I think I speak for most mothers when I say I cannot imagine how I’d live through the unimaginable pain of losing one of my children. It is a mother’s worst fear and it lives inside of you every moment, even when your child is grown up and on his own.

FOF Linda Hill’s heart broke nine years ago, when her son, Josh, was killed in a car accident, days after graduating from Yale University. “My heart is still broken and always will be,” Linda wrote to me recently. A center on the Yale basketball team, Josh was able to attend the prestigious Ivy League school thanks to “good financial aid,” Linda said, but she delivered 650 newspapers every night to help pay for things the aid didn’t cover.

“Everyone loved my son. He had a knowledge and kindness far beyond his years. He would not allow anyone to be bullied. He had a sense of humor that made everyone flock to him,” Linda wrote.

Barbara, President George Bush’s daughter, was Josh’s classmate and friend at Yale. And her father, a Yale alumnus, became one of Josh’s biggest fans. Josh and the President met for the first time in the workout room in The White House.  “It was just the two of them,” Linda recalls.  I had begged Josh to get a haircut before he went there, but he said to me, ‘It’s just someone’s parent’ and ignored my suggestion.

When the two of them were exercising, President Bush looked at Josh and said, ‘What’s up with the haircut?’ Without missing a beat, Josh answered, ‘What’s up with that Sammy Sosa trade?’ (If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll know what that meant. If you’re not, it doesn’t matter a bit.)

Barbara sent Linda a letter recalling that Laura Bush was worried about which bed to give Josh that weekend, because he was so tall. “He wound up sleeping in the [you guessed it!] Lincoln Bedroom,” Linda told us.

“President Bush loved Josh because he teased him mercilessly,” Linda says. “At Barbara’s graduation party, four days before my son died, he and President Bush kept going after each other. The President had fallen off his bike the day before, so Josh said to him. ‘Thank god for bike helmets because the last thing this country needs is you with more brain damage.’ George Bush laughed his head off. The last thing he said to my son that day was, ‘I’d better see you in Crawford this summer.’ He called me the day after Josh died and told me he and Laura didn’t sleep at all. He was crying on the phone.

“My son was my best friend in the world,” Linda said. “Both his Yale coach and his high school coach said at his funeral that they had never seen a closer mother-son relationship. And all of his friends who spoke said he told everyone I was his best friend. I miss him so much. I feel so sorry for myself sometimes but I try not to and not to feel bitter.”

Linda ran a group for parents who lost children for seven years, “but couldn’t take the pain anymore,” so she quit. She generously offered to help anyone on FabOverFifty who is going through similar circumstances. You can email her at jhlindylou@gmail.com

Hi FOFriends,

Today, I bring you a guest post from fellow boomer blogger and brilliant sports marketing executive, Brandon Steiner, on the 10 things he wishes he knew when he was 30.

I wrote my own list for Brandon’s blog, which I’ve previewed below Brandon’s list. (You can see my full list on his blog.) It’s interesting to see where we think alike.

Chances are the men in your life know Brandon. He’s the founder and CEO of Steiner Sports Marketing, the largest holder of autographed memorabilia in the world, and marketing representative to big-name athletes, including Derek Jeter, Peyton and Eli Manning, and Mariano Rivera.

Brandon grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Syracuse University. He lives in Scarsdale.

Enjoy, –Geri

MY RETROSPECTIVE WISH LIST, BY BRANDON STEINER, 54

1. I would have learned more about how my body works—and treated it a lot better. I would have eaten smarter. Growing up, I wish I had listened to the older kid in my neighborhood who snacked on carrots and celery when I was eating all that candy and cake!

2. I would have gotten a lot more sleep.

3. I would have gone home for dinner more when my kids were real young—or at least left work a little earlier, some nights.

4. I would have learned how to play a musical instrument and, hopefully, played in a band. (Having hobbies is really important as you grow older.)

5. I would have visited my mom more, taken her out to dinner more, etc.

6. I would have learned to dress better, much sooner. (How you look really matters sometimes and there were many occasions when I didn’t look my best.)

7. I would have continued taking classes after college. By taking one class a semester during the last 25 years, I could have earned a second degree and been a lot more knowledgeable on many more subjects.

8. I would have taken more vacations in my thirties. I was so driven to build my company that some years I barely took any time off at all.  Very foolish.

9. I would have continued cooking and baking, instead of stopping when I was 22. My family has never really seen that creative side of me.

