Written by: Aliona Andrejeva, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Growing up in a post-Soviet Union country in early 90’s meant I knew very little about the importance of (even) the basic skincare. At home we had soap we would use to wash pretty much everything with and a “multi-purpose” moisturiser (body, face, hands…)
Of course, I’m not saying that every single household had the same awareness and habits when it comes to skincare, but I believe this was a very common thing.
Recently, I came across an article claiming that we used to look so much older before (talking 60’s, 70’s etc.)! It even had some pictures attached to illustrates these findings. Unfortunately, I didn’t save the article, but for those who remember the “old good days”, I’m sure you can grasp the gist of it.
So, as it stands, this is the best time to be alive, because with tool and knowledge we have available, age is literally just a number!
So, what are my top 5 tips on how to prolong that youthful appearance
Be aware of how you use facial muscles. In simple words, do you have overly expressive face? Expression lines happen to everyone, doesn’t matter how young or healthy your skin is. It’s all about the muscle activity and tension underneath the skin. When we smile, several muscles responsible for the action contracts and shortens. Now imagine we do the same action repeatedly a number of times every single day. What happens? Contracted and tired muscles are not able to bounce back into their original shape, meaning they become shorter than should be. Exactly like exercising in the gym! So, try to give your facial muscles a “rest day”, and next time instead of raising your eyebrows in surprise, express the emotion with words.
Get monthly face massage. Facial massage is a very effective and proven way of improving muscle tone and elasticity. Upwards directed movements work on re-educating muscles as well as creating the muscle memory. Apart of this, massage also helps to boost blood circulation and lymph flow. This helps to “feed” skin cells from within with oxygen and needed nutrients, flush any toxins and excess fluids, and aid quicker relaxation. If you have a lot of tension in your face or suffer with TMD, I would strongly recommend to book a Buccal Massage (aka deep facial massage). If done correctly, the tension will literally melt away during the treatment. (P.S.: can be very emotional!)
Build a good skincare routine and commit to it. If you are feeling lost in the “sea” of skincare buzzwords, feel intimidated by the array of moisturisers and serums available on the market, and have no idea what is best for you – be sure to get some professional advice. Trust me, on a long run, this will definitely help you to save a lot of money and boost skin confidence. Often, I see clients buying a new product every week just because they saw it somewhere on social media. Their bathroom cabinet ends up heaving with skincare until everything expires and ends up in the bin. Find someone who can help you to build a well-rounded routine suitable for your skin type and concern/ condition. Look after your skin to ensure it ages gracefully!
Focus on health from inside out. In simple words, unhealthy body cannot produce healthy cells (including skin cells). The stem cells (aka mother cells) based in basal layer of the skin are responsible for producing new skin cell by mitosis (division). Blood vessels help to supply and feed these cells with oxygen and nutrients. However, if we don’t have enough good nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and other necessary elements needed to support healthy cells growth, they will end up being compromised. Our lifestyle and what we eat is very important for overall health. When eating, I try to stick to 80/20 rule. I eat well 80% of the time and allow myself to “slip up” 20% of the time. If you haven’t tried this, why not to give it a go in 2024?
Finally, address your stress levels. If you heard of fight or flight, then you know what I am about to say. Many centuries ago, when we used to live way closer to wild, dangerous animal, and relied on sourcing our food by bare hand hunting, the fight or flight instinct used to help us to survive dangerous encounters. During dangerous situation cortisol (stress hormone) pulls sugar out of muscles back into blood to give us a quick boost of energy so we can fight or flight. However, the life has changed long time ago, and most of the stress we experience now is not related to life-or-death situation. Unfortunately, every time we get stressed out while stuck in a traffic or due to a crazy busy work schedule, level of cortisol in our bloodstream goes up. Consistently high levels of cortisol can lead to various inflammatory processes in our body (including skin) and can result in acne, eczema, rosacea and psoriasis. Needless to say, that these conditions massively affect the way our skin looks.
These are my top 5 tips on how to ensure your skin looks healthy and young for as long as possible, and when the time comes it ages gracefully. Look after your skin as it is definitely one of the organs that is very difficult to replace!
If you have any questions or need advice, please feel free to reach out.
Aliona Andrejeva, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Aliona Andrejeva is an award-winning massage and facial therapist with a real passion for wellbeing. With 5-star rating across multiple platforms, Aliona takes real pride in her treatments and strives to provide excellent customer service to every client stepping through the door. Keen interest in human body mechanics as well as skin science have been the main reasons for her to pursue this career path. Aliona believes that although beauty and wellness industry seems to be oversaturated, this industry is also the most dynamic, which makes it such a great platform for discovering new ways of bringing balance and wellbeing into our daily lives.
