a lot of time in the sun without using sunscreen or not reapplying it enough. I went to the pool or water park, laid out with my friends, and even used tanning beds (back then we thought they were safer. TL;DR they’re not). Afterward I’d have tanned skin (or burned skin that faded into a tan) and I liked the glow it gave me. I didn’t know back then that a tan was not a good sign. I am now seeing the effects of my lack of sun protection when I was younger.

The UV index has been trending with teens, and while getting a tan may seem cool, the Skin Cancer Foundation says it’s actually a sign of skin damage. Tanning speeds up the skin’s aging process AND increases the risks for skin cancers. While getting out in sunshine is good, getting UV rays from the sun is not. Even if you’re indoors or in a car, UV rays can get through windows. So wearing at least SPF 30 sunscreen daily, and reapplying it when you’re out in the sun, can help protect your skin (BTW even people with naturally darker skin need to wear sunscreen too). Johns Hopkins Medicine says makeup with SPF won’t protect you enough, so use sunscreen itself. Wearing a hat and wearing clothing that covers your skin or has SPF built in can work too. Starting these habits earlier in life will help protect you throughout your life and help prevent issues later on in life.

Spend Less Time

Next redo: spend less time getting ready for the day or for bed. In high school I spent an hour and a half every morning getting ready. I’d shower, either blow dry my ridiculously thick hair straight or diffuse it curly, then I’d manually curl all of my ridiculously thick hair, then load on my skin care and makeup … I can tell you now that whoever I did all that for every day was not worth waking up so early. As an adult I’ve also spent a ton of time on day and night skincare routines with several steps, which either made me get up early or made me get to bed late. 

So–figure out now how to spend less time doing your skin/makeup/hair routines. Simplify your skin care–more products doesn’t mean more results; it actually could irritate your skin or make you break out. Just get the basics dermatologists recommend: face wash, moisturizer, spf, and acne cream if needed. Simplify your makeup routine–you don’t need to  transform into a different version of yourself before you show your face. Simplify your hair routine–stretch your hair wash days with dry shampoo and different styles like heatless curls, braids, and updos. You can save a lot of time in your routines just by making a few switches.

Wash Things More Often

Another redo: wash things more often. As a teen and even a young adult, it didn’t occur to me that NOT regularly washing my pillowcase, makeup brushes, and face towels were making my acne worse. After those items are used multiple times, they start to build up dirt, oil, and even bacteria, and then transfer that gunk onto our skin, which can make it irritated or break out. 

So to avoid that outcome, wash pillow cases at least once a week. For face towels, you could get a few and swap them out every few days so you have a clean one in rotation while the others are in the wash. Or you could try disposable compostable face towels, I’ve really liked those.

For makeup brushes, wash once a week. You can use a gentle makeup brush cleansing soap–I’ve even heard baby shampoo works–and rinse brushes upside down so less water seeps down into the brush. There’s also makeup brush cleansing sprays, and you wipe off the build up on a cloth. Let brushes dry overnight so they’re ready for you the next morning.

Brush and Floss

Last redo (for now): brush AND floss everyday–twice a day. Oh the countless nights I went to bed too tired to floss, let alone just brush my teeth. Then gunk would build up, my mouth tasted bad, my breath smelled, I tried to cover it up with gum and mints, then I got cavities, crowns and root canals. I’m not proud of how long it took me to make brushing and flossing a daily habit, but once I did, I rarely skipped it. Brushing and flossing are important not only to have a sparkling smile or to avoid bad breath or dental work. The Iowa College of Dentistry says brushing and flossing also help prevent gingivitis, which can lead to gum disease, which can lead to heart disease and pregnancy complications. Don’t wanna go down that road.

Here are a few things I want to point out, that were pointed out to me by dental hygienists. We say “brush your teeth,” but we also need to brush our gums, especially where the teeth and gums meet. Remember, it’s not called “teeth disease,” it’s “gum disease.” Also brushing without flossing isn’t enough–brushing cleans what’s on top of teeth and gums, flossing cleans in between teeth and gums, where it’s easier for food and bacteria to get stuck. So brush AND floss, everyday, twice a day.

Girls, I know these redos don’t seem earth shattering now, but I’ve got the advantage of having 30 more years of experience and perspective. I hope you can learn from my mistakes and take better care of yourselves. Because ultimately, it’s up to you how you choose to get ready.

Resources

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