10. I would have learned the financial side of business better so that I could have understood the benefits of borrowing money and using loans to build your business. The lack of cash flow in the early days put a tremendous amount of pressure on me and probably held back some company growth.

MY RETROSPECTIVE WISH LIST, BY GERI BRIN, 66

1. Angry people are unhappy people.  Trying to assuage or please them won’t lessen their anger. It’ll only increase yours. Steer clear of them whenever possible.

2. Lying in the sun for hours, with baby oil (mixed with iodine) slatered all over your body, could lead to incurable—and fatal—skin cancer.

3. Your family is your biggest advocate.

Please visit Brandon’s Blog for the rest of Geri’s List

What’s on YOUR retrospective wish list?

I am baffled when I see FOFs who are beautifully dressed, down to the smallest detail, and perfectly made up and coiffed, but their hair is woefully thin. Thin, as in, their scalps are showing. What makes a woman, who obviously spends time and money on her appearance, look past her thinning hair? Do her husband, kids and best friends ever hint that they can see her scalp? And why doesn’t her hairdresser point it out? He’ll color and cut her hair, collect his fee, tell her she looks “mah-velous, darling” and send her on her merry way. Is he afraid to mention the thinness for fear he’ll offend her?

Perhaps I’m being shallow, but I think thinning hair looks worse than a shaved head on a woman, especially when the balding spot is close to the front of her head. When I noticed the hint of scalp peeking through my retreating tresses, about two years ago, I couldn’t get to LeMetric fast enough. I had seen its no-nonsense ads for its “hair systems” for years. It was time to act.

Fast forward to today. I have been wearing a LeMetric “piece” since then (see my photo on the header of this blog) and consider it as much my own hair as the thinning hair it covers. Made of real, quality hair, it’s actually stitched to my real hair and I wash and style it just as I would my true tresses (such as they are.) But the best thing of all is that I hardly have “bad-hair days” anymore. My LeMetric piece doesn’t frizz, so even when it rains, it looks pretty good. Frankly, I don’t care if the whole world knows I’m wearing a hairpiece (or had liposuction to reduce my jowls.) My hair looks good, which makes my face look better since the hair frames the face. Put an unattractive frame on a great photo and the photo doesn’t look quite as lovely.

Elline Surianello, founder of LeMetric hair salon

FOF Elline Surianello, the founder of LeMetric, has become a dear friend. We are forever working together on ways to communicate to other FOFs how a full head of hair will change their looks completely. And I mean completely. There isn’t a single woman who doesn’t look fantastic with a fuller head of hair.

Of course, not every one of us loses her hair to the same degree. Some FOFs might need just a little extra hair at the crown or in the back. Others might need more coverage at the front hairline. Others might just want to add volume and height throughout.

Collectively, women spend billions of dollars on color, cuts, shampoos, conditioners, and a gazillion other treatments that straighten, curl, shine, add volume, bounce and lift to our hair every single year. When we asked FOFans on Facebook how much they spend annually on their hair, many said between $1,000 and $2,000.

Considering all the attention—and money—we give to our hair, I propose everyone take the following steps:

1. Answer this question: Do you want your hair to look the best it can?
2. If the answer to question 1 is yes, take a critical look at your hair in the mirror and honestly answer these questions:
A. Does your hair look sparse, especially in the front?
B. Can you clearly see parts of your scalp peeking through?
C. Are you finding more hair in the sink or shower after you wash it?
D. Are you finding more hair in your brush after you brush it?
E. When you run your fingers through your hair, does it feel like you don’t have much volume?
3. If you’ve answered yes to A or B, and yes to C, D or E, chances are you could use a hairpiece.

If you’re still with me at this point, take a look at this short video and listen to what my friend Elline has to say about hair loss. I don’t know anyone who knows more about hair than she does. Elline creates pieces for every need, and she’s designed small pieces that can be strategically clipped into the hair in seconds and are priced extremely well.

If you email Elline a good close-up photo of your hair and face, she’ll give you great advice on the steps to take to make it look like it deserves to look.

PS LeMetric and FabOverFifty also are doing complimentary hair, makeup and apparel makeovers on select FOF women throughout the year. When you send your photo to Elline, tell us why you want a makeover and you’ll be automatically entered to win.

I first went to a psychiatrist right about the time I turned 18. I had returned home after experiencing what I’d classify as a mini breakdown at Syracuse University and deciding to drop out.

