During absorption of nutrients from the blood capillaries to the body, excess fluid is released into the body ́s tissue. This is called lymph; in Latin, Lympha means ”clear water”.
Lymphatic fluid is a clear liquid, which consists of a variety of waste products from cells in the body’s tissues. It can also contain foreign microorganisms or particles such as bacteria, viruses, etc.
Lymphatic capillaries are thin vessels that absorb the fluid. Each lymphatic capillary carries lymph into a lymphatic vessel, which in turn connects to a lymph node. When the lymphatic fluid reaches the lymph nodes, it is cleansed and returned to the venous circulation. Our lymph nodes really are our body ́s detoxification plant, or as we like to call it: our skin’s deep cleanser.
If the lymphatic system is damaged or its function somehow impaired, the fluid will accumulate in the skin. This can result in lymphedema which causes swelling, pain and increased risk of infection. The lymph ́s primary task is to remove the excess fluid from the skin and rid the body of foreign microorganisms and toxins.
With correctly performed gua sha massage, we can stimulate the lymphatic system of the face and help clear puffiness, congestion and inflammation from the face. When working with lymphatic drainage, we always work in the direction of the lymphatic pathways. You can see the lymphatic pathways in the illustration by Oriol Angrill below.
We have about 900 lymph nodes in the body, 200 of which are in the neck (!) which is why we always always always have to start our gua sha facial on the neck and shoulders before moving up to the face. Think about lymphatic drainage like this: we always want to work with gravity, which means that we have to clear “roadblocks” from the neck and upwards, so that the lymph can flow freely down.
Our favorite crystal tool for lymphatic drainage is the smooth side of any of the Glow rollers and the Sculpt Gua Sha. The sculpt gua sha has a special lymphatic drainage edge (Edge 4 on the photo below), which creates a small vacuum when it is pulled across the skin. This vacuum gently draws excess lymph fluid away from the skin.
Remember to use ultra gentle pressure, just like a feather touching the skin. If we press too hard we block the lymph rather than stimulate it. When using the sculpting edge of the gua sha or the smooth end of the Glow roller, keep skin contact always and move at a slow mindful pace. It helps to imagine that you are pulling a tiny water balloon under the skin that you don’t want to let go off.
Below you'll find 2 videos on how to use the Sculpt Gua Sha and the Glow Roller to do a lymphatic drainage.
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Most of us have probably tried to wake up with swollen eyes, and there can be many reasons for this;
We can strengthen the kidneys through the herbal tea goldenrod (Solidago virguarea). Mix with a bit of licorice root, mint and nettle, and drink 1 liter daily for a month to see a difference.
Bags under the eyes can also be a symptom of low metabolism. Here we can highly recommend a skilled hormone therapist such as Sally Walker.
Dark circles under the eyes can also in some cases mean that you have a food intolerance -
Go to bed on the right side of midnight and get 8 hour sleep
Get your 2 liters of water EVERY day
Minimize your consumption of salt and alcohol
Loose skin around the eyes and heavy eyelids is something that happens with age. Some before others, depending on facial expressions, lifestyle and the proper care of the eye area.
How to get rid of puffy eyes with gua sha massage
If you have fluid accumulations around the eyes (puffy eyes), it is important that you focus on a super gentle and slow lymph drainage around the eyes, but at the same time also of the neck and neck, so you can open up the fluid flow to and from the face.
Use gua sha massage if you have sagging skin around the eyes
With sagging skin around the eyes, it is important that we get the blood circulation going, to speed up skin healing and rejuvenation. It will also improve the absorption of your eye care products. We can also do lifting techniques with our gua sha, which not only feel lovely but are also effective.
In Face yoga we find effective exercises that strengthen the eye muscles and promote fluid flow that help reduce puffiness and dark circles.
Flow Gua Sha
Our Flow Gua Sha is great for the eye area as it is small, handy and gets into all the right areas around the eyes. The tip is especially good for acupressure and working on lines and wrinkles. The head of the gua sha is great for lymphatic drainage around the eyes.
