The beauty industry commands a maverick economy, split in a multitude of segments that cater to various demographics. In 2015, alone, the world’s cosmetic market reached some $212 billion, according to Statista. And yet, despite of its steady growth, global spread and fast modernization, at its core, the beauty industry remains an ancient human endeavor. Quaint recipes how to look, smell and feel better have traveled through the generations to inform today’s beautifying concoctions or to become our DIY potions. Leaning on this age-old wisdom is often the surest route to better appearance, inside and out.
What follow are five tips that you might as well have gleaned from you grandmother.
Facial Massage
No matter how extensive and rigorous your skincare routine is, it is not complete if it does not include facial massage. Just like your body muscles require exercise, so do the two dozen fine muscles on your face. If you like to splurge, a facial spa once a week is the way to go. Yet, at-home massaging can unlock the same benefits – reducing fine lines and wrinkles, improving blood circulation, purifying complexation and eliminating imperfections. Prepare your skin by slathering a grain of eye cream all over your face.(Eye creams are more delicate and easier to absorb than their face counterparts.) When it comes to starter yet effective techniques, Sarah Carr, in-house lifestyle expert at natural skincare brand Liz Earle, advises to “[s]tart by using firm upward and outward circular movements, working up the neck, across the cheeks toward the ears, around the eyes, and over the forehead, finishing on the temples.”
To enhance the procedure, Tatcha offers an all-skin, gold-leafed massager, which can be used on a daily basis.
Vitamin E
The umbrella name for a scrum of antioxidants-rich compounds, vitamin E protects cells from damaging free radicals to brighten and hydrate dull skin, slow down aging and smooth over scars. Popping a capsule of vitamin E oil all over the face might do wonders for dry and flaky skin and conditions like eczemas and topical rashes. Yet, due to its heaviness and greasiness, it warrants caution in cases of acne – an excess of vitamin E might may irritate blemish-prone skin rather than heal it. Still, when used in moderation, vitamin E can make your skin blossom. In combination with vitamin C (another anti-aging super ingredient), vitamin E also provides a staunch natural protection against harmful sun rays.
Water
In the almanac of facial skincare, water splashes an influential entry. It is simple, essential and efficient. Chugging half a gallon of water a day – or eight 8-ounce glasses – amounts to a no-brainer rudiment of hydration, which keeps the skin supple and glowing. When it comes to skincare, though, water can achieve so much more. Each morning, splash your face with cold water to wash away the dead skin and impurities accumulated overnight, to minimize redness and ease the application of makeup. Avoid lukewarm water as it tends to strip the essential oils and beneficial bacteria off the skin.
For clean, soft and glistening skin follow this 21st-century reimagination of the ancient European bathhouses: soak a microfiber cloth in steaming hot water and lay it on your face. The heat will open and detoxify pores. To tighten them up, rinse your face with cold water at least a dozen times.
Kitchen Exfoliates – Sugar and Coffee grounds
Mixed with your daily facial rinse, stirred in a DIY scrub or used separately, sugar and coffee grounds make for cheap exfoliants that deliver instant results. Both remove dead cells and blots to reveal smooth radiant skin. Both products come with added benefits. While the glycolic acid contained in sugar moisturizes the skin, the caffeine in coffee stimulates blood circulation and, thus, brightens the complexation.
Apart from rubbing them onto the face, smear cooled-off coffee grounds generously under the eyes. Leave them on for 20 minutes and – voilà – goodbye, sleepy puffiness and dark circles.
Honey
If there is a coveted all-in-one skin treatment, it might very well be raw honey. Rich in antioxidant, probiotic and antibacterial properties, it fights acne and clogged pores and boosts elasticity and radiance. Similar to the numerous skin-enhancing faculties of honey, the possibilities to tap into them abound. Layer it on as a mask, use it as a face cleaner (be careful not to coat it onto your hair), daub it over resilient zits or mix it with coarse home exfoliators – like baking soda – to produce gentle scrubs. No matter what kind of honey you pick, opt for the raw and unfiltered varieties in order to glean the most goodness.
