If You're Looking for the Fountain of Youth, Just Splash on Some Common Sense

The New York Times' #2 most emailed story today contains a shocking revelation: you can't reverse the aging process! While many women would gladly empty their wallets for a miracle procedure, lotion, or potion that would keep them looking fresh and youthful forever, we would be much better off donating that cash to charity. Because for the billions of dollars we spend on anti-aging remedies, it's the "well, duh" stuff that actually works--and most of it is free or available for cheap at your local drugstore. So here goes...Wash your face, stop the smoking and pimple popping, wear sunscreen, get some rest, throw away your crusty old mascaras, foundations, etc. and resist the urge to pile on the products. You should also quit stressing about getting older. It's really bad for your skin. [New York Times]

Our Top 3 Beauty Tips

1: Beauty Doesn't Guarantee Happiness
Everywhere you turn, the message is that physical beauty is the ultimate cure-all. It might seem like the perfect body or a flawless face would make life easier. Take it from us: that is one ugly lie. We both wasted countless hours obsessing about weight and making endless excuses to hide our secret behavior. In the end, we discovered that our disorders were masking much deeper problems--problems that had nothing to do with the numbers on a scale.

2: What You See Is Not What You Get
Stop comparing yourself to pictures in magazines. Seriously, stop it! You will never look as good as those models, because outside of the glossy universe, even the models don’t look that good. Thanks to the magic of retouching, the line between fantasy and reality is blurred just enough to make us all feel hopelessly insecure. Magali's B-cup bust was inflated to a D-cup for the cover of Cosmopolitan. Her waist has been trimmed, her teeth have been straightened, and her lips have been plumped-- all with a few clicks of a mouse. Perfection sells, and there are plenty of people buying. Here's the catch: there is no beauty product in existence that will work as well as Photoshop.

3: You Don't Have to Suffer in Silence
Sure, we're an unlikely pair, but our common experience has drawn us together. Millions of women and men share that experience. Eating disorders and body image issues have reached epidemic proportions. Plastic surgery rates have skyrocketed, and it seems like just about everyone is feeling the “makeover” pressure. We have met so many amazing, intelligent, compassionate people whose lives have been touched by these issues. Teachers, students, doctors, therapists, editors, stylists, agents, TV producers, the list goes on. We know that anyone can be affected, regardless of race, class, age, or gender. Reaching out is the first important step. Find your voice, and find help for yourself or someone you care about. You can’t do it on your own, but the good news is that you don’t have to.