Aging ain't for Sissies

From Baby Oil to Better Skin: A No-Nonsense Anti-Aging Game Plan

• Marcy Backhus • Season 2 • Episode 15

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Sunscreen on cloudy days, hydration that actually shows, and a routine you’ll still follow next month—this conversation keeps anti-aging honest, affordable, and doable. We swap guilt for a recovery plan, especially for those of us who survived baby oil summers and now want real results without the noise. I walk through dermatologist-backed basics that make the biggest difference: daily SPF as your first line of defense, antioxidants as your city-proofing backup, and retinoids for long-term texture and tone. We talk lips (no more pirate lips), the neck-chest-hands rule you’ll never forget, and how to adapt when vitamin C irritates your skin by using gentler alternatives that still fight free radicals.

Life doesn’t pause for skincare, so we weave in what truly impacts your face: stress, sleep, travel, and health changes. You’ll hear a candid update on breast cancer awareness and why self-advocacy saves time and lives, plus a quick announcement about my new sobriety-focused show, Unbottled, for anyone navigating alcohol or other addictive pulls. Expect practical picks—from budget-friendly finds you can grab locally to encapsulated actives that reduce irritation—and a step-by-step morning/evening routine you can customize. The theme throughout is progress over perfection: start small, patch test, and let consistency do the heavy lifting.

If you’re ready to protect your skin from here forward, come hang out for a plan that respects your time, wallet, and real life. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a nudge to wear SPF, and leave a review with your desert-island product—we’ll feature our favorites next time.

SPEAKER_00:

