It’s probably been over the past three years or so that I’ve been more aggressively proactive about my skincare than ever. I think a big part of the reason is because, although I really do have some pretty impressive genes as far as aging goes, I am not the person who believes that it’s impossible for “Black to crack.”
Our skin is more melanated, yes, and science backs that it causes our skin to age at a slower pace; however, if you don’t take care of your skin, it can absolutely end up with the fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, hyperpigmentation and sagging, which you want to avoid for as long as you possibly can.
As I’ve been settling into a skincare regimen that works best for me, something that has been a total game-changer is certain acids. So far, I’ve written about hyaluronic acid (check out “Why Your Skin, Hair, And Nails Need Hyaluronic Acid Like...Yesterday”), mandelic acid and kojic acid soap (check out “These 12 Things Will Make Your Skin Glow All Of The Time”) and, in a minute, I’m gonna roll up on y’all when it comes to ferulic acid. Today, though, I want to touch on another acid that has some pretty impressive benefits: mevalonic acid.
You know, something else that tends to come with aging skin is dryness. If that’s something that you’re currently battling with, this is an acid that can help to get you the moisture that you need.
Are you ready to become a fan of mevalonic acid, sis? Here’s the breakdown.
What Is Mevalonic Acid All About?
GiphyAight, so, from a scientific standpoint, mevalonic acid is considered to be a “precursor to cholesterol.” In Layman's terms, this means it’s an acid that is a natural compound in your system; one that helps to maintain your skin’s barrier by supporting the production of cholesterol and vitamin D, along with some of your body’s hormones.
And while you may already be familiar with how vitamin D benefits your skin (by reducing inflammation and assisting with skin turnover), you might be surprised by how much “influence” cholesterol has on it too. In fact, in a Women’s Health article about this particular acid, a health expert shared that cholesterol is actually “about 25% of the skin’s lipid composition and it is an essential part of the cell membrane.”
When I cross-referenced this with another article on the topic, it stated that cholesterol is found in many cosmetics because it helps to keep skin well-hydrated for long periods of time (which is hella beneficial as you will see in just a moment) without leaving behind an oily residue that could result in breakouts.
Although studies are still ongoing about mevalonic acid as it directly relates to skincare, there are some benefits that make it well worth at least trying on your skin to see if it will give you the results that you have been looking for.
Mevalonic Acid Keeps Your Skin Well-Hydrated
GiphyWater helps to protect your skin from environmental damage. Water helps your skin to maintain a soft and smooth texture. Water helps to nourish your skin’s cells.Water helps to detox your skin. Water helps to improve your skin’s elasticity. Water helps to prevent breakouts. Water helps your skin look young and glowing for longer periods of time.
So, anything that helps to keep your skin hydrated is something that you should consider applying to it — and mevalonic acid has a great reputation for doing just that.
Mevalonic Acid Protects Your Skin’s Barrier
GiphyThe outermost layer of your skin is calledyour skin’s barrier; its main purpose is to protect your skin from the free radicals, ones that could ultimately lead to skin damage and aging. Interestingly enough, these layers are made up of cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides, and since mevalonic acid helps with the production of cholesterol in your skin, by default, it helps to protectyour skin’s barrier too.
Mevalonic Acid Boosts Collagen Production
GiphyYour skin needs collagen for a myriad of reasons — it helps your skin to produce new cells; it helps to get rid of old, dead skin cells; it helps to bring elasticity to your skin; it helps to slow down the signs of aging, and it aids in skin hydration.
Aside from the fact that mevalonic acid is able to boost collagen production within your skin, something else that’s really cool about it is that, since its molecular size is so small, it is able to penetrate the layers of your skin better than retinol and even hyaluronic acid can.
Mevalonic Acid Is Great for Acne-Prone Skin
GiphyWith all of this talk about cholesterol, it would be pretty natural to wonder if mevalonic acid would clog up your pores. Interestingly enough, because it’s so lightweight, it actually has a pretty good reputation for working well on both acne-prone as well as sensitive skin. In fact, there is a skincare brand called Personal Day that incorporates mevalonic acid into its acne-fighting products.
