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Aging

The Powerful Anti-Aging Benefits Of Meditation

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meditation

This article reports that meditation originated in India around 1500 BCE. Some researchers think that it is possible that meditation could have started even earlier, possibly back in 3000 BCE.

Meditation is a way to not only relax the mind, but it soothes the body as well. This is one of the many reasons that it has become so popular in recent years.

Incorporating Meditation In Your Life

The first thing you really need to do, is to make a commitment to yourself to find time to meditate on a regular basis. Sometimes, you may only be able to do it twice a week and other times you may be able to fit it in daily.

Let’s Begin

You should wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing, if possible. Some people prefer to sit upright and others find it easier to meditate while laying down. Do what you find the most relaxing.

Start out with a few minutes a day. Breathe in and out slowly. Be mindful of the way your breath feels when it enters and exits your body. Let you mind release any negative or intrusive thoughts.

The more often you practice sitting in silence, the more natural it will become and the better you will feel. Some basic guidelines for meditating are recommended in this article.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of anti-aging meditation:

Anti-Aging Meditation Reduces Stress

As revealed in this study, regular practice of mindful meditation significantly reduced the symptoms of PTSD. It is also known to reduce stress levels of an average day.

Meditation calms the body, which reduces the production of the stress hormone, cortisol.

Anti-Aging Meditation Enhances Quality Of Sleep

When the body is in a more relaxed state and there is a decrease in cortisol and adrenaline, it is easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Anxiety is reduced, so the mind is more at ease, allowing you to to get a good night’s rest.

Lack of sleep can become detrimental to your health, contributing to other disorders and diseases. Practicing mindful meditation on a regular basis will help your body to heal and will give your mind a rest, as well.

Anti-Aging Meditation Lowers Blood Pressure

If you are one of the many people who suffer from hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, meditation would be beneficial to you. Since this practice calms the body and reduces stress, it in turn lowers blood pressure.

High blood pressure is linked to heart attacks and strokes, as well as dementia. It is worth taking a few minutes of your day to meditate and alleviate the possible risks involved with hypertension.

Anti-Aging Meditation Reduces The Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

This study revealed that participants who were experiencing memory loss, listened to music and/or meditated for twelve minutes each day for twelve weeks. The results showed an improvement in their memory.

Anti-Aging Meditation Benefits Mental Health

Due to the stress reducing elements of meditation, it is also extremely beneficial in reducing anxiety and helping overall mental health.

The act of being still and quiet, will calm the mind and worries seem to lessen when we focus on our breathing. Anxiety can create many other health issues, so using meditation as a coping tool is highly recommended.

Conclusion

The benefits of incorporating anti-aging meditation into your schedule, are essential in leading a longer and healthier life. You will feel better on the inside and it will show on the outside. You will be happier and your body will feel good too.

For further reading, check out: The Top 4 Foods That Age Your Skin and Aromatherapy For Your Face – Everything You Need To Know.

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Image: Flickr

Aromatherapy For Your Face – Everything You Need To Know

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aromatherapy for your face

Aromatherapy for your face may be something you aren’t familiar with. When most of us hear the term “aromatherapy”, we think of putting essential oils in a diffuser and enjoying their scent.

Actually, there is much more to the science of aromatherapy than just using the oils in an olfactory sense. Essential oils can be extremely beneficial to the skin and can help support many different issues, such as dryness, inflammation and aging.

Always keep in mind that when putting any essential oil on the skin, you should always add it to a carrier oil first. A carrier oil will dilute the essential oil to prevent any irritation. An example of a carrier oil would be: grapeseed oil, rosehip seed oil, sunflower seed oil and jojoba oil.

Let’s take a closer look at the essential oils for aromatherapy for your face:

Lavender Essential Oil

If you suffer from blemishes or acne prone skin, then lavender essential oil would be helpful for you. Lavender is known to help unclog pores, heal sores and reduce inflammation. It is also known to reduce fine lines on the skin.

This article recommends using lavender for acne in toner form. Simply put one teaspoon of witch hazel in a small bowl and add two drops of lavender essential oil to it. Mix it up and put on a cotton ball. Apply over your face, avoiding the eye area.

Clary Sage Essential Oil

If you are noticing aging and puffiness on your face, then clary sage essential oil may be a good choice for you.

According to this article, it is also known to regulate oil production in the skin, as well as help with acne prone skin.

Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense is one of the best oils you can find, because it has so many benefits. It isn’t just aromatherapy for your face, it is also beneficial for the body and the mind.