Hello and welcome to AG Name for Sissies. My name is Marcy Backis, and I am your host. Well, hello everyone. Hello, you beautiful wrinkle-bearing creatures, and welcome back to AG Name for Sissies. I'm Marcy, your friendly neighborhood dispenser of shade sarcasm and skin truths. Today's episode is brought to you by the letter S for sunscreen, squalling, and stop ignoring your face. We have some dermatologist-backed anti-aging skin care tips. We will make you either love me or want to slap me. And either one is fine. If you think you're too young, too broke, or too lazy for anti-aging, sit tight. So I don't know. Uh my skin has taken a definite hit through all this cancer treatment and everything. And I thought, oh, let's talk about some skincare. I'm taking a big chance today because I am recording this with my windows open. Now I'm recording it at 6:30 in the morning. You would think the city would stay quiet, but it already has awoken and there's been sirens, and if it gets too much, I will shut them. But my cats like the windows open, and we only have a short period of time now before I can't have the windows open in the morning because it's too cold. So, and I'm leaving town tomorrow. And Craig doesn't open the windows for the cats. So we're gonna try. If it gets too crazy, if I notice too much background noise, I will shut them. If it's bothering you, I'm sorry. Wait till next week's episode. I don't know what to tell you. Um, yeah, what's going on with me? I am taking another flight tomorrow. I am flying to California. I'm going to see family, friends, and my oldest child, Kyle. My first trip to California since we've moved that is really based around Kyle. And I'm excited. I'm looking forward to it. I'm squeezing in some friends, a lunch with friends, dinner with friends. Um, I'm going to my nephew's house to see his remodel. Kyle and I are going there and he's cooking dinner, and he's a fabulous cook, so that's always exciting. Um, and they have a beautiful home, so that's nice. Kyle and I will be spending some time down in Long Beach over the weekend, probably do the aquarium, maybe a whale watching, maybe just hang out by the pool. I don't know. It's all up to Kyle. And then on Tuesday, we will be spending the day at my favorite place, which happens to also be Kyle's favorite place, Disneyland. And my bestie Lynn's gonna meet us down there. So that's what's coming up with me. What's been happening? We're still working on buying this two-bedroom condo. I'm not sure if it's gonna work today. We will find out because we asked for a longer closing. And if they don't want it, we will get it. And you know what? That's okay too. I think there's something about aging that just allows you to what will be will be. And that is was really, really, really hard for me when I was young. But the older I get, the easier it's become. So whatever. You know, if it happens, it happens. Here's the deal. The closing was supposed to be October 31st. That was pushed by our real estate agent. Craig and I I'm gone until let's see, today's October 1st. Happy October 1st. That's when I'm recording this. I don't know when you'll be listening to it, but it is October 1st. Um, I totally blanked on what I was gonna say. Yeah. Um my gosh, I did. I totally blanked on what I was gonna say. That doesn't happen to me very often on the podcast, but it has happened. But nonetheless, oh, our closing. Yeah, got you. We're gone. Um, I'm gone till the 8th. I'm back. I leave again the 17th for Ireland. Craig and I do for his 70th birthday. And I'm a bad wife. His 70th birthday is October 6th, and I'm gonna be in California, but oh well, too bad, so sad. And um, we don't get home till the 29th. Closing the 31st is insane. Secondly, if we do this deal, we're making the unit that we live in a short-term rental, and I have to get it ready and up and going. So, you know, if it works, it works. If it doesn't, I love where I live. Craig and I, yes, we'd like a little extra space. Really, I'm looking for a dining room, is what that gives me, and a little big, bigger living area. But we're we do just find in our cozy little house. And so, and we've remodeled it to the point where it's stunning. So whatever. Whatever happens will happen. So that's that. That's what's happening on that. Hold on, pickles is in the window again. Hold on, we gotta stop this for a second. Pickle? Okay, I have these slanty windows, and I'm on the 36th floor. Now the screens are very strong, but it scares me, and I don't know why she does it. So we got her out of there. All right, everybody. So uh my stewardship campaign at church is going. I had a great group of five people that came and helped me stuff 427 envelopes yesterday. That was awesome. I'm not feeling so overwhelmed anymore. That's awesome. And you know, through all of this, I am trying to relax, and that's not always easy for me. So working on that, working on that. Anything else new? Health is good, which is great. I'll take it. Oh, October 1st, breast cancer awareness month. Yes, get your mammogram. I don't care how old you are. As you all know, last October, my mammograms are in November. And I'm gonna tell the story real quick. My mammograms are every November. In October, I fell asleep on the couch, woke up, and I had had a dream that I had found a lump. And I thought my my bestie had gone through breast cancer, thought I was just thinking about her. But I thought I should feel there. Oh my gosh, there was a big old lump. And yes, I had breast cancer. So that was not found on the November 24 mammogram. I mean November 23 mammogram. And by November 24, I had cancer. So it is breast cancer awareness. Let's get that taken care of, ladies. As there's an episode I have about being your own health advocate. And I don't know