SKINCARE BOOTCAMP

The human face has 43 muscles. They enable us to laugh, frown, chew food and talk. We show who we are and how we feel with our face. Admittedly, we could try less frowning, but we must do that sometimes. Keeping in mind what these muscles allow us to do, we can conclude that the face is active most days. Face is always engaged, even when the rest of our body is not. Which is good for most of the time because the muscles are in motion, exercising. However, muscles need to be stretched and relaxed after exercising. Otherwise, our face will look like a cramped and tense mask over time. We accumulate tension around the eyes, on the forehead, or on the neck and shoulders.

AT HOME EXPERT

Fortunately, facial muscles are easy to massage on our own, using hands and fingers or rollers. KAIAA loves facial massage and strongly recommends a few minutes daily with a few drops of your favorite KAIAA essential oil. Two minutes a day can help prevent wrinkles and relax your mind. It's ideal to set aside time both in the morning and the evening, but a quick facial massage a few times a week will still help you reap the benefits. Depending on what you want to put more emphasis on, here are a few facial DIY massage mixes:

Anti-stress mixture for all skin types:

• 30 ml of base oil (i.e. 100 percent natural almond oil)
• 2 to 3 drops of essential oil of true lavender
• 2 to 3 drops of Indian incense essential oil
• 2 to 3 drops of sweet orange essential oil

Mixture for dry and mature skin:

• 30 ml of base oil (i.e. 100 percent natural almond oil)
• 4 to 5 drops of Indian incense essential oil
• 4 to 5 drops of rosemary essential oil

Mixture to reduce swelling and skin irritation:

• 30 ml of base oil (i.e. 100 percent natural almond oil)
• 4 to 5 drops of Himalayan cedar essential oil
• 4 to 5 drops of tea tree essential oil

HOW TO DO IT?

Very simple and without any hassle. Once you have put the ingredients in the glass bottle, mix it and shake well. Clean your face thoroughly and remove contact lenses if you wear them. Find a quiet corner, relax, take a deep breath. Warm up a few drops of your mixture in your palms and take the following steps:

• Rub the mixture to evenly distribute over hands and fingertips. Press your fingers between brows and slide up your forehead, repeating several times to cover the entire area. Then, massage your fingertips from the center of your face out past your cheeks and to your ears.
• Drop one level lower and repeat the same sliding, up-and-out motion across your jawline as needed. Finish with your neck. Gently use vertical strokes from the collarbone upward.
• Now circle your eyes with one or two fingers - as if you were drawing a circle around your eyes and eyebrows. Hold on to your temples for a moment - make a few rounds with your fingertip here as well. Gently pinch your eyebrows with your index finger and thumb - repeat this pinching several times.
• Tap your fingertips lightly all over your forehead. Follow with your palms, slide over your forehead from your eyebrows to your scalp - as if you want to stretch your forehead upwards. Finally, gently tap your fingertips from the eyebrows to the scalp.

AS LONG AS IT'S FUN

Your facial muscles are stretched, and your skin has absorbed the benefits of essential oils. KAIAA invites you to explore more. Some areas may require more "work", some less. In addition, you may design your own massage mixture. Choose oils according to their properties, your skin type, and desired effect. By manually increasing the flow of lymphatic fluid, you can reinvigorate your immune system and remove excess waste. Like many wellness routines, the hardest part is to maintain a schedule, but this extra step is totally worth it.