My father would drive me to the doctor, once a week after dinner, and wait in the car for me. When my mother hosted her mahjong group, my dad and I would try to leave unnoticed or else my mother would be bombarded with questions. Lord knows, in those days, psychiatry was for “crazies.”

Although my days of therapy with that doc were short lived (he told my father, after a few months, that I didn’t need to see him anymore), I returned to therapy in my 30s because I never stopped needing it, despite the original psychiatrist’s assessment. By that time, we weren’t hiding our visits. It was actually kind of cool to have a therapist because it showed you were introspective. Smart people were considered introspective.

I saw Dr. Melvyn Schoenfeld on and off for years and he (with the assistance of Zoloft) helped me change my life. He’s a marvelous man and I am grateful I found him.

Today I read a feature article in The New York Times about people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s, who are seeing therapists for the first time ever, in an effort to come to terms with their aging and changing lives. They’re facing issues, including new living arrangements, financial hardship, the death of loved ones and chronic health problems. Some of these older patients are clinically depressed “and are recognizing that their golden years might be easier if they alleviate the problems they have been carrying around for decades,” the article noted.

One FOF, 69-year-old Judith Grosz, was so depressed she couldn’t get out of bed, according to the story. Fortunately, she decided to see a therapist, who prescribed medication and guided her on ways to adjust her thinking. Judith eventually discovered that she had an artistic side and started making and selling jewelry.

Marvin Tolkin, now 86, told the Times: “When I hit my 80s, I thought, ‘The hell with this.’ I don’t know how long I’m going to live. I want to make it easier. Everybody needs help, and everybody makes mistakes. I needed to reach outside my own capabilities.”

My mother, who died a little over four years ago, at 86, wasn’t a shred like Marvin. I don’t believe I saw her get depressed, even for a fraction of a day. Freud couldn’t have budged her to become introspective. My father, on the other hand, wasn’t a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. If he was still alive today (he died in 1988, at 69), I think he may have followed Marvin into a therapist’s office.

“The unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates said.  I, for one, agree.

Santa not only came down the chimney. He smoked like a chimney, too, and considered cigarettes as “gifts of pleasure.”

Babies who used to drink cola during “their early formative years” had “much higher chances of gaining acceptance and ‘fitting in’ during their awkward pre-teen and teen years”

Women who received Hoover vacuums as gifts “were happier on Christmas morning.”

Taking Midol would ensure that you became “the you he likes.”

Men who showed their wives “it’s a man’s world” would be served breakfast in bed. Wearing a shirt and tie in bed was a surefire way to demonstrate one’s manliness.

Looking back at newspaper and magazine ads from the 40s and 50s, the “good ole days” don’t seem like they were quite so good. Thank goodness most of us survived, even thrived. Back in the day, my mother put out at least three oversized bottles of soda at Sunday lunch and we all guzzled away. When I began smoking, at 17 years old, I thought I was a pretty cool gal. I haven’t had a sip of any carbonated beverage in over five years or put a cigarette to my lips in over 25. And if I’m in a rotten mood now, I don’t care whether my partner likes me or not.

I wonder what society will discover decades from now about the “cool” things we’re doing today and what impact they’ll make on the lives of our children and grandchildren. Will we learn that the Internet actually makes us dumber because it’s filled with a world of inaccurate information? Will emailing and texting render us completely unable to spell or use writing implements? Will gluten be the cure to cancer? And will anyone who watched more than 10,000 hours of the Kardashian and Housewife shows combined actually be able to communicate in complete sentences?

Time marches on. Where we’re marching is another story.

Watch a 2012 movie called “The Impossible” and imagine yourself as the mother (which you’ll probably automatically do, even if you’re not a mother). Imagine yourself on a Christmas vacation at a beach resort, with your husband and three sons (5, 8 and 10). You’re all romping at the hotel pool, when, all of a sudden, an eerie silence settles over the place, followed by a thunderous roar and tidal wave, so wide, deep, tall and powerful, that it sweeps you all away in seconds.

Now imagine that you’re drowning and being harshly assaulted by this monumental rush of water, but somehow you come to the surface and see your 10-year-old son in the distance, also struggling to keep his head above the water.

I won’t tell you the rest of the movie, but it’s all based on the true story of a Spanish family–Maria and Quique Alvarez, and their sons Lucas, Tomas and Simon–who were visiting Thailand when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit in 2004. It’s a true story that you’ll have a hard time believing, but then again, no one in Hollywood is imaginative enough to even make up something like this.

