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Giveaway: $250 of Olay Products

When Olay asked me to partner with them on their new Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream with SPF 30, I wasn’t sure if I should feel flattered that they think I have nice skin or worried— have they just been fooled by the beauty filter on Snapchat?

Ironically, as my face ages, I am turning the camera on myself more than ever, and as a result, getting up close and personal with all my extra lines and wrinkles in selfie mode. Aging is much easier to deny when you only look at yourself once a day in a bathroom mirror with extra good lighting.

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The smile that I have always depended on in photos now comes with an added fold above my top lip. My eyelids have started to sag in the corners giving me this perpetually tired look. And I am constantly trying to relax my face to get rid of the wrinkle between my eyebrows. Retaking a shot at a different angle doesn’t make a difference. It seems to be there for good.

I follow a lot of younger people on Instagram and Snapchat and I think— why couldn’t I have been doing this back in my twenties???

I guess because none of it existed, so there’s that.

Although, it could be worse. While a lot of the things I used to do to keep myself healthy (eating more vegetables, drinking lots of water, working out) have taken a backseat to taking care of my kids (“Do as I say, kids, not as I do!”), I have always been really diligent about moisturizing my face.

I’ve also always been someone who prefers an umbrella and a book on the beach as opposed to a tan. When I was younger, I wasn’t thinking about how the sun accelerates the aging process— I just thought lying out was boring and didn’t like getting too hot. While that might not have earned me any cool points on spring break back in college, now that I’m older, nobody questions my motives.

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Unfortunately, protecting myself from the sun isn’t just about lying out at the beach on the weekend. Olay challenged me to notice all the times I am exposed to the sun during my regular day.

For instance, during most of the year, I commute in the city on foot— both to my kids’ schools and then to work. I’m probably outside in the sun braving the elements for at least 45 minutes every morning.

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Once I’m at work, I sit in front of a window the entire day. The sunlight is so bright, it’s almost impossible to take a good photo of my desk!

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This summer, I am driving the kids to camp every morning and picking them up in the afternoon, with the glaring hot sun streaming directly through my car windshield.

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Then I work out of my house at my kitchen table, again— RIGHT IN FRONT OF A WINDOW. There is also a sliding glass door directly to my left.

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Also, in the summer, I am outside much more than the rest of the year. Beyond the trips to the beach, I’m pushing the kids on the swing set, checking out the garden, playing in the pool, eating outside before the sun goes down, etc. etc.

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So basically, I need sun protection the entire day, every day. Since the mornings are mostly about getting the kids out the door, it’s great to have a facial moisturizer like Olay’s Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream SPF 30 that does double duty by lessening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and protecting from harmful UVA/UBA rays.

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I also love the feel of it on my skin. It absorbs quickly and is a great base before I put on foundation, another one of my beauty necessities as I get older.

Will Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream with SPF 30 turn back time and ensure I never use the beauty filter on Snapchat again? Will it stop me from taking every picture with my sunglasses on?

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I make no promises. But maybe it will keep me from resorting to Photoshop.

GIVEAWAY: $250 of Olay Products

I’m giving away $250 of Olay products in the comments! You must be a Mommy Shorts subscriber to enter. If you are not one already, you can become one by clicking here. Then leave a comment below telling me one thing that you do to take care of yourself as you get older.

Even if the answer is— I don’t stress about it and let nature take it’s course.

Winner update:

Congrats to Rachel, who is trying to but trying to delay the big stuff with diligent moisturizing, constant water intake, and getting lots of sleep! Please contact annie@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize.

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This post was sponsored by Olay, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.