Long before stay-at-home mandates and social distancing, many of us already had a leg up on staycation beautification. It's. Who. We. Are. Since now we literally have the time, let's use this new, personal bonding period for a results-oriented, productive makeover. If TikTok, Instagram Live facial masking videos and muscle-boy Zoom yoga get your motor started, your game is about to be elevated. Ready? Anti-aging or self-care or personal maintenance, whatever you call it, it's a universal pursuit. Yet the farther we get from our dirty 30s, the more internal, external, and spiritual the never-ending quest becomes. And it continues, nonstop. We. Must. Look. Young(er). Today, the stakes are raised with every beauty product touting purity! non-GMO! vegan! and the reasonable expectation seems to be that a 60-year-old man can and should look as good as a 20-year-old from 1950. No pressure.
Let's shake up that workout routine of yours, shall we? Exercise is oxygen. Agreed. So many of us underutilize stretching, but avoiding it is robbing us of muscle growth and pre- and post-workout comfort. Enter Therabody's Theragun. Yes, you've probably swiped up or seen countless flash videos and decided your muscle soreness, aching back, or stiff joints may be better off with the Theragun. And then you kept swiping on to other stuff. I did too. But here's why you need it: It's effective for general body maintenance, pain management, or injury. It's also an essential tool to maximize muscle growth! If I don't stretch, I don't exercise. Now, I wouldn't start either program without the Theragun energizing and loosening stiff muscle tissue (from age, not sport). Theragun makes getting limber a reality by enlivening oxygenation, circulating blood flow, loosening tissue, and diffusing deep bone stiffness--all this so that your ligaments self-reduce lactic acid and improve your range of motion. Before powering on, consider Therabody's Activate CBD Lotion to prime and invigorate your targeted areas. Don't keep putting it off--you can thank me later.
Now that you're in tune with your body, it's time to tune up that toning! (Who doesn't love a flourish of alliteration every once and again?) NuFace, a pioneer in the beauty devices market, has introduced the NuBody Challenge Kit. I think many men are obsessed with removing or minimizing sagging skin, jiggly parts, and even those dreaded stretch marks. So here's a five-minute body routine that visibly tones, firms, and smooths the look of dimples. I saw some of those squats, and your buffalo pose may need a little help. Now's the perfect time to apply a lifting body serum with this state-of-the-art microcurrent body device. Plus, it just looks super cool, right?
Being pretty isn't easy. It's hard work. Before rewarding yourself with some chilled rose, take note of this little bedside (or office) Esty Fridge. This adorable mini appliance isn't meant for happy hour, but to house your skin care products. Saian Skincare has been a favorite of superstar aestheticians forever and is "Serum Central" for many, as an early provider of powerful over-the-counter facial serums. Also, being associated with Kim Kardashian's plastic surgeon (Sheila Nazarian of The Skin Spot) gives it instant cred. My favorites? The CoolDuo Massagers are used in spas, after services. At home, they're an excellent treatment for closing pores, clearing sinuses, reducing eye puffiness, and eliminating headaches--even migraines. What's not to love? The Active Renewal Serum, ActiveCell Instantly Activated Collagen Stem Cell Eye Pads, Botanical Stem Cell Sleeping Mask, and OMG Collagen Elastin Spray will have you feeling and looking spry in no time. The Professional Strength Ultrasonic Skin Scrubber removes dead skin cells, dirt, and sebum (blackheads)--and switching to penetration mode infuses treatment serums, creams, and elixirs for powerful results.
Want to really ramp up your collagen-strapped skin but not sure how? Here's a hint: The answer is yes! After 30, our bodies naturally slow the production of collagen. By 50, it has nearly zeroed out. Enter wrinkles. LED red light therapies promise to help but aren't all worthwhile. Whether it's a handheld device for use in bed, while watching TV, or during your commute -- or a separate LED fold-out light panel system -- LightStim has led the way for years. Aside from regenerating collagen and diminishing lines and hyperpigmentation spots, it's going to plump and clear your skin over time. Think of it as turning on your skin's hyaluronic acid high-speed collagen blender. LightStim LED therapy delivers light energy in a similar way to how plants receive and absorb light energy from the sun. It emits UV-free, beneficial light energy to the skin. All you need to commit to is 20 minutes, three times a week, and the results will be noticeable. It's completely pain-free and you can't overuse it. LightStim LED handheld lights come in three modalities: Wrinkles, Acne, and Pain. If you want to take all this lying down, the LED Bed can manage the pain and wrinkle options above. Direct from Neiman Marcus for $65,000 or call 949- 502-4088.
Let's keep the purity going with high, high-tech wellness. You may be taking omega-3s for brain fog, your nervous system, muscle soreness, joint pain, or side effects from high-cholesterol statin medications. Enhance your current regimen with algae-based omega-3s, usually the hardest to get in a worthy dose. Thank you, iWi Life, for AlmegaPL, a sustainable vegan non-GMO alternative, without the fishy taste and with 50 percent better absorption.
While gemstones and earthen minerals exude a proven, measurable energy force, I've been telling clients for more than a quarter century that you can build facial muscles just like you do biceps, provided you exercise them. So next time you see HRH Madonna stretched across a boudoir fainting couch, trade in your eye roll for her Beauty Roller because it works. I mean, really works. MDNA Skin's sleek facial and body contouring tool emanates ultra-infrared energy naturally from rare carbon steel. The faceted rolling balls of this device cinch and lift to define, shape, and tighten. Add The Rose Mist, The Serum, or The Reinvention Cream (with plant stem cells from the "miraculous thermal water of Montecatini, Italy," dubbed "Holy Water" for its resurrective skin capabilities). From neckline to hairline a few minutes every day--the results are, yes, #LikeAPrayer was answered. And what may be the best part, a portion of sales benefit Madonna's nonprofit organization, RaisingMalawi.org, to support Malawian children orphaned by or at risk of losing parents to HIV.
To read more, grab your own copy of Out's Pride issue featuring Atlanta-based musician Damez as the cover on Kindle, Nook, Apple News+, and Zinio today, and on newsstands June 30. Preview more of the issue here. Get a year's subscription here. The issue was guest edited by photographer Alex D. Rogers.