As you watch what unfolds, you might start to believe in a higher power. I don’t want to make this a discussion about the existence of God, so define ‘higher power’ however you’d like. I guess you’d say it’s what causes The Impossible to Be Possible. Why a plane crashes, 154 passengers die and one baby lives. Why a devastating fire sweeps through the canyons of California, scores of homes are burned to the ground and a single flowering plant lives among the rubble and ashes. Why someone with a fatal disease lives for decades after diagnosis. Why some families are faced with seemingly endless tragedy and others enjoy nothing except splendid health, wealth and happiness. Whatever you call it–higher power, fate, luck, science or nature–it sure gets your attention.

Although Maria suffers through unimaginable circumstances, I almost wished I had experienced the same. Perhaps it sounds crazy, but I agree with wise guy, Frederich Nietzche, who said:

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

When I was 30, my best friend was FOF. Now that I’m FOF, I’m thrilled to count a number of women, more than half my age, as my friends. I’m fascinated (and sometimes horrified) to see what they’re doing far differently than the way I did it. It’s also intriguing to learn the many ways they’re quite similar to 30-year-old Geri.

It’s especially invigorating to meet young women who respect the FOF generation and think we actually have worthwhile opinions, advice, talent, and, energy to burn. After all, if it weren’t for us, they wouldn’t be them, now would they?

Ever since I started my own business, in 1998, I’ve been hiring young women (with one or two exceptions). If it weren’t for them, I couldn’t have accomplished all that I have. FabOverFifty is the best example. Who better to help me understand and maneuver the technical and social aspects of the web than young women who grew up with the Internet? It also doesn’t hurt that all their moms are FOF. That means you Sara, Charlotte, Lina, and Sharon.

I recently had the pleasure to meet Becca Niederkrom, another young, web savvy woman. She interviewed me for one of the segments on BeccaTV, which is part of her website, Aginginsider.com. Becca’s “serious” mission is to “empower the technophobe, particularly the boomer and senior, in business and in her/his personal life.” Although I’m not a big fan of the term “senior,” I am of Becca. “I think of myself as the joyful connector of friends and family since 1976 [the years she was born],” she says. “And I have been teaching computers and connecting online since getting my first computer in 1980.”

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Tell us a little about yourself?
I’m 36 and married for just over 2 years. I grew up in Orlando and south Florida and majored in marketing at Florida State University. I now live in Dallas, which is a ‘lil Florida, a ‘lil Texas.

Although I was hired into the Management Trainee Program by Sherwin Williams when I graduated school, I loved returning to my technology and entrepreneurial roots. I was 13 when I began working as a swim instructor for the American Red Cross and started my own business at the age of 17.

Tell us about your business and why you started it?
I saw a huge disconnect between technology and those who were 40 to 50+. Educated and skilled experts in their fields, these people weren’t using gadgets and tech devices, which created a gap with their own children. Consider that someone just a few years older than I am did not have the Internet in college.

I started a computer training and consulting business to help solve this problem. My clients range from attorneys to art dealers to physicians who highly respected in their fields but had no one to turn to who could understand their challenges. Many 40 to 50+ year olds have caught up, but there still are skills to be learned, even if they aren’t used everyday in a client’s work and home life.

Clients shouldn’t be given one-size-fits all computer solutions. There are many different accessories to make the tech experience better, from a left-handed ergonomic mouse and large-font keyboard to simpler cell phones or sleek PERS (personal emergency response systems) that marathon runners or assistant living residents would love to wear.

I was the only one speaking tech to end-users. The retirement communities in Dallas were against all technology advances. I was furious to see so many activity options, with the exception of the option to connect. Technology is the ultimate connection tool. So I began BeccaTV on AgingInsider.com to bring on those involved with the market to tell their stories. My goal is to equip boomers and beyond with information on services, blogs and products geared specifically to them.

Why your interest in the ‘aging’ population?
I feel that they have been written off. Here’s the deal: When I get on a plane, I want to see that the pilot has some gray hair. And that is a theme I want to see in the workplace. I want to continue seeing employers pay for experience. I began my work with the ‘mature market,’ also known as our ‘greatest generation.’ We have so much to learn from those who lived with such heart and soul. I had to make sure they stayed connected to the younger generation by using technology.

I don’t claim to know it all but I do know a great deal about how to make life easier for those with whom I work. I have to get this message out in a bigger way.

