I kind of got the impression from the 100+ comments on my post about my Nanny’s birthday party, that y’all are interested in two critical pieces of information.
1. What is Nanny’s skincare regimen and has she made some sort of lucrative deal with God? And if so, how can you get in on that action?
2. What does that cat eat and does it include a growth hormone cocktail?
I can’t help y’all with the cat. It’s a Persian and it consists primarily of fur. If I had to guess, I’d say that if you shaved it bald it would look like a ferret.
It would also quit hacking up hairballs.
But Nanny read all your comments and has agreed to share her skincare secrets. However, I feel compelled to let you know that you can rest assured she has withheld some piece of information in here somewhere because she never gives away all her secrets.
It’s like the recipes for her cinnamon cake or her fudge. I can come close to duplicating them, but something is still missing.
This is the email that Nanny sent me (cut and pasted word for word):
“My complexion care began at an early age – like when I was about 13. We didn’t have clothes dryers back in those days so we had miles of clothes lines where we hung the wash out to dry. Maybe it had something to do with my growing taller, but it became my turn to hang the laundry out to dry.
Now, the wash consisted of tons clothes and sheets (so many that I still have nightmares about them). I feel certain that is why I hate Mondays to this day. Everyone knew that Mondays were ‘wash day’.
I say that to say this: My Mama who had the most beautiful skin in Texas allowed absolutely no sun to come in contact with her baby’s precious skin—-ever! Bonnets were worn from birth forward. Matter of fact, all girl babies were probably born wearing them.
However, she did try to train me in the sharing of chores with my siblings. So, there I went with a basket of freshly washed clothes and sheets. I had to wear a big bonnet with ‘slate’ that extended at least 12 inches out from my face. Not one ray of sunshine was permitted on my face.
Beyond the bonnet, I was required to wear long stockings pulled up on my arms all the way to my shoulders. These ‘arm’ stockings were pinned to my blouse along the shoulder seams.
My skin never had a freckle – much less a tan. I never learned to swim – same reason, no sun! To this day I am terribly afraid of the water. However, I called my daughters bluff by ‘teaching’ them both how to swim just by coaching from the sidelines.
But, that is another story, and I won’t digress further – as my granddaughter, Big Mama, tends to do.
As I mentioned before, my Mother had gorgeous skin so she taught me proper skincare. No soap (too drying) – I think Witch Hazel (an herb or shrub of some sort I think) ointment cleaned and was a good night cream. No moisturizer, just powder when I was a teenager.
Later she introduced me to Ponds cream. Yes, it has been around a long time, and it is still good.
By the time I was a senior in high school, a line of makeup came out called Luziers. I had everything a girl at that time could ever want in order to look good and take care of her skin. I used it for years while my girls were growing up.
Whenever I was running late, and friends would ask where I was, Big Bob got a kick out of saying, “Oh, she’s still home sitting in front of the mirror fighting with ‘them’ Luziers.” He could be such a smart aleck sometimes!
Sometime during the late 50′s or early ’60′s, someone introduced me to Avon products. It was nice to have sales and delivery right to to your home.
Through the years, I have tried various brands of this and that. Currently, I am using Abolene cleansing cream, Oil of Olay intensive night cream ($9 at Walgreens), sometimes EB5 as advertised by Penneys, Loreal foundation.
The one big extravagance that I adopted thirty years ago is Alexandra de Markoff daytime moisturizer. It is expensive but one bottle lasts forever and is worth its weight in gold.
If I stay in a dry climate for 3-4 weeks, I come home and keep my skin covered in Vaseline as much as possible. A little uncomfortable – but again, it can work magic.”
Can I just laugh about her reference to staying in a “dry climate”? She lives in Beaumont, TX. Everywhere else in the world is considered a “dry climate” compared to Beaumont, including Houston.
I can attest to the generous use of Abolene cleansing cream. It is one of the smells of my childhood. Any night I spent with Nanny ended with us watching Johnny Carson while she coated her face with Abolene and then wiped it off with a soft cloth.
She was also a pioneer of a product that’s now called Frownies, although I believe in those days they were called Wings.
Or maybe I just called them Wings because when I tried just now to Google “Wings” all that came up was a list of feminine products.
I never understood why someone would sleep with something pasted on their forehead, but now that I wake up with eight different creases in my forehead every morning, it seems a perfectly logical thing to do.
So there you have it. How to look fab at 90.
Of course I’ll also need a time machine to erase all the summers I spent baking in the sun.
There are some things that even Abolene can’t wash away.
Thank you Nanny for sharing.
Love that Abolene. It is almost identical to Mary Kay cleanser, but less expensive. My two Aunts (75 and 79)are avid users and the epitome of ageless beauty.
This was just so much fun to read!
In my grandfather’s last days of life, he was bedfast and I had to help to roll him over so he wouldn’t get sores or anything, and as he wore just a little hospital gown, I saw his legs for the first time in my life. He was 86 and looked it, his face and hands were old and wrinkled. How shocked I was then, to discover that he had the legs of a young girl! Skin so soft and smooth, unwrinkled, unmarred by the ravages of time… Upon much thought, I realized that he never had his legs exposed to the sun. Ever. Even in a picture of him at the beach when his kids were young, he’s clothed in pants!
So based on that, I’ll bet your Nanny’s skin success has a lot more to do with no sun exposure than it does with any amount of cleansers and creams!
I think you should have Nanny write more often…she is so funny!! Especially the part about “slate” in her bonnet.
what a precious lady. You are very lucky to have such loving Grandmother.
Big Mama~ You are no doubt a chip off the ol’block (no offense Nanny)! To read your Nanny’s words, is like reading your own! I agree with Lissalulu, You should have Nanny write more often! She’s just wonderful!
