Welcome to my blog and my website. I am starting off with this blog to help us think about what might be good to nourish ourselves in autumn. Autumn is the perfect time to nourish our skin body and being. The days are slowly getting colder and we are starting to feel the affects. Drier skin, cracked lips and sniffly noses. Here I am recommending a little program for you at home to try to keep up the good spirits and leave us feeling nurtured and revived. Its most important at this time to keep up our nutrients. Using them on the skin but also taking them internally. .
SKIN
The change in weather and air-conditioned work and home places causes havoc with our skin. What we need to remember is cleansing day and night twice each time. First to cleanse surface dirt, secondly to clean deep within the pores. I recommend an exfoliating cleanser as this will help shed those dead skin cells. Lactic-based cleansers are the best option as you are getting exfoliation yet not striping or drying your skin. Lactic acid will stimulate your skin cells to turnover and is 90% more hydrating than glycolic acid (glycolic should only be used on very acneic skin) If you start with this one very important step you are on your way to smoother skin. I tell my clients there is no point in putting on Moisturiser onto a layer of dead skin. It doesn't penetrate properly and it is a waste of extra product. We like to make them last right!! Lactic acid is also good for fine lines and wrinkles. There is no reason not to use it :)
BODY
Our skin is covered more in Autumn so it is easy to neglect. It's not just the skin on your face that might need some tender loving care. The skin covering the rest of our body can also suffer, so it's important to regularly rid it of dead skin cells using a body brush or exfoliator. I prefer body brushing as you get many jobs done in one.
Benefits of body brushing:
Body brushing stimulates the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is important for eliminating waste and dead cells from our body, by transferring them to the bloodstream ready for elimination. It depends on the contractions of muscle, through body movement, breathing, exercise or manual stimulation, to push the fluid along the lymph vessels. This is where body brushing can help to encourage blood flow through the channels and clean out the metabolic waste that can build up. It also helps with muscle tone and gives you a more even distribution of fat deposits helping minimize cellulite.
Dry body brushing helps shed dead skin cells (and encourages new cell renewal), which results in smoother and brighter skin. It can also help with any pesky ingrown hairs.
Directions:
Start on dry skin before bathing.
Work in gentle circular, upward motions, then longer, smoother strokes.
Always begin at the ankles in upwards movements towards the heart - the lymphatic fluid flows through the body towards the heart, so it's important that you brush in the same direction.
Your back is the only exception to the preceding rule; brush from the neck down to the lower back.
After you've finished with the ankles, move up to the lower legs, thighs, stomach, back and arms. Be cautious of softer and sensitive skin around the chest and breasts, and never brush over inflamed skin, sores, sunburnt skin, or skin cancer.
Ensure you shower to wash away the dead skin cells and impurities.
Tip: alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin. to my blog and my website. I am starting off with this blog to help us think about what might be good to nourish oursleves in Autumn. Autumn is the perfect time to nourish our skin body and being. The days are slowly getting colder and we are starting to feel the affects. Drier skin, cracked lips and sniffly noses. Here I am recommending a little program for you at home to try to keep up the good spirits and leave us feeling nurtured and revived. Its most important at this time to keep up our nutrients. Using them on the skin but also taking them internally.
Directions:
Start on dry skin before bathing.
Work in gentle circular, upward motions, then longer, smoother strokes.
Always begin at the ankles in upwards movements towards the heart - the lymphatic fluid flows through the body towards the heart, so it's important that you brush in the same direction.
Your back is the only exception to the preceding rule; brush from the neck down to the lower back.
After you've finished with the ankles, move up to the lower legs, thighs, stomach, back and arms. Be cautious of softer and sensitive skin around the chest and breasts, and never brush over inflamed skin, sores, sunburnt skin, or skin cancer.
Ensure you shower to wash away the dead skin cells and impurities.
Tip: alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin. to my blog and my website. I am starting off with this blog to help us think about what might be good to nourish oursleves in Autumn. Autumn is the perfect time to nourish our skin body and being. The days are slowly getting colder and we are starting to feel the affects. Drier skin, cracked lips and sniffly noses. Here I am recommending a little program for you at home to try to keep up the good spirits and leave us feeling nurtured and revived. Its most important at this time to keep up our nutrients. Using them on the skin but also taking them internally. .
BEING
Something simple to look after our being is to practice Mindfulness. This may be 5 minutes a day doing some sort of meditation. Start the minute you wake up. Maybe while your brushing your teeth or taking a morning walk. Just take five to ten minutes to yourself to relax be present and not think about anything. Just being aware and relaxed. This can set a really nice tone for your day. I personally like to take that time out at the beach looking at the ocean, or if its raining watching my cats antics, this helps to bring me into the present moment.
"I have lived with many Zen masters all of them cats"
"Everything natural- every flower, tree and animal has something important to tell us" Eckhart Tolle