Recent studies (mostly conducted by skincare companies) seem to indicate that we look five years older at the end of the day due to fatigue and stress. I would add to that, the disappointment of promises made first thing in the morning to the mirror and broken by lunchtime  (nothing serious, just the odd bit of chocolate. Although I am pretty serious about my chocolate!) Plus, when we’re exhausted, few of us care how we look; I know I just go ahead and rub my tired, mascara bleary eyes and I wear my wild hair like a trophy when I come home, as a sort of sign to my family that I did the most work today.

Is that the rub? Particularly as women, do we own the pain too much (she sighs as she kicks off her shoes and notices the dirty dishes still there since breakfast, while she heads towards the laundry room); I want them to see me looking exhausted, I’ll admit it.

But there must be a hundred other reasons why we look older in the evenings; make up worn off, the day is done, that sense of get up and go no longer exists, and thoughts turn to ways to wind down and relax. Perhaps we are supposed to look older at the end of the day. I’ve no problem with that, but I certainly don’t want to carry those five years with me onto the next new day.

So look after yourselves at the end of the day; know how to rest. Maybe the dishes can wait, maybe someone can be bribed to put on a wash. Eat a light and healthy dinner (salmon is excellent for good skin health), have a glass of wine or a cup of herbal tea, turn off the phone, apply your ANU Night Balm and allow your body to absorb the benefits while you sleep. Wake up, renewed and refreshed, looking five years younger!

“Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.”

From Mirror by Sylvia Plath
That’s one way of looking at ageing I guess; although Sylvia Plath’s beautiful sad poem, told from the point of view of the mirror, makes it all seem hopeless, we’d like to encourage you to see growing older in a more positive light. For a start – girl; there ain’t nothing you can do about it. It happens because it is as natural as breathing. Everything grows, everything ages and while a new seed brings delightful joy, it is when it becomes a magnificent plant that we really stand back and admire it. Focus on your eyes the next time you look in the mirror; with a knowing smile, remind yourself of the things you’ve seen, the secrets you are guardian of; the pleasures, the knowledge, the pain you carry, the moments that made it worthwhile. Wouldn’t it be disturbing if your face didn’t reflect back to you all of those carefully gathered experiences?

Think of the faces of the ones you love. Are they all super models? Can you love your sister before she’s had a chance to put her eyebrows on? My eye wanders over these faces, admiring not so much clear complexions but a crooked smile, an overlapping tooth, the mix of blues and greys of the eyes, a dimple, a furrowed brow that reminds you why you love this concerned human.

I’m not saying you should let yourself go; like anything we grow, we want it to look the best it can, because that reflects the true health of it. You wouldn’t put a bow on a sad looking plant, you’d water it or feed the soil or re-pot it – all the better to accommodate its growth. It’s alright to want to nourish and rejuvenate your skin too, and perhaps this is the real reason that the word ‘antioxidant’ gets our attention. Oxidising suggests the end of the cycle of growth and like any living thing on this planet, we are designed to want to survive for as long as possible. Getting older is perfectly natural; getting old is another thing altogether.

I know there’s some of you that can’t get your head around the idea of cleansing with an oily balm and that’s understandable; we equate oiliness with dirt, clogged pores and spotty skin. Aye, but there’s the rub (or not, in the case of a gentle balm) – the oils in a balm bind with your skin’s natural oils and get serious about lifting away the dirt and impurities that have built up over the day.

Other cleansers can be harsh, leaving your lovely face feeling thirsty and dry (literally, stripped of the natural oils you need for healthy skin). Such cleansers are banished here at ANU headquarters and facial wipes are a bit of a dirty word (even if some teenage goddesses think their skin is invincible, sigh) Using a balm not only makes sense for good skin health in the long term, maintaining the skin’s natural oil content, but many have the added benefit of antioxidant and collagen boosting properties. ANU cleansing balm includes castor oil and carrageen Irish moss seaweed – both of which deserve a dedicated blog of their own such are the benefits; I’m talking healing, deep cleansing, anti ageing, moisturising, not to mention aiding acne prone and sensitive skin. They even help reduce pigmentation.