Your nanny should have a blog of her own. I was really shocked that she emailed you. How neat. Most of us love to read stories of others childhoods. Times of a world past where innocence was expected.
How funny she is. And I am looking for her blog. I just came across the other day that the oldest blogger just recently died. She was 100 and something.
I loved reading your Nanny’s email. I think that kind of skincare is in the past. It’s the kind of thing my own grandmother would have said.
So sweet.
I can see where you get your wit! Nanny is a hoot!
My fav is the vasoline!!! I can see me running around with vasoline on my face for two days…. Love the advice! And I’m sure she left something out. My Granny Lois always did that with recipes!!! Some she flatly refused to share. Tell Nanny thanks from us!!!
I’m afraid all those years of laying out on a black trampoline with baby oil on did some damage that we can’t correct.
Dern sun.
I am afraid if I run into Nanny at HEB or Market Basket, I will not even be able to contain myself! Your relationship is so precious.
she does look incredible!
blessings, Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com/blog
Nanny rocks! Being a few hours from Beaumont growing up, the Witch Hazel, Ponds, are familiar.
Did she have red beans and rice on ‘wash day?’
Wow, she’s charming and beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Nanny!
Hmmm… I saw no where in there ideas for using baby oil and foil on cardboard or tanning beds. Drat.
What a treat to have that from her! I wish I had thought to ask my grandma things like that. I miss her.
What a pleasure to read! I so remember lots and lots of Vaseline and Oil of Olay.
Your nana should have her own blog. She could teach us all a thing or two.
She is a hoot!
Melanie-
Thanks for responding to my email question. I appreciate you taking the time!
About the make up regimen, I don’t think my skin could ever recover from slathering it with vasoline!
Your Nanny is a treasure, but you knew that didn’t you?
Luziers! That’s was I was trying to think of! My grandmother used that everynight for as long as I can remember. When she passed away at age 86, she had some pretty good looking skin. She never looked her age!
I don’t know Melanie…. I think Nanny could have a blog following of her own! How precious and blessed to have her!
Thanks for sharing Nanny!
Now, how did you not melt in Texas under all that clothing? I think that is quite possibly the real question…
I was sure her biggest secret to beautiful skin was avoiding the sun. I have to say, the stockings on her arms and pinned at the shoulders surprised me. Never heard of that one, but it obviously paid off. Like everyone of my generation, I deliberately fried myself to a nice dark brown every summer of my life until I hit my 40′s. That’s when I realized…BIG mistake.
I’d totally forgotten about Pond’s. It’s on my shopping list.
I think your Nanny is about to hit celebrity status!
Reading this was a wonderful way to start the week. Thank you!
I realize this is Nanny-heresy, but I’m willing to deal with a few wrinkles in old age to have the tan skin now.
(Backing away from my computer, waiting for the lightning to strike.)
What an awesome Nanny! Thanks so much for sharing. However, I think my skin is too far gone!
Thanks Nanny!! What a treat to get such words of wisdom! Somehow I just knew the Ponds cold cream was going to pop up in the answer! My Grandma used it too! I’m on the “Nanny Needs a Blog” team too!
I’m a redhead and have never been much one for the tanning. I tried occasionally as a teenager but all I did was burn… totally not worth it! I think I was born with freckles. But I’ve used an SPF moisturizer since my late teens. And I’ve just started to get more zealous about hat wearing in the sun. Which is hard because I have a huge noggin and it’s tough to find not lame headwear for huge heads. But I found a great sun hat on the internet (Praise God for the interweb!) that just came Friday which I love! And now I’ll know that Nanny would approve everytime I put it on and endure grief for it!
What a great writer that Nanny is. Now we all know where you get your smarts.
She is so cool.
The bottom line: The sun is EVIL.
Darn.
Kelly S.
I think your Nanny should start blogging.
Although I didn’t comment, I was one of your readers who wondered what Nanny did (or didn’t do) to make her skin looks so great at her age!
I agree with everyone else that Nanny should have her own blog!
Isn’t it a blessing to have a grandparent in such good health at such an age? Back in February, I blogged about my Papa’s 90th Birthday. He lives alone, is so active, and doesn’t look his age either!
I loved hearing from Nanny! You must get your witty writing gift from her. What a blessing to have such a person in your life.
How precious! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
My grandmother grew up in Alabama as a cotton farmer. She used to tell me often about the evils of the sun. She and her sisters always wore long sleeves and gloves (with the very tips of the fingers cut out) and hats with huge brims.
Oh the horror of what I’ve done to my skin with baby oil!
I showed my husband Nanny’s b’day photo and told him to take a guess which birthday it was. She will be happpy to know he said 71. You go girl!
“No soap (too drying).” Thank you, Nanny. I couldn’t have said it better myself. A (much older) dear friend preached that to me almost every day of my teenage/young adult life…along with “Take care of your skin and you’ll keep your husband.”
So far it’s worked.
Nanny definitely needs her own blog. She would be an instant hit.
So when is Nanny’s blog going to be up and running? It is clear where all your Funny came from.
She kinda threw you under the bus with the whole she won’t digress thing. She’s a hoot!
Do you know what’s equally amazing as your Nanny looking fabulous at age 90? The fact that she knows how to email!
I have a 67 yr old father who is so afraid of a computer that he won’t sit in front of it.
Now we need to know what keeps Nanny so “sharp” at her age.
Thanks Nanny! Now we know where Big Mama gets her entertaining writing style. It must be in the genes!
My mom, at 82, still swears by Ponds, although she wouldn’t “swear” because it’s against her religion.
After hearing about her willingness to chase new technology I’m willing to bet that her youthful appearance is mostly due to what’s on the inside. Lotions and potions can’t keep you young like an active mind can.