Looking in the mirror, do you ever wonder why you seem to always get pimples in the same places, or why all those expensive creams don’t seem to offer a solution when you have a presentation to do in the morning…Urrrggghhh!
Before reaching for that miracle cream to zap those pimples, consider what your skin might be trying to tell you. We often consider the warm Middle Eastern climate to assist in causing breakouts, but what if you considered your skin as an early warning system, one that has your best intentions at heart and one that can be communicating your inner concerns to you. Let’s get curious…
Sabrina and I have both studied nutrition, so we know a thing or two about how diet and lifestyle affects our health and skin. As much as we love our beauty products, we also know it starts from the inside.
Ever heard of Ayurvedic principles? Well these have taught us about skin and our body systems for centuries! Might sound a bit woo woo, but maybe the principles can tell us why we get acne breakouts in specific places?
What is ‘Face mapping’?
Face mapping is rooted in ayurvedic healing. It connects a point on your face to an organ or body part, the principle being that when your organs aren’t functioning properly (often lifestyle and diet related) our skin will highlight this and give us another reminder about what needs to be addressed internally….cue that acne breakout!
According to Ayurvedic expert Kiera Nachman,the body should be viewed holistically and needs to be bought back into balance if things aren’t functioning. This involves practices such as diet, meditation, yoga, herbs and more. These healing elements are used to balance energies or ‘doshas’ in our bodies; namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
Forehead
Do you get lumpy skin on your forehead, raised small bumps that are mostly obvious by touch rather than sight? Break outs on your forehead link to the nervous and digestive systems (large intestine), caused by stress/anxiety, which leads to internal stagnation. A lack of movement and flow in of these body systems can be contributing to skin issues. Ayurvedic principles link this to the Vata dosha.
Consider: stress relief and giving your gut some TLC. Getting the right probiotics into your diet should support your colon function and making sure your properly hydrated will help to flush out built up toxins. Sipping warm water throughout the day can help and hot water and lemon in the morning is a fabulous way to start the day and get things moving!
Chin
Your chin is where most hormonal imbalances will manifest. Are you plagued by cystic acne on the jawline or lower chin? Pimples that sit deep under the skin, they could feel fluid-y and puffy, painful to touch and take a while heal? It doesn’t matter if you have oily or dry skin, all skin types can suffer with this type of acne. This can highlight a need to manage stress and detox.
Consider: Yoga and/or meditation for stress management, adequate sleep (you need this to detoxify) and as with ANY hormone imbalance, managing your sugar intake! We know it’s hard but cutting back on sugar is absolutely essential to balancing your hormones, clearing up your skin and helping to eradicate those mood swings. Ayurvedic principles link this to the Kapha dosha, so liver support such as dandelion tea can also be a great addition to your toolkit.
Mouth
Red inflamed or puss filled pimples around the mouth/nose? This can link to stomach and digestion. It could highlight that you have some food sensitivities or are not digesting food properly.
Consider: boosting natural digestive enzymes to ensure foods are digested – a great way is to take a shot of apple cider vinegar with water before a meal. Top tip: make sure you buy apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’ inside, this is the enzyme component!
Whether its stress relief, detoxification or boosting our digestive processes, our skin can be a master communicator, sending us important signals about our internal concerns. It highlights that skincare is not only about picking the best clean products, but that many other factors contribute to our skin health…you could say beauty really does start from within!
Lucy and Sabrina xx
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