If you’re anything like me, you love to curl up with your favorite blanket, smoosh your face into your pillow and catch some shut eye. It’s even better when the room is dark and slightly cold- and you don’t need to get up any time soon.
I admit it- I’m a confirmed tummy sleeper. This means my face is often mushed into my pillow for hours on end.
I just read that this can be bad for your skin- that it can lead to skin folds and skin lining which might eventually become permanent. Hello- wrinkles!??
Also, a Japanese study reported that sleeping on your back may counteract the effects of gravity on your skin. It was shown that the 38 men and women of this study demonstrated more facial wrinkling in the afternoon than in the morning- literally, their faces “fell” through the day. Sleeping on your back may give you a way to combat this kind of gravitational pull.
If you are a tummy sleeper, try, slowly, to change the habit. Your beauty sleep may just make you more beautiful in more ways than one.
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Massage has so many benefits on so many levels- it can markedly improve all the systems of your body. For the skin, massage has special skin boosting benefits.
Regular massage can help reduce tension in the skin and the underlying tissues. The pressure and strokes increase your circulation, which boosts the skin’s repair and nutrition.
I get massages at least once a month, and it’s always amazing to notice- 90 minutes on the massage table makes me look like I’ve slept for a week.
If you’ve never tried massage or are always too busy to go, change that right now: make an appointment for a massage. If you like it, make it a regular part of your skin care regimen. Not only will you feel better, you’ll look better, too.
Folate is one of the B vitamins. It is particularly important for cells which rapidly divide and regenerate- including skin cells. Most of us don’t get enough folate. Mild folate deficits are not usually noticed.
Green leafy vegetables and beans are good sources of folate. If you like liver, that’s the only animal product which contains folate.
The best way to obtain folate for your skin is to eat your vegetables. (See, Mom was right!)
Depression is one side effect of folate deficiency. The absorption of folate can be disrupted by certain over the counter and prescription medications.
Folate is also important if you’re pregnant.
If you haven’t been eating your vegetables, and your skin could use a boost, try a plate of spinach or kale to get your all the folate your skin (and body) needs.
