Growing Gracefully

The inevitable maturation.

Moving forward in life

Whilst staying in the present.

Skin Care

(From BLOG:)
Inside & Out

WARNING: this article contains repeated use of the words; self love and self acceptance. These words are not used lightly, they just need to be strongly emphasised.

Your skin is living marker of where you have been, and where you are now. It reflects what your body has been though or what is still is going on in your body. It may be influenced by environmental factors, emotions/stress, hormones, disease, genetics or what you’re putting in your body. What ever the source is, it is very useful in looking at what your body needs, inside and out.

Skin performs many important roles, it is more than just aesthetics. It regulates your body temperature, defends agains infection with oils, it secretes smells to help the body detoxify. Not to mention holding our tissues and gooey bits in place! Our skin is largely regulated via our blood circulation which facilitates the building of collagen, necessary cell metabolism (repair & regeneration) & antioxidants that clean up any cellular debris so our skin can shine! So we need to treat those pores with respect!

Routine as a ritual

A skin routine is stopping to take notice of yourself, to care for the skin you’re in. Look inward and start from a place of self love and nurturing. See your worth, then find the ways you want to enhance and honour yourself. Looking for ‘imperfections’ can turn pretty sour if your don’t start with this mind set….

It can be as simple as a night time cleanse, and morning cleanse and moisturise. This is where many more steps can become involved. If you’re curious to make a change I suggest seeking a skin care professional’s advice. I tend to get a facial somewhere nice and natural ( Dr. Haushka etc). You will get good advice, they will be able to answer any of your questions and sell you all the products your heart/wallet desires!
I personally pick up 0-2 items then source the rest myself.

I like to keep it simple and sustainable. Here are some tips I have picked up along the way:

ALWAYS take make up off completely before bed ( I use a reusable Sante by Enjo microfibre cloth - its amazing, you don’t even need any cleanser!)
Use a cream cleaner not a alcohol based or foaming cleanser - this will strip the good skin balancing oils from your skin.
If you have acne (especially on cheeks or worse on one side) - look at the fabric and stuffing of your pillows. Natural, breathable fibres (anything but polyester) will allow your skin to breathe at night.
NATURAL PRODUCTS. the more natural the better. that goes for make-up too. chemicals such as BPA and Phthatales can disrupt your Endocrine system and potentially make you problem worse (not to mention the other effects on you hormones).
For more on this have a listen to: https://goop.com/the-goop-podcast/how-to-avoid-the-chemicals-that-disrupt-hormones/
FOOD. What goes in must come out.
- If you have red skin, look at what heating substances you’re consuming (ie alcohol, coffee & chilli)
- If you’re having breakouts with pussy pimples look at the cloying & sticky foods you’re eating (ie refined sugar, deep fried food & dairy),
- If you’re skin is dry and pale look into if you’re getting enough nutrients and healthy fats in your diet.
These are simple examples of how bringing balance into diet can help give the body a chance to process, repair and regenerate.
Scroll down to previous FOOD blog to see more on how important food is to your health.
HERBS & SUPPLEMENTS
I suggest seeking a health professionals advice before spending money on too many over the counter herbs and supplements. They may be right for you, but there may be something even better that may help your skin, body and health in a more holistic way.

Skin According to Chinese Medicine

This skin is regulated by the Lungs, as the strength of the Lung energy will determine strength of the skins’s pores function of keeping bacteria and disease out of your system. Another way of saying that you skin and immune system are intrinsically linked. The colour and vitality of the skin are an indication of the temperature, flow and consistency of Blood and Qi in someones body.

Facial diagnosis and reading the lines of a persons face is also a part of Chinese Medicine that is commonly used to analyse a persons constitution or disposition. As discussed earlier, the skin tells a story - Chinese Medicine has the tools to connect that to the inner workings of the body, and aims to align the inner and outer self to achieve a more harmonious existence.

Treatment for skin conditions such as, acne, rosecea, scaring, pigmentation and more are dynamic and will most commonly involve a combination of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Dietary (and lifestyle) Therapy. Treatment lengths and protocols differ greatly depending on the individual.

Cosmetic Acupuncture & Facial Gua Sha and Massage

Both of these tools of practice have gained worthy praise in the media recently. These methods both aid in increasing the blood circulation in the face, which mediates all the previously mentioned benefits of fresh blood in your face! It is also where the Yang channels of the body either begin or end - so stimulation of these points will bring bright and warm Qi closer to the surface of the skin, encouraging a smooth luminous appearance - as though someone has turned the lights on. Facial Acupuncture in particular stimulates the production of sweet sweet collagen and elastin in the skin to reduce lines.

I massage on my moisturiser of a morning, its a bloody lovely way to wake up! making sure there is ample lubrication I focus the strokes up towards the hairline and flatten out any crinkles I may find on the day. Have a look on YouTube for a massage routine!
_

Contact me here if you have a question about a condition or treatment aspect.

Protection

There are a few helpful things I have learnt to help reduce and further skin damage:

Drinking plenty of water
Trying to reduce (or better yet spend a few consecutive days/weeks/months without) coffee, smoking, drugs and alcohol
Be aware of your sun exposure, the time of day and period you are expose matters a great deal. A clever friend of mine put me onto an App called ‘D-minder’ that takes into equation your location, skin type, clothing coverage - and is a timer for the safe amount of time you can be exposed to the sun without getting burnt!
Sunscreen is under the microscope at the moment. It is full of chemicals that do block UV rays but have other effects on the body and the environment (such as increasing ocean acidity levels which affects marine life and coral). To avoid these chemicals there are wonderful Mineral Sunscreens with no Nano particles in them, see here for more info. I use these sunscreen when the sun cannot be avoided in the middle of the day. I want to try Zoe Foster Blake’s tinted Zinc moisturiser for a daily option…have a look here!!
Lastly, and this is one close to my heart; Picking at pimples. As satisfying as it is, resist the temptation! It spreads bacteria and makes more pimples!

Keep an eye out for environmentally friendly, chemical free skin care products, clever people are making more all the time.

Let me know if you have any questions (or miracle products I don’t know about…!!),

Dr. Stephanie Luxton (Chinese Medicine)