Winter Skin Care
Winter skin care for your neck and face
Your make-up looks perfect, but your neck is covered in wrinkles… While you put a lot of effort into your face, have you forgotten to take care of your neck?
It is said that your neck area shows your age the most. You can camouflage facial flaws with make-up, but not your neck. A saggy neck can make your face appear a lot larger.
When you take care of your face, don't forget your neck. When you apply toner or lotion to the face, gently apply it in an upwards motion, but with your neck apply them in a gentle downwards motion.
I would also like to introduce some moisturizing facial masks since the air is becoming much drier as we approach winter.
Sometimes, I see people who have cracked lips due to the dry weather. I always recommend pure honey to those people. After applying a thin layer to your lips, cover them with a moist piece of cotton or a piece of plastic wrap, and leave for 5 minutes.
There is also a really great facial mask recipe using honey. Take a tablespoon of pure honey and mix it with a little flour and water until it turns into a spreadable paste. After washing your face, spread the mixture all over your face and neck. Wait 10 minutes before you wash it off. For people with dry skin, please add more honey.
Massaging your skin with honey while in the bath will make your face smooth and clear. Take a tablespoon of honey, half a teaspoon of granulated sugar, half a teaspoon of olive oil (any kind), and mix together. Wash your face. Then gently massage your face and neck with this mixture. The sugar granules help massage and exfoliate. It is great for getting rid of blackheads around the nose.
A balanced diet is a must to prevent sagging around your neck and face. Proteins, vitamins, and minerals are all essential. Protein is probably one of the most important things to intake, so make sure you eat plenty.
Neck massages and how to rid yourself of shoulder tenseness
Your neck has the job of supporting your very heavy head, so it gets tired. Relieving the tenseness in that area prevents wrinkles and sagging. In order to do this, you must get your lymph nodes to function properly.
First, take your earlobes and pinch them with your forefinger and middle finger. Gently rub downward along your neck and help the flow of the lymph fluids. Take those two fingers and massage the indent of your clavicle. This is a very effective massage to do in the bath tub.
Just like how blood flows all throughout our bodies, lymph fluids also flow throughout our bodies through lymphatic vessels. They collect waste from surrounding cells.
Lymph nodes are located under your ear, neck, clavicle, under your armpits, lower stomach area, the roots of your legs, and the backs of your knees.
Lymph fluid flows correctly when you move your muscles, but slows down when your muscles aren’t working correctly; mostly due to the lack of physical exercise. When your lymph fluid stops flowing correctly, you start accumulating water and waste. This connects to problems such as swelling, tenseness, and a decrease in immunity. This becomes more common as you get older.
Massage you neck downwards with your hands to help the flow. This will help your body become more effective at getting rid of water and waste. It is great to do this while sitting in the bath and your body is warm.
Taking both of your hands, weaving your fingers together, and cradling your head in them while using your fingers to massage your neck is also a great way to get rid of tenseness. It helps refresh your head as well.
When your neck gets tired, it can affect your shoulders. Your shoulders can become tense from holding the same posture for too long. Try the following exercise to relieve your shoulders.
After taking a bath, rub you right shoulder with your left hand from top to bottom quickly, as if brushing it off. The same with the left shoulder. (Refer to picture 2)
Next, tighten and scrunch your shoulders upward, and release. After doing this 3 times, take your left hand and press the lymph node point under your right armpit. Roll you right shoulder to the front in a big circle 3 times, then to the back three times. Do the same to the other side. (Refer to picture 3)
It’s much more effective to roll the shoulders while pressing underneath the armpit. This will get rid of a lot of tenseness in the shoulder area. Finish this exercise by dangling both your arms.
The way you take a bath is very important as well. I would like to introduce a way to take a fragrant bath, relaxing for the mind and body.
Take your choice of aromatic oils and add a few drops to some salt. Add to bath. You can also substitute the aroma oils with mandarin oranges and yuzu. In Japan, floating skins of citrus fruit in your bath has been a tradition. It is said to promote better circulation.
Yuko Nishio
Yuko, also referred to as the anti-aging wizard, has been researching beauty and health for over 20 years and is the owner of the exclusive beauty salon "Natural Sage" in Tokyo, where her clientele includes royal families and A-list celebrities. She is also the founder of NNNY Skin Care, a premium skin care line initially created exclusively for her salon clientele.