First, we need to understand the skin and its function and how & why our skin causes us problems.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and its primary function is to protect. It is very important and active, like the heart and the liver. It absorbs, breathes, and eliminates. This is why we have to be very careful what we put on our skin.
There are 7 skin types:
Normal
Oily
Dry
Combination
Problem
Mature
Sun-damaged
Generally, people’s skin type falls into more than one category.
As a natural progression, skin is normal for children, oily during adolescence, and drier as we mature.
But, unfortunately for many of us, this is not always the case.
Why?
Because, apart from age, other factors can affect our skin.
The main one is lifestyle
Poor diet and digestion
Lack of exercise
Smoking & alcohol consumption
Stress
Even pure and natural products will not create significant effects if the above factors are not dealt with first.
Other factors are:
Menstrual cycles and pollution
A good lifestyle can have a positive effect on your menstrual cycles. Natural products can help stop the ravages of pollution on your skin.
The Structure of the skin
The skin consists of 3 layers.
The bottom layer- the subcutaneous- is where new cells are formed and gives your skin its firm and toned appearance
The middle layer – the dermis- is where the sensory cells, blood vessels, hair follicles, and sweat glands live.
The top layer- the epidermis- is composed of dead cells constantly being replaced by new cells from the bottom layers.
If the skin is coarse and tired looking – usually this is the result of layers of dead cells clinging to the surface, they need to be cleared to allow new cells to emerge
Also, a lack of proper care and attention causes the skin to lose its lustre and radiance and makes it look old and dry.
If you have a good lifestyle and find that your skin is dull, grey, tired-looking, this is not a problem you can easily change this:
A basic daily routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturising and a complete facial routine of steaming, exfoliating, and a mask once a week;
Give your skin this simple treat, and it will reward you with a radiant glow. However, it is essential to use pure and natural products. Added essential oils will give you a faster result. We will cover this later.
Earlier I mentioned that we have to be careful what we put on our skin. Because of its remarkable ability to absorb, your skin will absorb anything you put on it. Things are absorbed into the deeper layers of your bloodstream, positively or negatively affecting your general health.
The Hidden Effects of Commercial Products
The majority of off-the-shelf products contain one form of chemically-based ingredients that can be potentially harmful to our health and well-being.
SLS sodium laureth sulphate - a harsh industrial chemical degreasing agent is used in most commercial shampoos to create suds and foam, giving you the impression that you have thoroughly cleansed your hair. Research has shown that this ingredient enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain, all from skin contact.
Parabens- a preservative used in commercial creams & lotions that can potentially cause breast cancer and enter your bloodstream through skin contact.
Commercial toners – contains alcohol which is drying to the skin
Mineral Oil – an ingredient found in creams, lotions, and cleansers is made from petroleum and is incompatible with the fats in the skin. It remains like a film over the skin, forming a barrier that obstructs the skin’s ability to breathe, take in nutrients and eliminate toxins, thus creating a problem skin.
The benefits of essential oils
On the other side of the coin, essential oils being pure, natural, and having excellent therapeutic properties, will go directly to the lower layers of your skin, into your bloodstream with almost immediate positive effects on your overall health. They also rejuvenate the cells at their formation level, not so much rejuvenating, more creating a balancing effect, restoring them to how they should be.
My personal opinion is, all these rejuvenation creams etc., are all very superficial.
With natural products and aromatherapy oils, you are simply claiming back your original look, which is more lasting than a patching effect.
If you are unhappy with some parts of you, it affects your confidence & self-esteem; patching yourself up will not improve your feelings. This can have an adverse effect on other aspects of your life. When you look good, you feel good; this can positively impact all areas of your life.
The idea is to make you look irresistible to achieve anything you want in life.
A simple 10 minutes daily routine can help you reach that goal easily and effortlessly.
“Your Guide to Beautiful Skin in 7 Easy Steps” shows you simple techniques that only require 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening to make dramatic changes to your skin condition. It is also essential to use natural and essential oils-based products.
Cleansing, toning, and moisturising tailor-made to suit your needs.
Stimulating
Stimulating your skin increases your circulation, and this improves your health and well being
The blood circulation carries oxygen and nutrients to all organs, including the skin, and eliminates waste and toxins. Good circulation helps to maintain clear skin.
“The Guide” talks about 6 ways to stimulate your skin, some you can easily incorporate into your 5-minute morning/evening routine.
They are steaming, exfoliating, massage, tapping, masks & pressures.
One of my mature clients has reduced the effect of a sagging chin by simply using the pressures every day; it takes 1 minute to do the pressures