What’s your definition of ‘aging senior’?
It’s hard to give just one answer since we all start aging at birth. It’s someone who is in the process of becoming older or who sees a difference in her or his physical body. It’s also someone who is looking to retire from his or her career, someone whose habits have accumulated and affected his health, or someone who might need assistance in some way.

Why do we have to even use the words ‘aging’ and ‘senior?’
Great question. Since I originally began teaching 80- to-100 year olds, I was focused on those ‘aging in place’ (an industry term) and they happen to also be seniors.

I just returned from the Aging in America conference, where the discussions were aimed at ‘Boomers & Beyond’ and the assumption was that that meant senior. But now the word ‘senior’ is being questioned, probably because the largest generation is crossing over the 50- year-old mark. We are all healthier, living longer, working longer and this is really the first time to see that trend in such large numbers.

What have you observed about the boomer generation that makes it distinctive?
The Boomers are a fantastic generation and I think the ones at the forefront of much discussion of our perception of life. Although all Boomers share some common life experiences, cultural shifts, and icons, I believe that it’s a disservice to have such a large group lumped into one generation. Each person is unique and I think the Boomers are bucking all labels.

Primo and mom Simone

When my diploma arrived in the mail, signifying I was a college graduate, I didn’t feel a whit different than I had before the mailman pushed the envelope through the slot.

I married Douglas on a Sunday afternoon in September. I remember riding on the bus the next morning, looking up at my finger, newly ringed with a wide gold band, and thinking: ‘I don’t feel a bit different than I did yesterday morning.’

I remember my first big promotion to an editor.  My boss and his boss called me into the big conference room to tell me the news.  When I walked out, I didn’t feel a bit different than I felt walking in.

I remember when I finally pushed Colby out and they laid him on my stomach, the umbilical cord still attached.  I felt a wave of emotion, but once they took him away, I didn’t feel much different than I felt an hour before.

I looked at my newborn grandson this morning, barely 90 minutes old, and although I felt like I was in The Twilight Zone, I don’t really feel different than I did as a plain ‘Maz’ (that’s what my daughter calls me.)

Labels and titles alone are meaningless: College graduate, wife, boss, mother, grandmother.  What defines us is what we make of the labels pinned on us. We don’t feel the full impact of our “status” until we’re actively in the role and taking responsibility for our actions.  The New Jersey man, recent winner of the $320 million lottery, now can call himself a multi-millionaire, but what counts are what he does with his newfound fortune and how it affects his life.

I was not always the stellar boss, wife, or mother that other women can probably claim to be.  Even though I can’t go back and ask for re-dos, I have a chance to take my new label, pin it on proudly and be the best darn ‘grandmaz’ in town!

When you want to make really fluffy whipped cream, you use an electric beater.  Want to clean the living room carpet really well? Grab a steamer.  Freshen up a cotton shirt? Unbury the iron, of course.

So, why not use a sex gadget to do for you what the beater does for the cream: Whip you into shape so you can have a really great orgasm, to put it as bluntly as possible.  If you’ve ever experienced really great orgasms—which are unlike just plain ole good orgasms–you know just what I mean. They’re the ones that make you see red stars bursting all over the place.

Sex toys can do the job more efficiently and effectively than we can manually. Think of the electric beater versus a hand-held wire whisk. They’re especially useful when it becomes harder to get excited. Remember when all you had to do was look at your boyfriend or husband to approach orgasm? Grab a toy and away you go. You don’t even need a man, but if you’ve got one at your side, so much the better. There are toys for him, too.

Sinclair Institute sent me a boxful of toys to try out and I bought a package of AAA batteries and went to town. I especially like the clitoral pump and the 10-function Pleasure Bendie was pretty nifty, too. If you’ve never used toys, it’s never too late to start. Ordering online also takes away the embarrassment of going to a store that specializes in these things.  Read some of these articles so you’ll become an expert on what’s best for you.

I’ve also starting listening to Sinclair’s Better Sex video series, called SEXPLORATIONS. The disk, titled 22 Sex Secrets, tips and turn ons, revealed that masturbation is one of the most common sexual practices in the world; it’s healthy and common to fantasize about your partner masturbating, and doing it offers four core benefits: Feels good, relieves stress, is a great substitute for sex and helps you learn about your own body. It might interest you to know that it was a sin to masturbate in the 18^th Century because it didn’t lead to procreation.