if it's on this platform or if it's on my Inside Marcy's mind, but look it up. It's a good one. You are the only person in control of your health. No one else. You can't blame anyone if anything happens. It's on you. Not your doctors, not your husband, not your kids. It's you. So take care of yourself. I also want to announce, as you know, I have Inside Marcy's Mind as a second podcast. Well, I'm coming up with a third. And the reason is last week on my Inside Marcy's Mind podcast, I talked about my alcohol journey. And it sparked something. And I am going to start a podcast on all things sobriety. It's going to be called Unbottled. And it's not just for the alcoholic. Let me tell you, if you have addictions of any kind, shopping, shopping, shopping, oh, did I get stuck there? Sorry. Anything, it'll be for you. But that is going to be coming out in November. It's called Unbottled. If there's someone in your life that you think needs to listen to it, I will drop three episodes the first time and I'll, you'll, you'll know here when I do. So that's what's going on with me. I don't have enough of my life. I thought a third podcast would be necessary. So, but on this one, we talk about all things aging. And I try to keep it that way. So let's take a moment, take a beat, get some more coffee. You guys get whatever you need if you're driving, focus on that road. Hi, Angie. Usually you listen while you're driving. And um focus, and I'll be right back. Well, hope you got your coffee, whatever you needed. I did some editing while I was gone. All right. Why anti-aging now? Dermatologists actually recommend starting some anti-aging products in your 20s. Well, guess what? Too late. That's right. The decade when you thought you were invincible. Totally. Most of us didn't even buy moisturizer until our 30s. So if you're listening and you're in your 35, 45, 55, this is not a lecture. It's a recovery plan. And my age group specifically, there was no SPF in our sunscreen. We used baby oil. I put iodine in mine. I laid out with foil. I lived in California. I went to the beach. I was so dark at my prom. I look like another ethnicity. It's just what I did to my skin is unforgivable. I worked in the beauty industry. I was a hair colorist and I know about skincare, and I didn't give a crud. I really didn't give a crud till recently, to be honest with you. And it shows my skin could be a lot better. My Nana had really beautiful skin. But this is not a lecture. It's a recovery plan. If you're younger, if you are my age, I'm turning 65 in January. It's not too late. It really isn't. Moisturizing from the inside with water and moisturizing from the outside will give your skin a better look starting today. I'm just going to tell you that. The biggest mistakes people make, let's talk about those first. Skipping SPF on a cloudy day, clouds don't protect you, honey. They just don't. All right, there's a siren in the background. I hope it doesn't get too loud. Skipping aftercare. Don't waste money on treatments and then use a cheap cream. So if hold on. I hope that's not too loud. No antioxidant serum serum. Pollution is aging you faster than your ex. Let me tell you something. An antioxidant serum is important. Ignoring hydration. You can't run a car on water instead of oil. I am telling you hydration is key. There's all these other things, and they're all great. And they add to you. But let me tell you something. Drinking enough water, getting your hydration, and using a really good moisturizer, if that's all you want to change, you will see a difference in your skin. Skipping retinoids. Retinoids are your skin's gym membership. So if you're not using a retinoid, use a retinoid. Okay, forgetting your lips, nobody wants pirate lips. That is a fact. So I have found O'Keefe's lip repair. It comes in a little jar, a little pot. That has made a huge difference in my lips. I find I, as I've aged, and I know friends are like this as well, my lips are a lot more sensitive to glosses. I can't, it's hard for me to wear a lipstick, period. I can wear a gloss. Lipsticks are really hard. Um, whatever's in them irritates my lips. But I have found this O'Keefe lip repair in a jar is amazing. It moisturizes my lips. I use it morning, night, and I keep it in my purse and put it on during the day. My lips look a lot better, a little bit more plump. I'm lucky I don't have the receding lips yet. And I know that happens. I had pretty full lips when I was young. So I think that's helping me as I'm aging. My ears are bigger though. I have really big ears now. You know, your nose and your ears never stop growing. That is a fact. Look it up. And my ears, ugh, my earlobes, I hate my earlobes. Isn't it funny the things we focus on on ourselves? I hate my earlobes. And you know, all know me. I wear my hair like skin tight short. And my earlobes, so I have to wear bigger earrings now because my earlobes are so big. It really is just funny what we what we zoom in on on ourselves. There's a lot of other things about myself I don't like, but my ears are number one right now. So, what do dermatologists like? Here's some dermatologist picks. I got this information, if you want to know where, from um Real Simple Magazine. It's an article they had. So these are some things that they came across that dermat dermatologist approved product picks. I haven't tried any of them. I will tell you where I get my skincare is at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's products are high quality, well made, really good, and priced right. So if you want to look for an affordable skincare solutions, SPF, moisturizer, oils, uh, antioxidants, hyaluronic acids, all of that you can get it at Trader Joe's. That is my suggestion. It's high quality, affordable. Okay, but here are some