Wrinkles

Maya and Ilana at the Western Wall, Israel.

What does a blog about wrinkles have to do with the ultra-Orthodox in Israel? Well, it’s about women’s civil rights for a start, in a modern, democratic country. Also, it’s the type of subject matter that would make you cringe and wrinkle in an instant. I am also aware that writing about this will inevitably create some sort of controversy among those who disagree with my observations. However, I could not help but feel disappointment with the Israeli justice system when I read the news last week about a group of 10 women who were detained by Israeli police after praying at the Western Wall while wearing a prayer shawl across their shoulders. I’m not an expert in all matters religious, but I am somewhat knowledgeable in the field and anyone secular living in Israel is aware of ultra-Orthodox piety taking over mainstream Israeli life.

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The perfect lips?

I promised that I would write about the rest of the female body parts as so beautifully analyzed by Desmond Morris in his book, The Naked Woman, A Study of the Female Body. This time I’m happy to introduce one of my favorite topics, the female lips. If you’ve read either one of my books about wrinkles then you already know how I feel about the subject matter. But for the purpose of this blog, I will write about the author’s enlightening research, and indulge you with some very surprising facts as well as my own personal observations.

Humans are the only ones to have inverted lips in the animal kingdom. Primates for examples have the fleshy, shiny surface turned toward the outside, while ours is hidden from view. To answer the question of why our lips look different we must revert back to our evolutionary path. Morris explains that females have retained childlike features, known as neoteny, also a quality that enhances their appeal to males. For this reason their lips are more conspicuous, baby-like, thus drawing more attention to themselves. With the chimp embryo, the fetus at sixteen weeks old has a human-like mouth, sporting the big lips etc., but at twenty six weeks old those lips disappear and become dramatically thinner. However, with humans that initial fetal design of bigger, swollen lips is carried on. From an evolutionary perspective, the big lips serve us well when having to cling onto our mother’s breast to feed on milk.

Why do our lips still remain the same when we are no longer in need of our mother’s breast?

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For years and years I’ve worn my hair long, mostly. What does this say about me?

Recently I read a book titled The Naked Woman, A Study of the Female Body, by Desmond Morris. The information in this book was tr5amendously enlightening as well as entertaining. I’ve chosen to write a few highlights from this book in order to peak your interest on a subject that you may otherwise think you know well but, really, if you are anything like me, then there’s so much more that you will discover that you don’t know, and you will want to read on. Things like why did we develop certain physical features throughout our evolution? What’s their purpose? Are they really necessary in this day and age?  It’s the type of information that will enable you to look at your body differently, and understand your own features. I cannot explore every body part in this article because I realize that readers respond better to shorter blogs, so I will write about one thing only, and in future blogs I’ll discuss other body parts. ( Warning, I still wrote a lot, but it’s so damn interesting!)

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My husband Greg enjoying a bit of therapeutic Dead Sea Mud.

Okay, for those of you wondering what kind of a twisted caption I’ve chosen for this entry, what can I say, it’s a fact that Israel still deals with the sporadic bombing of its civilians—a tragic reality. But there is another reality in Israel that is seldom the focus when discussing this region. I have already expounded on the culinary attributes of Israeli food, and the laizess faire attitude toward aging, but recently I have also discovered that the very country, which others might describe as the hotbed for war and political unrest, is one which has slowly taken center stage as a world leader in the revival of ancient beauty and healing practices. It’s a contradictory notion if you ask me, but also one that stems from an inexorable necessity. Where there is so much tragedy, it is necessary to develop and thrive, and prove that politics and tragedy do not define the region, or its people.

Have you ever wondered what King David’s Skin looked like? After reading about the growing popularity of new age beauty and health solutions, based on ancient Hebrew remedies, I believe that David, although a red head, might have had really good skin nonetheless.

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The Dead Sea, excellent for your skin.

There is so much to read about when it comes to skincare—so many experts—so much advice that it becomes an overwhelming task, most times. In the same way that I feel bombarded by the plethora of products for our skin, unsure of what’s good, what’s bad; I feel just as confused and unsure about skincare information. Never quite sure what I should be reading, what’s reliable and what’s really worth my while. However, I decided to rely on a proven institution when I read The new Harvard guide to women’s health. This book was published in 1996 and I’m sure there have been many advances in medicine and knowledge since then, but some of the information which I read I found enlightening all the same, and now I’m going to share it with you.

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French chic.

I have girlfriends that come from many different backgrounds, all special in their own way, but my girlfriend Solange stands out from all the rest with her unique sense of style and fashion. She would probably cringe if she read this description of her, because she’d rather be known for her other, more profound qualities. But I continue to write about her in this light, because there’s nothing wrong with focusing on style and fashion even though there are plenty, more important things to write about. Solange, after all, is the epitome of a French woman who knows how to keep up her good looks, regardless of her age.

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Hmmm, you have no idea what this plate of hummus tastes like unless you’ve been to Israel.

Recently I spent three weeks in Israel and apart from enjoying good weather, and good food, I also enjoyed a good dose of healthy views concerning wrinkles or anything to do with a woman’s withering looks. First though I must emphasize that Israel has some of the best food that I have ever eaten. I think that this fact goes unrecognized for the most part, because they are not known for weird and unconventional foods that normally induce all food experts, and critics, to come in droves for a taste and analysis of this type of cuisine.

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Edna Wallace Hopper in 1910.

The quote that I used for the title of this article was taken from a press advertisement in 1926. It featured Edna Hopper Wallas, an actress who would end up gaining more fame and notoriety for her cosmetics, because of her unique ability to maintain a youthful appearance even well into her sixtieth decade.

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I have sometimes wondered what women long ago thought when noticing their changing looks; whether it mattered to them, whether it was something that anyone would pay attention to, or maybe just a natural phase of life that would go unnoticed for the most part.

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