Think of your cleansing balm as a make up remover, cleanser and deep moisturiser all in one. Sure, a make-up wipe is quick, but it’s not effective. This is your face we’re talking about. Get it as clean as possible before you go to sleep and your body starts its regenerative process. Using a cleansing balm is a must for any goddess serious about natural beauty.

ANU Cleansing Balm is easy to use: Massage the balm into your face – even the act of massaging aids rejuvenation – and wipe off with a muslin or gentle cotton face cloth rinsed in warm water. Rinse the cloth and wipe clean again. A cold water rinse will close pores. You can use the damp cloth to apply ANU cleansing balm to your eyes, or dampened cotton wool. It will even get rid of waterproof mascara with ease, so none of that frantic rubbing I was talking about earlier. You don’t have to, but you will want to spend some minutes just feeling your lovely soft clean face. Knowing you’re about as perfect as you can get, go get your beauty sleep.

“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.” – Augustine of Hippo

We have recently been brought into closer connection with some lovely people; through a beautiful accident of time, place and circumstance, we have been fortunate enough to have joined a collective of businesses (all women, and as fans of ANU, all Anu Goddesses) this summer, and together we have opened a shop in the beautiful Powerscourt Townhouse Centre in Dublin city. We call ourselves KID, as all the brands consist of the most gorgeous design led children’s clothes, blankets and toys. ANU is for the mums, the goddesses and now, even the babies; through our connection with KID, we have evolved to include even tiny new born babies in our skincare range.

When people come into our shop, they tell us there is nothing like it anywhere else in Ireland. Everywhere you look, there are things to delight you; tooth fairies and unicorns, dresses and dolls, handmade wooden toys and tights for boys and girls; moccasins, baby caps, organic cotton pj’s and bamboo blankets, bibs, books, night lights, hoodies, cards and clips. And of course, ANU skincare for mothers, goddesses and anyone you want to spoil. And now, we even have the most delicate Baby Balm – suitable for babies from birth.

KID is special and ANU feels at home there. Our collective is healthy and happy and all the goodness of one brushes off the other. We learn, we appreciate and we prosper and grow. No wonder people feel there is a delightful atmosphere when they visit us. By paying special attention to each other, we open our doors to pay special attention to you. Come and visit us – Powerscourt Townhouse is magnificent and the heart of the Creative Quarter of Dublin is buzzing. It can only be a positive experience!

The ultimate gift for a busy woman is Time; wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could make time expand so that we could cram in all the things that need doing? Whilst the goddesses here at ANU headquarters can’t do anything about that, we can suggest a top tip or two for at least making time for yourself at the end of another hectic day.

 People are talking about ANU Night Balm right now because it’s having such an impact on the appearance of skin, particularly face,neck and décolletage, and while we suggest you use it last thing at night, sometimes you just want to fall into bed and forget about night time routines. So why not change where you keep your’s? If you get a chance to watch some TV before bed, keep it in the sitting room, where you can absent-mindedly moisturise to your heart’s content while you enjoy your favourite show; if you’ve got small children, you could do worse than massage their feet with it. Studies going back to the time of the Romans show that lavender (one of the main ingredients in ANU Night Balm) guarantees a good night’s sleep and since all the other ingredients (olive, sweet almond & coconut oils, cocoa butter, beeswax and carrageen Irish moss) are natural, you know it’s gentle enough for baby skin too.

And don’t stop at your décolletage either – ANU Night Balm is good for rough skin, dry hands, eyebrows, cracked feet, nails, lips and the ends of dry hair. By the time bedtime comes around, you’ll be well and truly wrapped up in the relaxing, mositurising and healing essence of the balm that got top marks in a recent clinical trial: Out of fifty women averaging age 37 to 50, almost 93% noticed an improvement in their appearance generally, with many of those women receiving compliments on looking younger and more refreshed. Almost 98% noticed softer skin and we believe, most of them had a great night’s sleep!

 Find a way to get time back; ANU Night Balm. Not just for bedtime.