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The TOYL Face Selfcare Routine

March 10, 2020

Some of us are going to be spending more time at home over the next few weeks, partly by choice and maybe through Public Health England advice so I thought we could use the time to create a little self care routine that will really benefit our skin once the Coronavirus blows over, which it surely will.

Amazing skin is a function of a few things and we've got the time now to take a look at them all so let's start.

MIRROR MIRROR

First up, let's have a really good look at our skin in the mirror.  What do you see?  Is it dry, enlarged pores, are there areas of redness that make the tone uneven?  Take a close look because I bet mostly you just keep to the same skincare regime and assume it's doing it's job without even looking at your skin.

When I interviewed Jane Scrivner, skincare expert, she said "Every morning you need to have a look at your skin and find out what it's saying to you.  If you've had a weekend of rich food, alcohol or too much coffee this is going to be reflected and you need to take heed of that and switch your products - and lifestyle - up so that they can help and feed your skin, rather than just stripping it."

Jane (have a listen to her podcast when its up), firmly believes in not stripping the top layer of skin, which has a carefully balanced acid mantle on top to protect.  If we've put this out of kilter with lifestyle (too much sun, stress, diet etc) then we need to soothe it back into balance.

 

EXERCISE YOUR SKIN

Once you can see what's wrong with your skin, start with a bit of gentle face exercise or brushing.   Both of these are designed to wake up the face and stimulate blood flow.  What's in blood?  Collagen, the stuff we apply topically to our faces to smooth lines and wrinkles.  We also eat it in meat stock where it can have enormous benefits on our health.  Here, it's coming into our faces and bringing fresh nutrients, which are marvellous.

Face Brushing can be seen HERE and Nadira V Persaud's videos on Face Exercises can be seen HERE

Play with these and find a daily routine that works for you.  Honestly, these are like a mini natural face lift and after a month you'll start seeing great results!

 

FEED YOUR SKIN

Now, this is a multi layered bit of advice. 

You feed your skin from the surface and from your lifestyle so let's start with on top.

The reason skin starts showing fine lines is because it is ageing and it is losing its ability to retain water.  Water, hydration is the key.  Bioeffect recently launched an amazing product called BioEffect EGF Essence HERE. It's one of a new generation of products designed to be patted onto the skin as it helps keep moisture in the skin all day.  Usually, central heating, wind, dry office temperatures and other elements drain skin of moisture which is why you can look quite good in the morning and not so great later on.  Jane Scrivner follows then follow up with an oil, also to keep moisture in the skin and to act as a barrier.

So, water based product then oil based product.  Possible moisturiser after this, but you choose.

Then you need to look at your diet.

I'm not going to lecture you on what to eat but, amazingly, skin likes a bit of Omega 3 oil, water rich fruit and veg and doesn't really like tea, coffee, alcohol, smoking.  That's shocked you, hasn't it?

We also need to drink two litres of water a day, because skin wants moisture from within as well as topically and that comes from water.

Then you need to look at your lifestyle.

Skin doesn't like being in the sun, it loves sleep, it loves being de-stressed, it loves being in calm nature settings (in a wide-brimmed hat).

It doesn't really love office lighting, pollution, air travel, central heating, wild nature settings (extreme cold, wind etc).

Now, only some of this is within our control, as we have to go to work so you need to work on the bits you can avoid or add int to mitigate the bits you can't.

It might be an idea to take a face water mist to the office and give yourself a spray every hour.  It might be that you need to meditate when you get home just to de-stress.  Have a think about what might work for you.

 

NIGHT NIGHT

Skin LOVES quality sleep. 

Eight hours is perfect but sleep is also a time when skin really, really drinks up anything you've put in your system or onto it which is why so many serums say apply at night.  Again, use this time to pump in moisture, serums and lock it in with oil.  Now is not the time for your face exercises as you want your face to rest, but as you're in bed practice relaxing your face, unlocking your jaw, let your face "hang" and go into complete rest.

The great thing is that most of this routine doesn't require you changing your products, it requires you changing your habits.  If you've got a bit more time on your hands as you're not going out as much get into this routine and get up to speed so that by the time we're all back to normal you'll be whizzing through your exercises.

Not only that, everyone who hasn't seen you for a while won't believe the glow in your skin and will think that you've had work done - now doesn't that make it worth trying?

 

 




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