There are millions of dollars worth of wrinkle reducing products out there. And there are millions of dollars working to promote them.

In order to conduct my own very scientific experiment on various wrinkle reducing products, I first had to search for folks with wrinkles (denial is really a remarkable thing – isn’t it?).

After painstaking research conducted over a several year period I have come to the conclusion that there are four kinds of wrinkle reducing products that produce results of any kind, and they break out as follows:

1. The kind that puffs you up so that wrinkles appear to fill out. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet a mature individual that needs help in “puffing up.”
2. The kind that tightens your skin so that the wrinkles disappear completely. The ensuing tightness is irrelevant – the mirror tells you you’re gorgeous! Unfortunately, one blink (and this is no exaggeration) and all your wrinkles come tumbling back into place. Talk about heartbreaking – I’m told.
3. The kind that wend their way into your eyes, thus blurring your vision and creating the appearance (to you only) that your wrinkles are softer and less defined, and finally
4. The kind that gives you an allergic reaction and you break out into hives or develop a red crusty irritation where the product was used most heavily. Works like a charm in deflecting attention from the deepest of wrinkles – so they say!

Based on my extensive research I have come to one inalienable conclusion, I am way too honest to help promote any of these products, including those that hail from some of the finest names in skincare and cosmetics.

Is it true that menopausal women have a more intense sense of smell than their younger counterparts?

It is true of my mother (although her sense of smell began to heighten prior to menopause) and it seems to be true of me. At least I hope it is.

Whew!

Smells definitely bother me more than they used to; I am way more tuned in to the smellosphere!

When I was younger my Mom would freak me out. When she was still working, back when everyone wore business suits, she once told me “I can always tell when a man wears his shirt to church on Sunday, and then wears it again to work on Monday, even if he’s meticulously clean.” Sheesh!

I’m wondering if this is a “thing,” or it’s just my family, or it’s just my Mom.

When I was younger I always smelled great! I could work out and sweat for an hour and I didn’t even really need deodorant – I still smelled great. Now that I’m older, I don’t smell great when I’m finished toweling myself off from a shower. The effort of toweling vigorously is enough to make me perspire – and then I’m not feeling confident of smelling like a daisy!

In fact, now that I’m older, I am treated to a whole cornucopia of smells that are me! Few of them are welcome. My life has evolved into a series of checks and double checks on the smell-o-meter.

I finish showering, I check to see if extra deodorant needs to be applied, or if I need to get a “wet wipe” to refresh and start all over again. During the day, I periodically check to see if a deodorant refresh is in order. And, at night, everything goes into the wash – including the jacket or sweater worn over the top. Even when the top is long sleeved!

My husband says there’s no bad smell. Should I believe him or is he just trying to keep me from jumping off the ledge? Or, let’s face it, ever getting lucky again?

If a heightened sense of smell is a “thing” then I should be fine. That would mean I don’t really smell any worse than I ever did – and the only folks who think I do – besides myself – are sympathetic menopausal women like me. If it’s not a thing, but a phenomenon that occurs among some of the women in my family – I’m still okay – but it will be more difficult to verify for the purpose of preserving sanity.

The only other disturbing possibility is that I really do smell as bad as I think. If that’s the case, consider yourself forewarned – and keep your distance if you know what’s good for you!