Skin! Why should we Care?

Body care, how far does one go?

There is cleansing and moisturising, and that’s about it, isn’t it?

Well, to some, that’s all there is time for or can be bothered with, and even the moisturising may not get a look in.  I sometimes fall into this category.  Although there is so much more to looking after your body than what you put into it, & cleaning it daily.

Your body surface is home to one of our largest organs, and it is called the Skin.  Your skin helps with a load of things, not to mention keeping all our bits in tack. So why is it important for us to give our skin a helping hand to keep working to its full potential?

Our skin breathes, removes impurities, helps regulate our body temperature, and is good at helping us to look and feel great.  Can you imagine if we all went around without this amazing organ…..Gross!!   We would all look like those muscle posters in health clinics with the skin removed.  How odd!!   And trying to keep all the other organs and stuff in….how funny would that look.  Our skin defines us and does make us all appear different; it is amazing what our skin can do.  We put our skin under a lot of pressure. Females want to look their best, men put their skin through work or lifestyle challenges, and children are growing; it’s not an easy thing for their skin to go through either.  We pluck, wax, tan, sunbake, bake in the solarium, let it go dry, we hit it, scratch it, burn it, bruise, and cut it.  We also colour, stain, tattoo, paint it, and even shave, pierce, stretch it, and take bits from here & stitch on there and the list could go on…..whether it is meant or not, our skin goes through a lot. 

Maintaining our skin’s health is an extremely important thing you can do to improve the way you feel about yourself, and in turn, glowing, healthy skin helps to promote wellbeing.  It goes without saying that we all will age, and the length of time can be slowed down if we care for our bodies and our skin. It’s our skin that is one of the most tell-tale signs that age is happening.  And like they all say in many areas, ‘Prevention is so much better than a cure’.  Also, with most things, if you care for it and look after it, then it is no doubt going to last longer. Well, your skin is no different. So, whatever you have done to your skin in the past, now is the perfect time to take care of your body’s largest organ.  How?

There are many ways to look after your skin, and the first one is something that has been instilled in us since we were born: washing it. Removing the daily grime from our bodies is a great start to preventing any build-up of dirt and other matter from getting into our pores and clogging them up, which can start an infection. Then, putting some form of moisturiser onto your skin helps to keep it supple and smooth.  How often do we complain about dry skin?  A good Moisturiser can do wonders, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Like at the beginning of this article, these two items are the most basic and effective things we would do to look after our skin.  Other things could and would fall into the category of ‘treats for your skin and us’.  Unaware that these so-called ‘treats’ are also very important to maintaining healthy skin.  Some of these necessary skin treatments are body exfoliations/scrubs/polishes, body wraps, body soaks, and body massages.  These are brilliant for women and men alike.  Starting these treatments from an early age will help so much in the prevention of poor skin and early signs of aging. They also have many more benefits than just on the surface.

Let’s break down and have a look at what these necessary skin treatments can do for us.

Facials

Our face & our eyes are our window to our soul and the world, and looking after the skin on our face is important for many reasons.

Body Exfoliation 

or aka Body Scrub or Body Polish

Exfoliation is a treatment for the removal of dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.  Our amazing skin regenerates itself every 28 days and goes through this cycle our entire life. Exfoliating our skin helps to bring forth new skin cells, promoting a healthy skin surface. As they say, ‘shedding the old brings forth the new’.  This can be done by a dry method using an exfoliating brush or exfoliation gloves or by using a loofah product, some common base loofah ingredients are salt, crushed walnut shells, sugar, and even coffee grounds mixed with macadamia oil or cream, and applied to your skin with a rubbing motion and using a light pressure to allow the scrub to do its job all done before washing either in a shower or soaking in a bath or spa. 

The benefits of having an Exfoliation:

• Helps remove dead skin cells and thus deeply cleanses the skin

• Stimulates blood and lymph circulation and increases cell regeneration

• Skin colour is improved – the skin appears brighter and more radiant

• Skin texture is improved – feels smoother, softer, and silkier

• Moisturiser can be absorbed more readily

• Extends the duration of fake tans on the skin, which helps to stop one from sunbaking

The sensational tingling feeling on the skin during the treatment and the smooth ‘baby’s skin’ feel afterward have an amazing effect on not only your emotional health but also your wellbeing. The build-up of dead skin cells on your skin can also give off that dry skin look and feel. What woman enjoys that look?

Body Wraps

There are a couple of body wrap methods.  One method is where your body is wrapped with wide bandages soaked in a product and covered in a way that keeps your body warm, or a product is applied to your body, and your entire body is then wrapped in a plastic or foil blanket and further coverings over you to entrap your body’s heat.  Either way of wrapping a specific product is used.  Most common products for wraps have a main active ingredient like clay, seaweed, or essential oils mixed with other ingredients to complete the specific wrap product.  A body exfoliation is recommended before anybody wraps.  deeply cleansed body surface thus allows excellent absorption of the active ingredients into your skin during the wrapped / resting time of the treatment.

