Beauty And Health Tips

There are many people who do not think that facial massage is for them, but you have to ask yourself: Is that really you staring back from the mirror in the morning? Puffy, pale and lined, your thinking is there any way back to normality? The answer is definitely yes and it is time to start a course of facial massage. When you first awake, your face may have the imprint from the creases in your pillow case and they will subside. The paleness and puffy look is down to the body, which has slowed down during the night. The circulation system slows with the reduced heart rate so that there is not so much oxygenated blood reaching the extremities of the body. This reduced flow means that the lymph glands are not as efficient at removing the toxins that affect the skin. Many factors are involved in producing theses toxins, including poor diet, smoking and other air bourne pollutants, shallow breathing and even stress.

Implementing a good facial massage routine will really help the blood circulation to the face, bringing it oxygenated blood and taking away the nasty toxins which will then give you the glow of healthy looking skin. Did you know that around half of the lymph glands are situated in the neck area? Getting all that great blood surging around the face will help your lymph glands to wash away the toxins and improve your immune system at the same time.

What is skin? It is the bodys’ largest organ and consists of three layers. The base is the hypodermis which is made from fatty tissue with a high water content. In this layer sits the sweat, sebaceous and follicle glands. Just above this is the dermis, where most of the action takes place. It consists of collagen, elastin, which makes our skin stretch, small blood vessels, nerve endings and the tops of the sweat and sebaceous glands. It is this layer that circulates, secretes, adjusts the temperature of the body and feels. The final level is the one that everybody sees, the epidermis. This is our protection against the world and its secondary function is to allow the evaporation of water. The skin is the same all over the body but it does take on variations, depending on the area. The arm pits will have a larger concentration of sweat glands for instance. The skin on the face is connected to a large number of muscles which are used for non-verbal communications and it also monitors our surrounding atmosphere and temperature. It is also quite sensitive to the touch, for obvious reasons.

Skin will age in several different ways, depending on each of the three levels. When we are young, our skin cells last almost twice as long but as we grow older, elastin disappears which disrupts the collagen and tends to flatten the skin. Added to this, the hypodermis will lose moisture and the fatty tissues head south due to gravity making the skin lose tone and elasticity. With a life time of frowning, smiling, scowling and all the other faces we pull, lines begin to develop. Not only that but the action of the sun, poor diet, smoking and other pollutants, stress and even the chemicals in make up add to the ageing process. Which means the sooner you start your facial massage, the sooner you can maybe put the brakes on the ageing process.

The bodys’ reaction to squeezing and pressing is to get red which means that the blood is flowing into the area. When this happens, it starts to bring more oxygenated blood which is really beneficial to your skin. This, in a more gentler way, is what happens when you have a facial massage. The act of massage will promote the blood flow with the added bonus of stimulating the lymphatic system to drain away the toxins which leads to a healthier looking skin.

When giving yourself a facial massage, it is important that you do not press too hard, as this can have a detrimental effect on the skin, so a gentle touch is needed. To get the most out of your facial massage, concentrate on the acupoint areas of the face. These are the areas corresponding to the acupuncture points. Acupuncture, as everyone knows is the ancient form of healing, where needles are inserted into the skin. These points are situated along the meridians of the body where the energy, known as Qi flows. Stimulating these points in your massage will have the added effect of unblocking the negative energy as well as promoting blood flow.

The effectiveness of your acupoint facial massage can be enhanced by the use of essential oils which can assist in nourishing and repairing your skin. Never use these potent oils neat, they should always be mixed with a carrier oil which is normally plant based. Some are quite common, others more exotic but examples that you can used are wheat germ oil, almond oil, grape seed or even a cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Oils that are cold pressed retain a lot more of their goodness. It is possible to mix different essential oils but not more than four together, with the total number of drops not exceeding ten. People who suffer a lot with allergies should test a spot on the skin before using for the full massage, whilst women in the first half of their pregnancy should refrain from using them without consulting a doctor.

In order to be able to massage the correct areas, you will need a diagram of the face explaining the different points. A good example is Facelift At Your Fingertips by Pierre Jean Cousin which not only has excellent illustrations but also has a lot of information in the use of essential oils. Incorporating a good acupoint facial massage into your usual beauty routine will repay your effort tenfold. Now all you have to worry about is the jealous looks of your girl friends.