With the holiday season and parties on the agenda comes a natural beauty query: how to get glowing and luminous skin.- It's a combination of habits like diet, sleep, exercise and stress management. For example, cortisol, the primary stress hormone, has been shown to break down collagen in the skin.)
Below are my favourite tips that can help brighten, illuminate and hydrate even the dullest skin to surface a radiant luminous glow.
Breathing Exercises
Perform breathing exercises to balance the doshas and increase oxygenation throughout the body, resulting in a radiant, healthy, and youthful complexion. In Ayurveda, this method is referred to as "breathing from head to toe" because this practice is very effective for connecting the body, skin, and mind to balance the entire body. The most prevalent is when the body has achieved balance, wisdom, wellness, and true beauty. Here is one example:
ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING (NADI SODHANA)
Step 1: Use right thumb to close off right nostril; inhale slowly through left nostril and pause
Step 2: Close left nostril with the ring finger, release thumb to exhale through your right nostril
Step 3: Keep fingers as is and inhale through right nostril and pause
Step 4: Use thumb to close of right nostril; breathe out through the left nostril
*Aim to do this for 5-minutes on the day of the big party and 3-4 days prior.
Mask It + Facial Massage
The hydrating sheet mask is one of the most effective ways to infuse moisture into the skin. Opt for masks drenched with potent moisture-binding ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, aloe vera or marine collagen. My favourites include Mandom Barrier Repair Facial Mask Super Moist and Hada Labo Tokyo Anti-Aging Facial Sheet Mask. Apply it mid-flight, keep it on for 20 minutes, then remove and massage the remaining excess onto your face and neck. Massaging your face helps bring colour to your skin and reduces puffiness, and, when done right, can even make it look lifted. As a result, your skin will look plump and dewy!
30 - Second Yogic Trick
Yogic inversions bring a new rush of freshly oxygenated blood to your head. Which has incredible benefits for your complexion: The boost in blood circulation, inversions can help give your skin an instant pinkish glow, and when practised regularly, they can help wrinkles by reversing gravity, giving you radiant plump skin. (You can see some of these benefits by hanging your head upside down.)
The Downward Facing Dog is one of the simpler inversions to start. You can hold the posture for 30 seconds and work your way up to two minutes.
Sip On Electrolyte Drinks
Drinking water and avoiding diuretics, such as tea, coffee, and alcohol, will help the skin stay hydrated. However, to give your skin an extra boost of hydration, try having electrolyte infused drinks the week prior. Electrolytes are responsible for hydrating the cells and a cellular level and directing fluids to the areas in our body where it is most needed, including our skin.
Electrolyte drinks include coconut water, a pinch of sea salt in a glass of water, Lemon water and magnesium—one of my favourite quenchers - Super Hydrating Lemon-Ginger Electrolyte drink.
Over the next few days, I will be sharing more tips and tricks to help you feel your best during the festivities.
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