You can watch a dermatologist share her thoughts on the product and why mevalonic acid is so beneficial when it comes to fighting breakouts here.
Mevalonic Acid Is a Solid Exfoliant Alternative
GiphyIf you want to unclog your pores, reduce hyperpigmentation, brighten your complexion, improve circulation to your skin, and reduce the signs of aging, you need to exfoliate your skin on a consistent basis. And although mevalonic acid doesn’t exfoliate in the way that AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids) do, what makes it exceptional in its own right is that it encourages your system’s natural exfoliation process to transpire. That makes it an awesome alternative if you’re looking for a gentler type of exfoliant.
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Okay, so what if, after reading all of this, you are sold on giving mevalonic acid a shot, yet you’re not sure where to find beauty products that contain it? The key is to look for serums or moisturizers that list the ingredient on their label. To get you started, do some reading up onAMEVA Mevalonic Acid Multipotent Serum (which is plant-based and vegan) and thePersonal Day line that I mentioned earlier. Remember, mevalonic acid is just (semi) recently becoming all the rage…I am sure that you’ll see more cosmetic lines catch on soon.
In the meantime, you’ve been put on alert, which makes you ahead of the curve. Something tells me that your skin will adore you for that. Report back and let me know.
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One day, I might really get into just how actually evil that is (because sex is never supposed to be a bribe in a relationship). For now, though, I want to talk about how motives reveal oh so very much when it comes to physical (and even emotional) intimacy. Hmph. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes on the topic of motives: “People’s behavior makes sense when you think about it in terms of goals, needs, and motives.” An author by the name of Thomas Mann said that, and indeed it does because, when you are doing something merely to get your way, that is a form of manipulation or control.
On the other hand, when you’re doing it merely for the holistic pleasure of doing so — that is when you are experiencing intimacy in the way that it was intended to be.
So, when it comes to your personal motive for sex, what is it really all about?
What Are You Really Hoping to Get Out of Sex?
When It Comes to Your ‘What’, You Always Need to Know Your WHY
GiphyOh, I’ve got some more motives quotes for you. Psychologist Albert Ellis once said, “People have motives and thoughts of which they are unaware.” Author Paul David Trip once said, “We rarely do anything with one single motive.” It’s pretty ironic that actor Chris Noth (because if you know, you know) once said, “Since women ask me about male motives all the time, I can offer a bit of advice. If you feel like you're going to get hurt, then you shouldn't be there in the first place. That's the way I look at relationships.”
Now, before I attempt to build on these quotes, let’s first look at a very basic definition of motive:
Motive: a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious
Did you catch that? Oftentimes, when someone is moving based on a motive, the reason is hidden. Is it just me or does that sound semi-sneaky or opportunistic, right off the bat? Interestingly enough, some synonyms for motive include grounds, basis and root. All of those words make me think of the foundation of something. So, since we are talking about sex, specifically, today — before you decide to sleep with someone, you really should ask yourself what your foundational reason is and, if you’re choosing not to share it with said-partner…why is that?
Pick Your Top 3 Motives, Then Reflect
Let’s keep going. Some other synonyms for motive include aim; emotion; idea; impulse; intent; motivation; passion; rationale; occasion; incentive; consideration, and inspiration. Aight, so here’s another thing to ponder — out of these 12 words, select your top three that “connect the dots” as it relates to your motive (or motives). It could be that you feel passion for him, your intent is to show him that and, since you’ve been dating for a hot minute, you think that it’s the right occasion. In this case, what’s shady or opportunistic about that?
If that is indeed your motive, it would fall less into the “hidden” category and more in the “not obvious” once you really thought it through. On the other hand, if it’s more like you aim to have sex, because your rationale is to get some sort of incentive out of it — do you see how that’s totally different? And if indeed that is the case, WHY do you think that is okay?
