3 natural beauty techniques for healthy skin

One of the many unlikely benefits being seen by some of us, as lockdown takes hold, is an increase in the amount time we have to take care of our skin! If you often neglect your skincare routine, now may be a good time to revisit it, or even include some new, exciting techniques! In today's blog, I discuss some unique methods you can use to keep your skin healthy, and give advice on incorporating these into your daily routine.

How can I keep my skin looking and feeling healthy?

Many people incorporate a skincare routine into their daily schedule, often by applying creams and lotions, or by washing their face thoroughly. However, there are many other interesting techniques you can use as well as these, such as:

Skin brushing
Face massage
Face yoga/ face gym.

Read on to find out more about these techniques, and learn how to carry them out easily and effectively.

1. Skin brushing

If you're looking for a skincare method that is not only beneficial for the appearance of skin, but also has added health benefits, skin brushing may be the thing for you!

Skin brushing involves a daily body massage with a dry, stiff-bristled brush. This only takes around 5 minutes and helps to remove dead, dry, and flaky skin cells from the body, exfoliating the skin to give you a fresh feeling.

In addition to this, skin brushing is thought to help the body detoxify by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymphatic flow. The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that helps get rid of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials from the body. It does this by transporting toxins in lymphatic fluid to lymph nodes, where toxins can be dismantled.

As you brush your skin, lymph fluid is able to move around the body, where it collects all the unwanted material, thereby helping to detoxify the body and playing an important role in immunity.

Dry brushing also helps to unclog pores, and may stimulate the nervous system, which can make you feel invigorated and revitalised.

How do I do it?

It is important to brush the skin when it is dry; this allows you to exfoliate and increase blood circulation without robbing the skin of moisture, as the hot water in a bath or shower can
The best time to brush skin is just before you take a shower. This way, you can wash off any dead or flaky skin that may be on your body afterwards
Get yourself a stiff-bristled bath or shower brush, preferably with a long handle so you can reach difficult areas such as the middle of your back
Start on your feet/ankles and work your way up in long fluid strokes
Then move on to your torso and back, moving the brush in circular motions
Some areas of the body can be more sensitive than others, so make sure to lighten the pressure as needed – it is not recommended that you use the brush on your face
Once you have finished brushing, take a shower to wash off any flaky bits and then apply a lotion to put moisture back into your skin.

It is important to note that you should not go over the same area of skin for too long, as this can break the skin and cause irritation or bleeding. In addition, never brush over skin that is broken (e.g. cuts, scrapes, burns including sunburn, sores) or where there are areas of infection, redness or general irritation.

2. Face massage

Massages can not only help you relax and reduce stress; they can also help improve the appearance of skin.

Facial massages increase circulation to your facial tissue, which can help skin to look brighter and more youthful. They can also help to lift and firm the skin, which may reduce puffiness and the appearance of wrinkles.

One type of facial massage which is known for its potential to enhance the appearance of skin, is the Japanese facial massage. This type of massage promotes microcirculation, which increases blood flow to vessels in the face that can build up with waste products, resulting in dull skin and fine lines.

In addition, it can also stimulate the movement of lymph fluid, helping to detoxify the skin. So, this type of massage not only refreshes blood cells and helps to remove waste, it can also leave you feeling highly refreshed and can be achieved in around 2 minutes!

How do I do it?

Firstly, rub your hands together to warm them, then repeat each step below around 3-5 times:

Start with your fingers just above the hairline and move backwards away from the forehead, massaging the scalp in a back and forth motion
Apply some moisturiser to your hands. Press your fingers above the inner corner of the eyebrows and slide fingers outward along the brow, stopping when you get to your ears
Press your index fingers and middle fingers at the base of your nose and move outward along the cheekbones
Place your fingers behind your ears and move slowly down along the jaw and neck to the collar bone; this downward motion encourages lymphatic drainage, helping to detoxify.

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3. Face yoga/ face gym

Facial exercises, commonly known as face yoga or face gym, can be a great way of firming, tightening and even slimming the face; and they are so easy to do! It is thought that repeating specific facial movements over time can boost circulation, lifting and tightening the skin.

In addition to this, facial exercises can help to strengthen muscles in the face, which may help to prevent sagging and promote a more youthful appearance. As facial aging is due in part to muscle loss, keeping these muscles strong can help to reduce the appearance of this.

With all types of exercise, if you want to see the results, you have to be committed to the regimen! It is suggested that practising face yoga for around 5-10 minutes every day could help you achieve that younger, tighter-looking skin.

It is thought that getting your facial muscles moving can wake up "sleeping" muscles in your face that you wouldn't usually use, improving tone; at the same time relaxing muscles that are overworked and which could cause wrinkles.

How do I do it?

Warm up – start your facial exercise by placing your tongue between your lips and blowing hard (blowing raspberries). Try blowing through your cheeks as well, as the bigger the vibration, the better it is for relaxing facial muscles – repeat this up to 3 times
Slim your neck and chin – keeping your shoulders down and relaxed, tip your chin up to the ceiling until you feel a good stretch in your upper neck and chin area. Then, alternate between pouting your lips and sticking out your tongue, holding each pose for about 5 seconds. Repeat this 3 times
Smooth smile lines (deep lines which span from the bottom of your nose to the top of your mouth) – firstly, keeping your tongue inside your mouth, move your tongue up towards one side of your nose where smile lines tend to be deepest. Then, make 5 tiny circles clockwise and anticlockwise, then repeat on the opposite side
Firm up cheeks and jowls – to help tone up cheeks, imagine your right teeth are being pulled to the left side of your mouth (it should look like a sort of sideways kissy face!), and hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat this 3-5 times
Smooth eye wrinkles – keeping your shoulders back and relaxed, point your chin down to your chest. At the same time, look upward with just your eyes, keeping your head and shoulders still. Hold this for around 3 seconds, then tuck your upper lip inside your mouth and make an "ahh" face. Only do this once to avoid overstretching the skin.