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5 Easy Ways to Beg Your Friends to Take Care of Their Skin Without Sounding Preachy

Sunscreen or Bust!

By Olivia Dela CruzPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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If you’re like me, your friends roll their eyes and sigh every time you reapply your sunscreen or insist on taking your makeup off before taking a nap on the couch. It’s hard to find a way to encourage them to follow your lead without sounding like some sort of benevolent skincare snob. Or Gwenyth Paltrow.

1. Introduce it as an exercise of self-care.

No one is going to exfoliate and moisturize daily just because you or anyone else says they should. If you’re really adamant, it’s going to turn your friends off.

But you know deep down in your heart how relaxing it is to smooth on that night cream after a nice weekly enzyme peel, or how accomplished you feel for remembering to apply toner before you do so. Taking time for yourself can make you feel more calm, confident, and put together.

Approach the subject this way instead of prattling on and on about acne and dimethicone, and your friends won’t tune you out.

2. Show them the science behind it.

Any facts that you’ve come across in your skincare journey are likely to help convert your friends, or at least give them something to think about.

If you can’t think of any, the most effective one I’ve ever come across is this: the leading cancer diagnosed in the United States is skin cancer.

One way to prevent this is wearing SPF 15+ every day! Not to mention that 40 percent of skin aging is caused by UV exposure alone. If you’ve got their attention, talk about the way elastin and collagen break down over time when exposed to UV rays—and it doesn’t come back. If that doesn’t make you a believer, I don’t know what will.

3. Share your stuff.

One of the oldest tricks in any esthetician’s book is to talk about a product while applying it to a client. I use this trick to make sales all the time.

If you let your friend borrow your moisturizer or cleanser, chances are they’re gonna love the way it smells/makes their skin feel/etc. If you have different skin types, try something neutral like a hydrating mask or an oil-based cleanser for removing makeup. If they ask you about it, you’re free to gush on and on about your holy grail products, and your enthusiasm might inspire them to pick some up next time they’re shopping!

4. Respect them.

Alright—this one should go without saying. First off, no one likes the friend who points out your acne, comments on your dark circles or your dry skin flakes just to push some product on you. That’s straight up rude. Don’t do that, even if you notice it and know how to fix it. It can be tough but really it’s just annoying and makes people feel mad.

Also, obviously some people are not going to want advice. Maybe they can’t afford a ton of imported skincare, or maybe they just don’t care enough? It’s their body, no matter how many blackheads they’ve got on their nose.

5. Send them this article.

Hey, it’s gotta work for someone, right? Maybe all they needed was a quick reference sheet on the pros of leveling up their beauty routine. What’s more handy than a bunch of easy-to-digest points all compiled in a list?

skincare
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About the Creator

Olivia Dela Cruz

Licensed Esthetician with a background in making-things-happen and choosing odd jobs over “real work.” Big fan of found families and being unapologetically mixed race. Lactose intolerant and in denial.

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