When Frankincense is applied to the skin, it regenerates the collagen and skin cells, as well as improves elasticity. The skin will appear smoother and more youthful.

If there are any blemishes or sores on the face, you can use it to speed up the healing process.

Sandalwood Essential Oil

As we age, we will often see dark patches on our skin, otherwise known as hyperpigmentation. By using sandalwood oil on the skin, you can even out the skin tone and help lighten the dark spots.

Sandalwood also works very well to reduce the appearance of scars from acne or other skin injury.

If you suffer from inflammation from dryness of the skin, sandalwood is a great choice. Just add a couple of drops to your moisturizer before you apply it to your face.

Conclusion

Adding aromatherapy for your face is just one aspect of obtaining healthy skin. Be consistent in your skin care regimen and always use products that are designed for your skin type, whether it be dry, oily or combination.

One of the most important things you can do for your skin, is to always wear sunscreen when going outdoors. The ultra violet rays from the sun are extremely damaging to the skin. It will cause the elastin and collagen to decrease more rapidly, than if your skin was protected. There is also a much higher risk of skin cancer if it is not protected from the sun.

Always eat a healthy diet that is rich in green, leafy vegetables. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid processed foods and sugars as well. If you follow those simple guidelines, you should see an improvement in your skin and you will appear more youthful.

For further reading, check out: How Rubbing Your Face Helps Reduce Acne and The Top 4 Foods That Age Your Skin.

Image: Flickr

The Top 4 Foods That Age Your Skin

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foods that age your skin

Foods that age your skin, are usually the foods that you enjoy the most. Many of us feel that our complexion doesn’t look its best after indulging in sweets or alcohol. You may find that after consuming those things, you will notice increased blemishes, dryness and inflammation.

Eating an unhealthy diet on a regular basis will most definitely affect the appearance and health of your skin. Over a period of time, an increase in the aging process will be quite noticeable.

Replacing or limiting the unhealthy foods from your lifestyle, will help you continue looking youthful.

Let’s take a closer look at the top foods that age your skin:

Sugar

Eating an abundance of sugar can cause a chemical reaction in the body called “glycation”.

This article reveals that this process happens when the cells in the body have an overload of sugar. The sugar is combined with proteins and damages the collagen in the skin.

Collagen is what keeps the skin looking firm and plump. When it is destroyed by diet, sun and other factors, it appears looser and has more fine lines and wrinkles.

Alcohol

There are several important reasons why alcohol is bad for your skin. First of all, it dehydrates the body, which contributes to dry and wrinkling skin.

Secondly, alcohol is a toxin to the body, which can strongly affect the function of the liver. If the liver has difficulty filtering out the toxins left behind by the alcohol, the skin can experience acne breakouts and rosacea.

Another adverse of alcohol on the skin, is the fact that it disrupts quality sleep. When we have lack of sleep, it takes a toll on the appearance of our skin, making us look older.

Deep Fried Foods

Ingesting deep fried foods and trans fats on a regular basis, will add extra weight to the body.

When we are overweight, it puts extra strain on the rest of our organs, such as the heart and liver. This makes our skin look less vibrant and also adds to the formation of wrinkles.

Salt

We need to be mindful not to consume more salt than our bodies need. Doing so, will cause us to retain excess water.

When we hold onto fluids in the body, we will have a puffy appearance, such as under eye bags. Once the skin under the eye is stretched out, it will become more wrinkled, giving an aged appearance.

Conclusion

We all want to enjoy a dessert or treat once in a while, so don’t completely eliminate all of your favorites forever. Save your favorite cookie or cocktail for a special occasion or use it as an incentive if you accomplish a goal for the week.

If you are too restrictive, you may get frustrated and overindulge. Just pace yourself and you will eventually get accustomed to not ingesting an abundance of processed sugars and other unhealthy ingredients. Your face will appear more radiant and you will feel better as well!

In addition to the tips mentioned above, you should always drink plenty of water to keep your body and skin hydrated. It is recommended to drink half of your weight in ounces on a daily basis, to be sufficiently hydrated.

Always wear sunscreen when going outdoors. Covering your eyes with sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat will protect the skin on your face. This is a simple way to avoid sun damage that causes fine lines and crow’s feet around the eye area.

For further reading, check out: Astringent vs Toner – Which Is Better For Your Skin and Simple Under Eye Massages To Reduce Bags.

Simple Under Eye Massages To Reduce Bags

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reduce bags

If you want to reduce bags under your eyes, drastic measures such as surgery, don’t have to be your only option.

