Unlike other hidden organs of the body – the skin never lies. It’s an extrovert – revealing your inner life and health. It can reveal your secret vices, sleepless nights and sloppy skincare. Because the skin connects to every system in the body, when something gets out of whack inside it shows up front and centre on your face.
The skin (unlike some past loves) – forgives and forgets. Give it a little love and it will love you right back. Reduce stress, boost your omega 3 intake, sleep for at least 7 hours every night and eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants. You will see a dramatic improvement in the tone, texture and health of your skin.
Top 5 Questions & Answers
Puffiness & dark circles
Main cause is lack of circulation due to the fluid that collects and doesn’t move with the lymphatic flow. Dark circles indicate a need to stimulate your blood circulation. Genetic inheritance can also be a factor equal with too many late nights staring at the computer. Other culprits include alcohol, salty foods and allergies. Also stress, poor diet or inflammation in the nasal area – weakens the blood vessels which may leak and cause what appears to be bruises under the eyes. Ultimately to solve this problem you need to get your blood circulating and your lymph fluid flowing.
To help this along give yourself an under-eye massage each night, Apply eye gel instead of a cream if you have pouchy eyes. Chill it in the fridge beforehand as cold contracts and constricts the blood vessels and gels have a tightening effect. Ingredients like green tea & vitamin K strengthen the blood vessels. Calendula or chamomile reduces swelling & herbs: gotu kola or ginkgo biloba to stimulate circulation. Apply gel with ring finger (it exerts the least pressure), and gently massage in a clockwise circular motion from the edges of the “bruise” towards the eye. Use the lightest touch possible because the skin below the eyes is the thinnest in the body. Too much pressure over time, may stretch the skin and lead to lines and wrinkles.
Blackheads and chin breakouts
The ‘T-Zone’ (chin, forehead and nose) have more oil glands than anywhere else in your body. So if you have oily skin the T-Zone will be a problem area. And because the pores on your nose can be large relative to the rest of the face, they’re prime real estate for blackheads when oil, dead skin cells and bacteria become trapped in them. Hormones trigger most skin breakouts especially during pregnancy, an irregular menstrual cycle or perimenopause, or when taking birth control pills.
Chin breakouts may also be due to an out of balance digestive system. The jawline and chin correspond to the intestinal in chinese medicine. Take probiotics, which help maintain a healthy PH in the digestive system and aid in the absorption of nutrients.
To bansih blackheads exfoliate regularly, use a natural abrasive scrub 2-3 times a week. But handle with care so as not to tear the edges of your pores and end up spreading the bacteria around. Wet your face and gently press – don’t rub! Use light pressure.
Heres a simple tip from the experts. Sometimes clearing up your chin can be as simple as clearing your mobile phone – especially if you’re only breaking out on one side. When bacteria accumulates on your phone they can press into your skin and clog your pores.
Dry flaky skin
Flaking on the cheeks, hairline and brows may come from dermatitis, or it could signal eczema which can be a little harder to treat. Flaking is an inflammatory response to something that’s aggravating the body.
Extreme weather, food allergies amd chemicals in personal care ingredients can generate an allergic reaction (contact dermatitis) on the skin. Watch out for chemicals in heavy fragrances, laundry detergents, or harsh shampoos. Any of these can shorten the life cycle of skin cells and lead to a build up of dead skin. Stress and age can aggravate the problem. As we get older our skin naturally becomes drier. The skin cells oxidize and the the cell walls don;t hold moisture like they once did. That’s why aging skin deyhdrates, loses firmness and starts to wrinkle.
Instead of heavy creams or lotions consider moisturising seed oils such as rosehip, golden camellia flowers, jasmine and macadamia oil which are light and easily absorbed by the skin.
Chapped lips
Wind and winter chill sap moisture from the lips but so does exposure to the sun, sand, surf and chlorine. Many conventional lip balms contain petrolatum-based ingredients like mineral oil that appears slick but because the skin can’t absorb them – the molecules are too big – they don’t condition or heal chapped lips. In fact, they just sit on the surface creating a glad-wrap like barrier that can clog the skin the lead to breakouts and bacterial infections.
Look for natural ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or hempseed oil all of which actually penetrate the skin. If you’re prone to break outs or bumps on the skin look for lip balms with anti-bacterial essential oils.
Blotchiness or broken capillaries
For red, flushed, blotchy, sensitive skin, put the blame on heat, the sun, alcohol, extremes of temperature or spicy foods.
In case of redness or flushing – prevention is the best cure. Include omega 3′s – anti-inflammatories found in fish oil, flaxseed oil and walnut oil, in your diet to protect, moisten and soothe the skin. Look for face oils, hydrosols and creams with soothing and hydrating chamomile, lavender, rose and vitamin K. A fantastic product for redness that has been getting rave reviews is the BioBotanica Skin Care with Kigelia Extract 100ml.
0 Comment