The benefits of having a Body Wrap

• To improve skin appearance and to re-mineralise the body – active ingredients are easily absorbed into warm moist skin

• To help with the removal of toxins from within the body

• Temporary excess fluid loss

• As a part of a cellulite or weight loss program

Having your body individually wrapped in bandages can feel quite strange and maybe uncomfortable although some of the benefits of this style of wrap can be helpful with inches loss in relation to weight loss.  This can be a temporary thing or with the appropriate diet can be very beneficial.   The cocoon style of wrapping is extremely relaxing, and your body usually tends to perspire which helps with toxin removal and excess fluid loss.  Warning:  upon removal of the wrapping either method your body becomes instantly cool. In a good establishment, you should be heading for a shower at this stage.  Again, most of the time silky smooth skin can be enjoyed afterwards.  Body wraps are best done within a professional establishment as they can be tricky done on your own at home.  This is where time out for you can be enjoyed.

Body Soak

Whether in a spa bath either at home at a Day Spa or your normal home bath a body soak can be really therapeutic and extremely relaxing.  A true body soak is a step up from your normal bath with only just the water, you, and a cake of soap. A body soak has products added to the water prior to or during your time spent in the tub.  Products can be anything from a bath bomb which will disperse aromatherapy relaxing agents into the water with a fizzy effect to a full soak treatment where a real therapeutic and unique arrangement of products blended just for you and suitable to your designed treatment.  Some examples are bath milk, mud and/or clay soaks, aromatherapy oil blends, flower petals or herbal tinctures, or even a high amount of Epsom salts with most arrangements being added just before entering the water. In a spa bath, this would include the use of powerful jets of water working on your muscles aiding in relaxation.  Caution: Flower petals and/or loose herbal products that do not dissolve are not recommended in a spa bath.

The benefits of having a Body Soak 

• Aiding in relaxation which can help in the reduction of stress and many tension or anxiety problems

• Skin cleansing

• Toxin removal through the skin

• Release of muscle soreness and fatigue

• Improve circulation

• Pain relief

• Help with some joint disorders

Some body soak treatments can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home whilst more complex treatments are so much better for you to be looked after in a Day Spa or health retreat.  The positive benefits of stepping out of a bath with such stress release relief and a feeling of complete relaxation are such bliss.  Slipping into bed for that great night's sleep, sensational!! There are so many water/spa treatments available for your body have fun exploring the many options.

Body Massage

Body massages have some of the most profound benefits for our bodies and on so many levels that there are too many to list here.  Ask anyone who has had or has massages, and they could go on forever about the benefits they feel and so could I.  Almost every system or organ in your body benefits from a regular massage and your skin is also amongst the systems/organs that appreciate a great massage.

The benefits of having a Body Massage for your skin

• Improves blood circulation

• Helps in maintaining soft and supple skin and is then more resistant to infection

• Simulates sweat glands, making them release toxins and other waste more easily

• Aids in the removal of dead skin cells, improving the overall condition and appearance of the skin

• Can soothe or simulate nerve endings, according to the type of massage.

Massage can be one of the most enjoyable things that one can invest in and usually completes many of our necessary skin treats.

Of course, as with most treatments, there are contra-indications so if you already have problems with your skin, please be wise and check with a professional before the commencement of any necessary skin treatment.

All the above necessary skin treats help your skin to function to its full potential.  Time permitting it is wonderful to finish any treatment with more relaxation this continues to help to reduce stress on your skin and body.  If you fall asleep during these treatments all the better for you and further promotes your state of wellbeing.  There is no hard and fast rule about when you should partake in any of the necessary skin treats some you may want to partake regularly like a bath soak or a massage whereas an exfoliation or wrap as I would tell my clients every new season would be most beneficial.  More often like every month, Wow!! How good would that be!  Your skin would be rejoicing! 

Whether you invest in a treatment done by a professional or treat yourself in the comfort of your own home. The time and effort you put in are so worthwhile when it comes to maintaining your skin health and your wellbeing.  Your skin will thank you so much for taking the time and effort to look after it.  All in all helping you in return to have wonderful glowing, youthful skin which helps in reducing the signs of aging, which I’m sure we all would love.

Why care for our skin?  After all, it looks after us and is one of the greatest organs we have. Not to mention it is with us our entire life through many ups and downs so if we look after our skin, we are one step closer to looking after ourselves. 

Enjoy!!

Written by Sharon Mitchell 2009

Reference help:      Skin, The Essential Australian Guide by David Segal

                              Spa, The Official Guide to Spa Therapy by Joan Scott & Andrea Harrison