A 68-YEAR-OLD nan has sparked controversy amongst dermatologists after saying her offbeat beauty routine has helped her skin age backwards.
YouTube sensation Melissa55 hasn’t moisturised “in this century” after training her skin to hydrate itself without lotions and potions.
Melissa is 68-years-old and hasn’t moisturised her face in yearsCredit: instagram/msmelissa55
She shared her skincare thoughts on InstagramCredit: instagram/msmelissa55
Melissa is set to turn 69 in April and is the proud mum of two children and seven grandchildren.
She revealed on Instagram that she doesn’t moisturise her skin – which fans have dubbed “beautiful” and “flawless” – but finds people tell her she’s “absolutely wrong” for it.
That includes dermatologists, who encourage people to lather on moisturiser twice a day to keep skin hydrated and nourished, while fighting dryness, flakiness and irritation.
But through beauty routine trial and error, Tennessee-based Melissa has discovered that going off the beaten track has helped her skin tremendously.
“I don’t moisturise my skin,” she said.
“I haven’t moisturised my skin this century.
“I used to and my skin looked worse.”
The skin-fluencer continued that her “point is” to let everyone know that each complexion is different – and what works for one might not work for another.
“There’s just not a universal, ‘you do this, this and this’,” she said.
“Now, beauty product companies will tell you that you have to do ‘this, this and this’ because that’s how they make their money.
“But when I quit moisturising, my skin improved.
“I just let the retinol, the vitamin C serum and the acids I use just keep a slow exfoliation going.
“My skin just started producing more moisture on its own.
“I don’t have oily skin but my skin acts like it’s oily now because it just produces its own moisture for me not adding moisturiser.
“It just stimulates my skin to produce more moisture.”
Melissa acknowledges that dermatologists disagree with her assertion but she maintains that her no-moisturiser beauty routine works perfectly for her.
“We’re just not all the same,” she said.
The nan has been using her YouTube channel for over a decade to encourage other women in their sixties to feel better about ageing.
“The philosophy behind my channel is I got mad as hell,” she said in an interview with Forbes. “Really, I did.
“I would see 20-year-olds advertising anti-ageing cream. What did they know about ageing and being a 60-year-old woman?
“I got tired of women feeling they couldn’t wear long hair or trendy clothes just because they were older.
“I got tired of feeling pressure to have Botox or injections or facelifts to feel worthwhile.”