The Most Important Beauty Tool You Have... For Free! (Part 1)

You might not believe me when I tell you that the two most important tools in your glamourous arsenol are not only readily available at your perfectly polished fingertips, but also completely and totally free for the taking.  Who would've thought it'd be just this easy to stay young, radiant and healthy this simply?  The fact is, most of us ignore these two amazing tools to the point of neglect, and we pay the price with sallow skin, breakouts, bags under our eyes, brittle nails and dull lifeless hair.

Instead, let's look deeper into these two delightful tools and see the various ways that they can help us keep our vintage glamour at it's finest.  So what are these two glorious beauty tools, you ask?

Peter Tripp (Source:  Google)

1.  Sleep.  Your body needs sleep.  You cannot do without it.  You might not think it's that important, especially if you're a fiesty young doll who enjoys going out to swing clubs til late in the evenings, but don't fool yourself honey!  Lack of sleep can have serious consequences on your health, both physically, mentally and emotionally.

In 1959, Peter Tripp, a radio personality for WMGM in New York City, stayed up for a 201 hour (more than 8 days) wakathon in support of the March of Dimes.  During that time, he worked on the radio the entire time he was awake.  A noble and honorable feat, to be sure.  But the ramifications of this stunt were longstanding -- during the event, Peter heard voices, became paranoid, and had hallucinations.  Peter suffered great psychological issues following this feat, including believing himself to be an imposter of himself for a long time following the stunt.  His marriage suffered due to great personality changes and he and his wife divorced.

Now of course, Peter's example is of the extreme -- it's not likely that you'll go through an 8 day stint of wakefulness.  Regardless, a lack of sleep can lead to various problems over time, including constant yawning, drowsiness, and lack of concentration.  It can also cause mood swings and irritability -- and no one looks good with a scowl on her face!

Sourpuss!  (Source:  Google)

Getting enough sleep every day will allow you to avoid the following issues:

• weight gain (because we so needed another factor to contribute to that!)
• fine lines
• wrinkles
• dark circles
• the breakdown of collagen
• no time for your skin and cells to repair themselves

So how do you go about getting enough sleep?

Don't go by that standard "8 hours a day" rule, because frankly, that's not true.  We need various amounts of sleep at different stages of our lives, based on age, activity level, and state of health.  Your best bet is to go to bed when your body is tired and to wake up naturally when your body wakes itself.  Of course this might not be possible if you have young children or a job that requires shift work.  But if you have a fairly regular schedule, try following your body's natural rhythm and following it's cues.  When you start yawning and rubbing your eyes, it's time to head to bed.

Try to avoid caffeine and sugar.  This is a good rule of thumb anyway, but of course caffeine keeps you awake and sugar gives you a false sense of energy.  By cutting both as much or completely out of your diet, you will give yourself a better chance of giving yourself and your mind a chance to rest.

Set up a bedtime routine.  Once you figure out your natural rhythm, develop a routine for yourself to start quietly winding down.  Turn off the television and computer; settle down in bed with a warm cup of chamomile and a good book (I'm working through The Great Gatsby right now in preperation for seeing the  movie).  Journalling, meditation, soft music, and deep breathing are all excellent relaxation techniques.

Close your eyes.  It's no good to spend all this time working on trying to sleep if you spend the whole time lying in the dark starring at the ceiling, imaging everything you have to do tomorrow, the bills you have to pay, what kind of cookies you're going to make for the potluck after your husband's jazz concert next week. Give it all up -- close your eyes, clear your mind, and patiently wait -- sleep will come.

(Look for The Second Most Important Beauty Tool You Have... For Free!  Soon)