dermatologist-approved product picks from Real Simple Magazine. Bioelements SPF 50 face screen, daily sunscreen, no white cast, and it's calming to the skin. Another bioelements VC10 nightly bright overnight brightening with vitamin C. For me personally, anything with vitamin C is irritating to my skin. Can't tell you why. I just know it is through trial and error, more air than anything. Coarse Black Pine Use Activator, an antioxidant hyaluronic acid. Hmm. I like Coarse products, Coars, K-O-K-O-R-R-E-S, Black Pine. I feel like you're gonna put sap on your face. Anyways, that's one. Coarse Santorini Grape Cream, barrier support, budget friendly, retinol night cream, encapsulated retinol in gentle levels. So encapsulated means you've seen them in those little like little pills. They look like a little, and you pop the top and you squeeze it onto your face. The nice thing about encapsulated products is they don't get bacteria in them. And this says that this um retinol night cream is in gentle levels. And I don't have the, I don't know who makes that one. That's helpful, Marcy. I left that out of my research. Lano lip sunbal SPF 30 lip sunscreen, so you don't look crusty and you don't look like a pirate. No pirate lips here. You know, again, I say I have I have not been great with my skincare probably until the after 50. After about 55, when I saw my skin change, man, from 55 to 60, my skin took a dive. And I didn't realize it was gonna be so bad. So, what kind of a routine can you have with your skincare? So, morning cleanser, antioxidant, moisturizer, spf. That's the drill. Cleanser, antioxidant, moisturizer, sp. Evening cleanser, and you know what I have? I've been using, and I don't know the brand, but just look at any brand, I've been using a cleansing balm, B-A-L-M. It's very moisturizing to the skin. Again, moisture's key. So you don't want a cleanser that's gonna strip your skin. What are they building out there in the city at? It's not even seven in the morning. Evening cleanser, retinoid, brightening cream, optional moisturizer. So in this, they're feeling your antioxidant in the morning, your retinoid in the evening. Starting with A, antioxidant, ending with an R, retinoid, if that helps you remember. Start one product at a time and patch test. Progress, not perfection. Okay, what is a patch test? The patch test is use that product on a little bit of your area of your face for a couple days. Make sure you don't get any rashes. Don't slather it all over you if you've never used it. Okay. I learned that in hair color. Hair color, you're supposed to always patch test. Do we know, but it is what we learn in beauty school. But start one product at a time. Again, you don't want to mess up your skin. The whole idea of this is to make it better, not worse. If you have a product and products that you love, send them to me. I'd love to share them with anybody. If you have something, you can send them to AgingFast, the number one, AgingFast1 at gmail.com, AgingFast1 at gmail.com. You can get all of my episodes at Aging for Sissies Podcast.com. You can share it with your friends. I am really looking to build these platforms. So if you can share with your friends, um, I would really appreciate it. If you could give me feedback, um that would be great. If you can tell me what you want, what you don't want, I may listen, I may not. I am me, you know, and these are my podcasts. But goodness gracious, if there's something you want to hear, if you are out there and you have information you want to share and you want to be um a guest, how I do my guests. It's not live. We do my I do my guests on a Zoom and we just talk together and then I add it into the podcast. So it's not a big deal. We can do it anytime that works for you. If you have information or something you want to share with the people, please let me know. We're gonna finish this off with some quick tips. SPF always, even indoors, make sure your foundation has SPF, your skincare has SPF, even in the clouds. Remember that. Even in the clouds. Antioxidants are your backup squad and they are not a sunscreen replacement. Here is Amen, Amen, Amen. Do not skip neck chested hands, do not skip neck chested hands, do not skip neck chested hands. Get enough sleep, eat as best diet as you can and manage that stress. I think next week we're gonna talk about stress management tips because I've been really working on that. Craig and I have been working on our communication too. And you know, when you say you can't teach old dogs new trips, Craig and I are doing better. We're both, we're both communicating better. And that's probably another episode, but that helps manage my stress because he's a lot of my stress, FYI. I gotta be careful. He could be coming in from his run at any minute. And um, stress can show up on your skin. Don't compare yourself to airbrushed influencers. Oh, good Lord, please don't. All I want to be is the best version of Marcy. I can't be Marcy who's 20. I can't be Marcy who's 30. I can't even be Marcy who's 40 or 50. But what I can be is the best version of Marcy at 64. And that's in all things. Today we're talking about skincare, but on here we talk about everything. And I want that for you. Don't try to be who you used to be. Be the best version of who you are now. All right, sissies, that's all for today. If you enjoyed this or hate listening while glaring at your mirror, hit subscribe, leave a review, and share. Please share. Remember, stop treating your face like a frat house roommate. This has been Aging Inc. for Sissies. See you next time, and don't forget your SPF. And remember, go out there in this world and do something positive.

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Marcy Backhus

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