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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.

To understand the ageing process you need to know a little about the skin. It is built from three layers which are called the epidermis, dermis and hyhypodermis. The dermis is the layer we all see, its role is to protect and allow water evaporation to cool us down. Under this lies the dermis, the work horse of the skin. It is packed with collagen and elastin to give the skin its structure and stretch and it houses the tiny blood vessels and nerve endings. It also has the tops of the sweat and sebaceous glands and it is this layer that regulates the bodys’ temperature. The final layer is the hypodermis which consists of fatty tissue and water and has the bottom of the sweat and sebaceous glands in it. It is from this layer that the fatty deposits leave as you get older, giving the skin its flattish look. Even though the skin is the same construction all over the body, it has different variations in specific parts. The finger tips, for instance have a higher number of nerve endings to assist the sense of touch. Facial skin is connected to a larger number of muscles than anywhere else in the body to facilitate non verbal communication. It is also quite sensitive and is important for monitoring the ambient temperature and humidity.

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.

To get an idea of what happens when you have a facial massage, squeeze or press a small area of the skin and watch it go red. This redness is the blood flowing into that area. It is this flow that the facial massage will encourage in a gentler way. As this flow is increased, so the more of the beneficial oxygenated blood will flow around the face, taking the toxins as it leaves, improving the look and tone of the skin.

Although massaging your face will have some effect, if you do it too hard it will be a detrimental one, a more systematic approach will give the skin a real boost. We have all heard about acupuncture, that Eastern traditional medical practice of inserting needles to restore ones health. Well a facial massage that incorporates these points will give a real boost to the effects on your skin. It is called Acupoint facial massage and you only need to gently rub on these points to get the effect needed. These points are connected to the meridians of the body where the energy or Qi flows. Massaging will stimulate these points and, as well as improving the blood flow, will unblock and stimulate the Qi as well.

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.

When using this type of massage, a gentle pressure is all that is needed, provided you are touching the correct acupoints. To find out where they are, a good book to read is Facelift At Your Fingertips by Pierre Jean Cousin which not only clearly shows you where they are, but has further information on how to use essential oils. Using a regular acupoint facial massage, together with your normal beauty regime will really help in the anti aging process. Who knows, one morning you may look in the mirror and think you are looking at your daughter.