I remember watching my grandmother smooth Oil of Olay on her face before putting on her makeup. This daily ritual went on from before I can remember to shortly before she passed away at age 89.

She was a beautiful mahogany-haired Irish-American, married to a Chinese Hawaiian. She spent years in the Hawaiian sun trying to develop a "tropical tan" instead of the creamy freckle-kissed complexion she was born to. Despite this, her skin stayed soft and lovely her whole life. When she and I would travel, younger men frequently woud come by our table to make her acquaintance. People always thought she was my mother, not my grandmother.

My mother also uses Oil of Olay, and now no one believes that she is a great-grandmother. She is so young looking and has such beautiful soft, smooth skin. As a girl, her mother made her "slather" on Oil of Olay. My mother was a competative swimmer, as well as a scuba diver, fisherwoman, boater, and hiker. She has spent most of her life out of doors, exposed to the elements. Since her back injury, she spends as much time as possible outside in her garden. Among my earliest memories of her is the fragrance of Oil of Olay as she kissed me, and watching her in the mirror, smoothing the cream over her face as I "brushed" her hair.

My daughter, formerly the lead dancer in my hula troupe, uses Oil of Olay. She inherited the creamy fair skin of my great grandmother and created glorious copper colored hair from her own blend of my auburn and her father's red-highlighted black. A professional hula dancer can spend hours in the hot sun here, being broiled directly from above, while the reflection off the sea browns off any missed areas. She is still in her twenties, and plans to look that way as long as possible, so Oil of Olay is a permanant part of her morning ritual.

I am in my 40s,and have used Oil of Olay all my life. I have spent years on hotel lawns and park beaches performing hula and demonstrating Hawaiian crafts. I like the outdoors, and have spent much time on horseback, swimming, paddling canoe, hiking, sailing, and now, riding my motorcycle. All of these activities are hard on the skin, weather it, and age it. I credit Oil of Olay with keeping my skin smooth, soft, and young looking.

When I was a girl, there was only one kind of Oil of Olay, and it had that distinctive fragrance. Now there are many of their products available, including unscented, which is what I use.

Four generations of the outdoors women of my family are firm believers in the properties of Oil of Olay. Now that it comes in an SPF 15 version, it is even better. I wish they made SPF 30!

Specific things I like about Oil of Olay:

* It really works - best moisturizer I've ever used, and the rest of the line is pretty good, too.
* Very fluid and spreads easily.
* Comes in fragrance-free versions.
* Not "gooky" - there is no greasy or slimy after-feel.
* No coloring agents that turn my mixed-heritage skin funny shades of orange. (The skin chemistry of an Asian/Caucasian/Polynesian/Native American can be a challenge when buying makeup and skin care products)
* One of the few products that does not make me break out or make my skin feel like it is burning.
* Works well as a light foundation.
* Relatively inexpensive, so I can afford to use as much as I need!
* Washes off easily, without staining and "gooking up" wash cloths and towels.


Two little tricks I've learned to do with it:
* Make a translucent flundation by adding a little of your regular color foundation in to it and then applying as foundation. Makes the foundation go on very smooth and does not look so "painted."
* Put on a THICK coating of it before doing anything that will get your skin sooty, greasy, or dirty (riding, farming, welding, cleaning the attic. . . . ) The Oil of Olay will keep the nasty stuff from getting into your pores. Then when you wash, everything comes right off without having to scrub the daylights out of your skin. Your face feels clean, but still nice and soft - not all scratchy and dried out.

I've only found two problems with Oil of Olay:
* Does not come in SPF 30.
* The women of our family are frequently "hit on" by young men. Then when they learn we are grandmas, they don't ask us out any more!

E nihi ka hele,
Hula Rider




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