Sex Is Not A Transaction — It’s An Exchange
I’m telling you, if there is one thing that I damn near loathe is how transactional sex sounds these days: “Unless you’re going to pay my bills, I’m not going to give you any.” What in the world? Listen, I don’t care how unpopular the opinion may be, sometimes — hell, oftentimes — the truth isn’t popular and the truth about copulation is IT IS AN EVEN EXCHANGE. No one should be paying you for it. He got pleasure, you got pleasure. Over and out. And if that isn’t happening, either there is more communication that needs to be going on (which is just one of the reasons why I’m not a fan of faking orgasms) or there is something “off” when it comes to you and your partner.
Whatever the case may be, before engaging in physical intimacy with someone, it’s beyond wise to spend some time getting really honest with yourself about what your motives truly are — because how we start something oftentimes sets the tone for the experience overall. Indeed, motives are a lot like cause and effect — they play a significantly profound role in determining the outcome of matters.
Real Compatibility Includes Mutual Motives
Sexual Compatibility Includes Having Mutual Motives
GiphyOkay, so now that we’ve discussed motives, in general — say that your motives are pure (and you are being really honest with yourself about that). You’re not hiding anything because there is nothing to hide. You simply feel so connected to someone that you are motivated and inspired to take things to another level.
Well, that’s where author Lebo Grand and something that he once said comes in: “Sensuality is the purest motive that exists on earth.” When something is sensual, it gratifies the senses. When something is sensual, it arouses the appetite — and yes, when you want to be intimate with someone, simply because you want to get closer to them, there is something that is very sweet, very sincere and even pure — in the sense of being authentic and real — about that.
If that is your motive, share that with your partner. If that is also his motive, then it’s time to get into what the mutual motives of what a healthy sexual relationship should be: pleasure, joy and satisfaction. Y’all, something else that messes many couples up is there is so much focus on what they want to get out of sex that they fail to fully tune in and tap into their partner — and that is unfortunate. You know why? Because it has been both my experience as well as my observation that when both people are totally invested in making sure that their partner is sexually satisfied both individuals end up feeling gratified and quenched. Yeah, a selfish motive rarely brings contentment like a selfless one does — and you can take that to the bank!
And that is why, although I think that sexual compatibility is important, you’d be amazed how much clear communication, patience and selflessness can “get you there” if sex seems awkward at first. Again, if the motives are right, goodness can come from it, even if it takes a bit of time and effort to get there.
When Your Sexual Motives Shift, Say Something
If Your Motives Shift, You Need to Speak Up
GiphyFinal point. It is the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who once said, “Change is the only constant in life” and this applies to every aspect of it — including sex. That said, some of you may recall back when I wrote an article entitled, “BDE: Please Let The 'It Needs To Be Huge' Myth Go.” The wife who I featured in that piece, we were recently talking about it and how she remains 10 toes down about the fact that a “big one” ain’t all it’s cracked up to be if the man who owns it is attached to a huge ego and not much else.
When I asked her to reflect on how much of her dissatisfaction was — and kinda still is — about him vs. who she now is as a person, she admitted that so much of who she is has changed from when they first got together. She’s older and so her hormones have shifted. She has spiritually evolved and so a profound emotional connection is more desired. She knows herself better and so she has some sexual needs that she never had before. And so, her motives have shifted from pretty much just having a good time (only) to longing for something…deeper.
This isn’t abnormal; many people go through this. Thing is, instead of being forthcoming with their partner, they would rather have them pick up on hints or, even worse, attempt to read their mind. Yeah, that’s not how effective communication works, y’all — if your motives for sex have changed, you’ve got to say something. Otherwise, you’re going to end up frustrated or unfulfilled…and honestly, your partner probably will too because if you are different and you don’t share it, eventually there will be a “disconnect” (and not just in the bedroom).
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As I bring this to a close, take a moment to circle back to the first motive quote that I shared in the intro (“People’s behavior makes sense when you think about it in terms of goals, needs and motives.”). Whatever your sex life is like right now, what are your goals, needs and motives? What are his?
Figure that out and you’ll better understand where you’re at and, if you don’t like it, how to get to where you want to be.
It all begins with the right motives, sis. It really and truly does.
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