When there is an excess amount of fluid in the face, it will tend to look puffy. Non-invasive techniques, such as as lymphatic massage can greatly reduce the buildup of fluid under the skin.

So, what exactly causes the lymphatic fluid to increase? This article reveals that a sluggish lymphatic system, skin issues, sinus problems, such as allergies, can cause unwanted puffiness. This fluid is made up of cellular waste that surrounds the cells, which creates swelling.

When the thin skin under the eye is stretched, it will become looser and eventually cause wrinkles and bags.

Let’s take a closer look on how to reduce bags under the eyes, by using simple massage techniques:

A light moisturizer or oil should be applied to the skin prior to massage, to prevent unnecessary pulling of the skin. Repeat this routine daily.

Movement 1

Gently place your middle fingers near the inner corner of each eye. Slowly and simultaneously, slide fingers towards the outside of each eye to the temples. Repeat this movement three times.

Movement 2

Gently place your middle fingers near the inner corner of each eye. Slowly and simultaneously, slide fingers over the top of each eye on the brow area, to the temples. Repeat this movement three times.

Movement 3

Gently place your middle fingers in between each eye. Slowly and simultaneously, slide fingers over the brow bone to the temples.

An option to this movement, is to also lightly pinch the brow area with the thumb and middle finger, while sliding. Repeat this movement three times.

Movement 4

Gently place your hands together in a prayer position on the forehead. Slowly and simultaneously, slide the heels of your hands apart, until fingers reach the temples. Repeat this movement three times.

In addition to lymphatic massage, there are several other things to keep in mind to reduce bags under the eye area:

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water. It is recommended to consume half of your body weight in ounces to be completely hydrated. This will help flush out the lymphatic system along with any toxins that have built up.

Avoid Excess Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol will dehydrate the body. When that happens, we will naturally retain water, which results in further swelling and puffiness in the face and other parts of the body.

If you are going to drink alcohol, this article recommends limiting your consumption to only two drinks. You will benefit from drinking plenty of water before you go to bed, after drinking alcohol. It will help replenish lost fluids and flush out the toxins from the alcohol.

It is also a good idea to apply a skin tightening eye cream or moisturizer around the eye area after drinking, as well.

Always Sleep On Your Back

Sleeping on your back with an extra pillow under your head, will also help reduce bags under the eyes. When we sleep on our side or on our stomach, the fluid tends to pool under the skin and we wake up looking puffy.

Get Enough Sleep

Not getting the required amount of sleep will also cause dark circles around the eyes, as well as eye bags.

The Center For Disease Control recommends that adults aged 18 and over should get a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night.

Conclusion

By following the advice mentioned above, you should see a decrease in dark circles and will reduce bags, creating a more youthful appearance.

For further reading, check out: Astringent Vs Toner – Which Is Better For Your Skin or These 5 Habits Will Make Your Face Age Faster.

These 5 Habits Will Make Your Face Age Faster

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Habits Will Make Your Face Age

It’s no secret that bad habits will make your face age faster. Additionally, they are most likely doing damage to your body, as well.

In this day and age, many of us are in a hurry and don’t put as much thought into a healthy lifestyle as we should. Fast food and stress can play a large role in our appearance.

No matter how many how many facials you get or how much serum you apply to your face, your habits will show on your skin.

Let’s take a closer look at several habits that will make your face age faster:

1. Poor Diet Choices

A diet full of processed foods, sugar and no vegetables will not do your body or your skin any justice. Drinking soda and other sugary drinks will cause weight gain, as well as premature aging.

Our bodies require nutrients from green leafy vegetables and a balanced diet of natural foods, to look and feel the best. A healthy diet will provide healthy skin.

Be sure to stay hydrated by drinking half of your body weight in ounces on a daily basis. This will keep your skin soft and supple and will plump up any wrinkling you have, so that it is less noticeable.

2. Sun Damage

One of the most dangerous ways to damage your skin, is by not protecting it from the sun.

When we are over exposed to the ultra violet rays of the sun, it eats away at the collagen and elastin in the skin. When this happens, fine lines and wrinkles will develop, causing the skin to look older. Increased risk of skin cancer is also a factor.

Always wear sunscreen when going outdoors to prevent damage and premature aging.

3. Cigarette Smoking

Not only is cigarette smoking harmful to your lungs and internal organs, but it is also unhealthy for your skin.

According to an article from Mayo Clinic, Dr. J. Taylor Hays reveals that after ten years of cigarette smoking, skin changes are likely to occur. These changes include premature wrinkles.

