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Anyone following Instagram or TikTok might think women 50-plus have nothing to do all day but dance around and watch pet videos. We know better. We're too busy dealing with real life — working or checking things off our bucket list — to waste a minute during tough times like these. In that DIY spirit, we figured out how to cut and color our hair and do our own manicures. Why stop there? Here are 10 more things we can all do to reboot our looks at home.
1. A wrinkle-plumping mask
Your complexion is looking dry, lined and blah? Don't spring for a new face cream yet. A drugstore mask can restore a cushioned dewy look in 10 minutes flat thanks to the water-attracting, moisture-holding ingredient known as hyaluronic acid. Do a test run with a sheet mask — like Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask ($3, cvs.com), No7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum Boost Sheet Mask ($6, walgreens.com) or Neutrogena Moisturizing Hydro-Boost Hydrating Face Mask ($4, cvs.com) — before trying a more intensive gel-cream version such as Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask ($36, ulta.com) or Olay Hydrating Overnight Gel Mask with Vitamin E ($20, target.com). The combination of a thicker application and longer penetration time while you sleep delivers smoother, firmer skin by dawn. It's super easy, and results last for hours.
2. A brightening peel
Does your skin look dingy even after washing? A five-minute exfoliating mask such as L'Oréal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Rosy Tone Mask ($20, cvs.com), Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Peeling Mousse ($35, ulta.com) or Vichy Double Glow Facial Peel Mask ($20, cvs.com) with pineapple enzymes or AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) is all it takes to let go of dead cells dimming your wattage. Simply apply the mask to dry, clean skin, let it sit, and then massage away debris. Labeled a mask, these are actually mild “peels” and effective on mature skin. You'll look fresher, creams will penetrate easier, and makeup will glide on.
3. A hair-repair mask
Your hair feels like straw? Whether your dry hair is frizzy, textured or fried and dyed, a mask with botanical oils and plant butters repairs and improves all. Look for a tub (so you can use a generous amount) like Maui Moisture Shea Butter Hair Mask ($7, walgreens.com), L'Oréal EverCreme Sulfate Free Renourishing Butter ($7, walgreens.com) or Better Not Younger Hair Redemption Butter Masque ($35, sephora.com). Leave it on as long as possible (even if package directions say otherwise). Sleep in it to save time (with plastic wrap turban or shower cap) and shampoo out in the morning. You can even use this mask as a rinse-out conditioner — or as a leave-in for extra conditioning.
4. A detox bath
Your waistband feels tight and you're bloated? Blame last night's chips and cocktails all you want, but first take a detox bath. A 20-minute soak in Epsom salts — like Dr. Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Soothe & Sleep Lavender Soaking Solution ($5, target.com), Tree Hut Fig & Olive Epsom Salt ($7, ulta.com) or Vertly Bath Salts ($29, anthropologie.com) — will flush out excess sodium and water thanks to the mineral magnesium (the primary ingredient). Do yourself a favor and nibble on diuretic foods like asparagus, banana, pineapple, papaya or honeydew, too, to speed things along, or just sip some ginger or chai tea.
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