Five Holistic Autumn Beauty Tips to Glow
"Nor spring nor summer's beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one Autumnal face."
FINALLY! The autumn equinox has brought in a crisp cool breeze and the scents of fall! My favorite season. As the air changes and the light diminishes I embrace all of the beauty this season offers. I live in harmony with it and so should you for overall well-being.
LIVE WITH THE SEASON
Do you understand what it is to live harmoniously with the season? Observing the natural cycles of our skin and body with every season is great practice for staying healthy and harmonizing our own energy with our environment. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) could be used as a tool to live harmoniously with the seasons. It's a great practice of medicine built on a foundation of more than 2,500 years of chinese medical practice that includes forms of herbal medicine, massage, movement, acupuncture and dietary therapy. In TCM, Autumn corresponds to the lungs, skin and large intestine. The lungs and large intestine are in charge of respiration, digestion, and elimination. Keep these in check by getting a seasonal facial, eating more 'yin' calming and warm foods. Also incorporating seasonal yellow and red foods to support your sacral chakra and take in their vibrancy and energy.
One of the reasons for these recommendations is that the season has characteristics of dryness especially with the start of the cool down of the temperatures and less humidity. This almost inner dryness is believed to be related to Liver & Kidney yin deficiencies with lack of blood and vital fluids flowing smoothly, not just simply from lack of water. You need to maintain your lipid and hydric levels up if you want glowing dewy skin. If your skin isn't getting enough nutrients, it soon dries out. Following certain skin rituals and eating foods that will help the body to retain moisture will preserve energy and assist in rejuvenating the skin and mucus membrane adding more vital fluids. Also aid in keeping digestive system problems at bay which can be prevalent in the autumn adding to skin breakouts.
FEED YOUR SKIN
Essential fatty acids:
Omega 3 and Omega 6 limit water loss in skin cells. Oils like (olive oil, walnut oil, coconut, macadamia nut, avocado oil), oily fish (anchovies, sardines, herring and tuna), nuts, (pistachios and walnuts) if tolerated and don’t forget to soak them for 24 hrs and chew well. Avocado and olives, Chia seeds and sesame seeds. Eat Grassfed Butter.
Yellow/Orange-colored foods:
On a nutritional level, orange foods usually contain relatively high levels of carotenoids (for example, beta-carotene), a family of nutrients that can be incorporated into cell membranes for protection against free radicals. Examples include carrots, pumpkin, and mandarins, persimmon, sweet potato, butternut squash, spaghetti squash.
Spices To Warm
Add Cinnamon, Ginger & Turmeric, Clove , Cardamom and Fennel to get things flowing. They are all warming ,healing and detoxifying spices to add into your food arsenal and beauty food pantry.
DRINK WARM WATER
Ice-cold drinks are not recommended because they inhibit the digestive fire and lead to imperfect digestion of food, which can show up on the skin. You can squeeze half a lemon and or cap full of Apple Cider Vinegar in an 8 oz of water to cleanse and detoxify.
Another remedy of internal water therapy is an age old Ayurvedic tradition is drinking 6-8 glasses of boiled water everyday. Use pure drinking water, and boil it for five minutes. The water should be boiled fresh each day, and should not be ingested on a completely empty stomach. This therapy helps the water flush toxins from the body and moisturize the skin from within, keeping it hydrated and lustrous.
Combining boiled water with herbs suitable for the skin type enhances the benefits. Boil one liter of water for five minutes, then pour it into a thermos or other type of heat-retentive container. Add the recommended herbs and spices and steep. Keep the container closed. Strain and use the spice-infused water as needed. Drink at room temperature. Example of my some of my usual herbal water drinks I ingest daily. With a variety of herbs and spices or you can find a lot of these ready mixed in a tea blend.
1/2 teaspoon Milk thistle and grapefruit peel - ALONE
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds combined with..
1/2 teaspoon of dandelion root or dandelion tea bag
Lavendar
Chamomile
Raw Honey
Manuka Honey
Ginger
Lemon
Turmeric
PERFORM FACE SKIN RITUALS
FACIAL GUA SHA:
You can book a professional Gua Sha facial with me and experience this amazing therapeutic ritual OR a private virtual tutorial. It's a mild scraping of the skin to stimulate stagnant lymph fluid that can cause puffiness, water retention and breakouts. Stimulating the lymph system gently encourages "waste" and toxins to be moved and cleared out of the system. The result is brighter, smoother, and clearer skin. You can also do this daily. The gentle massage used with my beauty tool relaxes any tension in the muscles too. The action has a lifting and toning effect to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and is a deeply relaxing self-care ritual. I love using the Faith’s Gentle Cleansing Gel first. Apply this to dry skin. Massaging in upward, circular movements stimulates micro-circulation in the face and blood flow. Really work it into the skin. The pear juice fermentation has such a beautiful softening effect. The silky gel consistency gives it the perfect glide to begin the gentle scraping for facial Gua Sha ritual.
DON’T FORGET THE BODY
DRY BRUSHING:
Dry brushing supports your lymphatic system which is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts, and vessels that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph vessels run just below the skin. Brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and helps the body detoxify naturally.
Dry brushing can be done daily over the whole body, preferably in the morning before showering since it's energizing and stimulating!! Start at the feet working all the way up towards the heart following the lymphatic flow. Start with a gentle brush and soft pressure. Work up to a firmer brush and more firm pressure over time. You can also use a dry wash cloth if buying a brush is too much for you. Just get that lymph moving!! You will have an invigorated energy and boost after doing this. Your skin will be super soft. It can even reduce cellulite if you are consistent. Then jump in the shower!!
HOT/COLD SHOWERS:
My favorite daily ritual when I can’t take a bath. This is a naturopathic technique that works great for shifting stagnation and helping the flow of toxins out of your body! It instantly changes your mental state too because it's so invigorating!
This is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself and it costs ZERO!! It's effective at creating movement within the blood circulatory system, which in turn creates a knock-on effect of flow within the lymphatic system.
By warming and cooling the body alternately, we are making the circulation move in and out. And when the blood moves like this, the lymph is encouraged to move with it thus releasing stagnation and toxic build-up.
Try it let me know what you think!! Happy Autumn Equinox!
XO,
CLAUDIA