It also is stated that the longer one smokes, the more extensive the wrinkling will be.

There are over four thousand chemicals in the smoke from tobacco, which wreak havoc on the skin. These chemicals damage the elastin and collagen, which encourages wrinkles.

Cigarette smoke also constricts the blood vessels near the skin’s surface, which deprives the skin of the required amount of oxygen.

4. Alcohol Consumption

Having an occasional drink won’t do any harm to your skin, but heavy drinking on a regular basis will definitely speed up the aging process.

This article states that limiting your intake of alcohol to only one drink per day, will prevent your liver from overworking. It will also help your skin remain hydrated and you will also notice that you sleep better when you drink less alcohol.

5. Stressful Situations

Stress is a major factor in the appearance of aging. If you have a habit of putting yourself in stressful situations, do what you can to avoid them.

When we are stressed out, the cortisol levels in our body increases. When that happens, the collagen and elastin are broken down, which will cause wrinkles to form.

Try meditating, yoga or going for long walks. It will ease your tension and your skin will thank you, too.

Conclusion

By taking the above points into consideration, you should be able to improve the look and feel of your skin. Stay away from the habits that will make your face age faster.

We must learn to prioritize taking care of ourselves. It will keep our bodies healthy from the inside out and our efforts will show on our face.

For further reading, check out: The Trick To Applying Eyeliner to Sagging Eye Skin and Tai Chi – The Ultimate In All Over Skin Care.

What Causes Crow’s Feet And How To Minimize Them

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crow's feet

Crow’s feet are the fine lines that appear around the eye as we get older. Each of us will one day have them and some of us will have more than others.

Crow’s feet are also one of the first ways your skin will show your age. Hormones and genetics definitely play a part in how we age. We also show expression in our face, by smiling and talking, which will eventually create wrinkles.

Thin Skin

The skin around our eye area is thinner and there isn’t as much natural oil produced in that area. The dryness combined with the thin skin, can easily create fine lines. Another major factor is that we lose collagen and elastin in our skin, as we get older.

Lack of Collagen

Collagen is a protein that naturally occurs in the body, which keeps the skin looking youthful and plump. When we age and the collagen decreases, the fullness under the skin will decrease as well.

In addition, the ability for the skin to “bounce back” is also reduced with age, due to the lack of elastin. Both of these factors contribute to fine lines, wrinkles and of course, the dreaded crow’s feet.

Sun Damage

Sun damage is another factor that can greatly contribute to crow’s feet. The ultra-violet rays of the sun destroy the collagen in your skin more rapidly than if you protected it with a sunscreen.

Free Radicals

We also need to protect our skin from the damage caused by free radicals, such as pollution in the air. This can be done by using topical antioxidant products as well as eating a diet that is rich in antioxidants. Some great choices are green leafy vegetables, blueberries, pure dark chocolate and almonds.

Now that we know a few ways to prevent crow’s feet from developing, let’s look at several ways to minimize the ones that already exist:

Hydrate Your Skin

One of the simplest ways to treat crow’s feet is to keep your skin hydrated.

You need to be mindful to regularly apply hydrating cleansers, serums and eye creams around this delicate area.

You should not only focus on topical hydration, but also drink plenty of water as well. This will help plump the skin and reduce dryness. Another bonus is that being well hydrated also decreases dark circles that form around the eye.

Use Vitamin C and A

This article recommends using topical Vitamin C serum around the eye to stimulate the production of collagen. This will help plump up the area, which in turn will fill in some of the fine lines. Your skin will also appear firmer around the eye.

You may also want to try using topical Vitamin A or Retinol cream. This will aid in smoothing out the skin and help diminish the fine lines and crow’s feet around the eye

Facial Exercise For Crow’s Feet

Another easy way to combat crow’s feet is to do facial exercises. These can be done in just minutes a day and are a great way to strengthen the facial muscles.

Try the exercise below to minimize your crow’s feet:

Use your index fingers to gently press up the outer corners of the eyes, lifting the muscle. Hold that position and then try to close your eye by using only your bottom lid. Repeat this motion twenty times daily.

Conclusion

Once you get into a routine of how to properly care for your skin, you should see an improvement in your crow’s feet and other wrinkles. Choosing the right products is your first line of defense. Contact a professional esthetician for the best advice for your skin type.

Stay focused on keeping your body hydrated and eat a healthy diet, rich in antioxidants. Be sure to wear sunglasses when you are outdoors to eliminate further sun damage.

For further reading, check out: How To Know If Your Facial Exercises Are Working and The Myths Behind Facial Exercising.