I don’t think I ever uttered the word masturbation—or even knew the term—when I was a young teenager. I was, however, proficient at the practice.  It’s kind of funny that we never talk about it. I’ve also noticed that we don’t get as many comments on our sex features and I think that’s because many FOFs are embarrassed to talk about the subject overall.

There was one exchange on my blog last week that I wanted to share:

Marcia: “I think the whole topic is disgusting. You’re not young anymore, so get over it. Life goes on without that boring and tedious time waster of an activity. I get more enjoyment out of a good book. Love really isn’t about sex, it’s about respect and care. And just being good friends. I refuse to fall for all those perverts out there telling me how “fulfilled” they are, or I should be, in my golden years. Hang it up and use the time more wisely volunteering or doing good for others.”

Louise: “Obviously, this section is not for you Marcia. Sorry you think one of the most fundamental experiences any human can have is disgusting to you. In a loving relationship, sex is part of the relationship as is respect and caring. You are missing out on so much. Enjoy your books.”
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What’s your take?

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I invite you to explore Sinclair’s website and comment below about which of these educational videos you’d like to watch and make sure to add WHY.

Twelve FOFs will win. (See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes March 28th, 2013 at midnight E.S.T. Contest limited to residents of the continental U.S.

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On my 66^th birthday, last week, my son told me I look 53.  Not one to throw around compliments, especially to me, his assessment was the best birthday gift I could have received.

I don’t know how Colby arrived at 53 (I look older than I did when I was actually 53), but let’s say I look like a good 66.  Although I can certainly stand to lose 20 pounds, I strive to look the best I can. I don’t drink (not even a glass of wine now and then); I don’t smoke; I recently joined a gym again so I can use the treadmill for my heart health and do weight bearing exercises for my bones, and I take care of my skin.

I never use soap on my face, only facial cleansers like Aveeno, and I love Clarisonic’s facial cleansing device and Rodan + Field’s new MACRO Exfoliator, because they make my skin feel squeaky clean and renewed. I follow these routines with some pretty costly moisturizer and eye cream that I like because they absorb into my skin, without making it feel or look greasy.

Three months ago, I added a new anti-aging supplement, called Imedeen Time Perfection, to my daily skincare routine.  I finally understand the importance of taking care of oneself from the inside out. I well know that skincare creams, lotions and serums work only to protect and care for the top layer of our skin, called the epidermis. No matter what their manufacturers claim, these products can’t change what’s happening in the dermis—the layer beneath the surface–that contains the collagen, elastin and moisture-producing properties, or the skin’s building blocks. Although they may temporarily increase our skin’s moisture and firmness, they’ll never get it to bounce back to where it was when we were 30, 40 or even 50.

Manufacturing skincare products for over two decades, the makers of Imedeen® say its Time Perfection® “marine complex and antioxidant” supplement will work “inside the body” on women 40 and older, “to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin quality and moisture balance, and protect collagen and elastin fibers against oxidative damage in as little as 90 days.” A three-month supply of 180-tablets is $206.

Aside from plastic surgery (which I advocate wholeheartedly, as many of you know), maybe Imedeen® can do what these lotions and potions cannot. I was happy to say “yes” when the folks at the company asked if I’d try it, and compensate me, too.

Time Perfection® contains an exclusive blend of proteins and polysaccharides (a chemical term for carbohydrates, such as starch, insulin or cellulose) that is important for the skin’s structure and moisture and resembles the elements naturally found in the skin’s supporting tissue. One of these ingredients, called LycoPhence GS, provides tomato fruit and grape seed extracts, which help protect skin against oxidative damage. The other is Vitamin C, a vital antioxidant, which is essential in the formation of collagen. These targeted nutrients go “deep down” in the dermal layer to strengthen the skin’s invisible building blocks. Imedeen® offers a skin assessment on its site, to help you determine which of its anti-aging formulas work best.

I’ve completed the recommended three-month regimen and I definitely see that the fine lines around my mouth and eyes are less pronounced, as are those deeper lines on either side of my nose that run down to my mouth, called nasolabial folds. My skin also feels firmer when I pinch my cheeks, and it is definitely smoother and less sallow, even without makeup. Friends, family and neighbors have been commenting that I “look good.”  Hopefully, next March 8th I won’t look a day over 54.

The makers of Imedeen® are hosting a giveaway for one lucky FOF, who will receive a 90-day supply to help improve her skin.  Comment below on why you’d love to try it.  FOF will select the winner at random.