Sculpt Gua Sha
Sculpt is especially great as it has a small edge designed for the eye environment, in addition it has the sculpting edge that is perfect for lymph drainage and lifting.
In this guide you can use both the Flow and the Sculpt gua sha. We’ve also made a video with the Sculpt guide which you can see below the step by step gua sha guide.
Preparation
Always start your gua sha massage on clean, damp skin.
It’s also important to have a product on the skin before you start scraping with the gua sha in order to prevent damaging the skin. We recommend that you use a face oil or even better our Gua sha facebalm 01. A serum or face cream will absorb too quickly and you won’t have enough moisturizer on your skin during the gua sha massage.
If you have oily skin, don’t worry about using an oil or facebalm. It's just a matter of choosing the right oil or balm for your skin type. If you are in doubt which product is best for your skin - start with our Gua sha facebalm 01 or pure squalane or inca inchi oil. You can read more about our skincare HERE.
Activating the lymphatic system
Start by activating the lymph, especially if you have puffiness around the eyes.
Place the flat long side of your Gua Sha completely flat against the skin right at the collarbone. Make small pumps with the Gua Sha at this point.
We also have lymph nodes just below and behind the ear, here you can also make 3-5 pumps and glide the gua sha gently down the neck, keeping the gua sha flat and using a super gentle pressure.
The eye area
With the pointed edge of the gua sha, hold on to the point just below the point where the eyebrow starts by the root of the nose. Hold with firm pressure for 10-15 seconds. The point is most often sore so you are not in doubt when you find it.
With the same side of the gua sha, press the point at the outer edge of the eye with firm pressure for 10-15 seconds.
Hold the point in the middle of the lower edge of the eye with firm pressure for 10-15 seconds. The point sits on the cheekbone just below the pupil when you look straight out. (You can feel there is a small arc in there where the point is).
From the outer edge of the eye just below the eye on the soft part and towards the corner of the eye - scrape with the curved gua sha side. Continue up over the eyelid towards the outer corner of the eye. Continue in this circle with very light pressure 10 times.
Crows feet?
If you have crow's feet, then stretch out into the area with your index and middle fingers, and with the other hand, use the textured side of the Sculpt, Glow, Lift, or the tip of the Flow Gua Sha and move the textured side back and forth and across or in zigzag with the Flow Gua Sha over the lines.
Do this 5 times over each line with a superficial but fast pace. The gua sha is at a 90 degrees angle. If you don’t have crow's feet, skip this step.
Take the smooth side of the gua sha, place it flat on the skin and scrape with a feather-light pressure from the inner corner of the eye and all the way under the eye and out to the hairline. Here you end with a couple of pumps. Repeat 5-10 times.
Make a lift on the brow with the smooth side of the gua sha. Move the gua sha from the start of the brow to the highest point on the brow, where you then angle the gua sha so that you scrape up and out towards the hairline - and finish by wiggling the gua sha. Use a light to medium pressure and repeat 3-5 times as needed.
For most of us, the transition into winter means dry, dehydrated, stressed and sensitive skin. The combination of dry indoor heating and cold weather outside puts stress on the skin barrier which can lead to skin irritation and redness. In this blog you’ll get our 3 favorite skin boosters to winter-proof your skin from within.
As the temperature drops to freezing outside, it’s time to bring out the water-free and shea butter-rich skincare. Water in moisturizes can actually cause redness and broken capillaries in the skin when wearing it outside in freezing temperatures, as the water can freeze on the skin and cause damage.
Shea butter has emollient, nourishing, anti-inflammatory and skin repairing properties and is amazing for soothing, protecting and repairing a stressed out skin barrier. The skin barrier is an active part of your immune system, and helps your skin stay resilient against spots and breaks out, as well as it helps seal in moisture, so your skin doesn’t dry out.
Shea butter contains phytosterols that not only improves the barrier function of the skin but also stimulates the microcirculation in the skin. This combination promotes a natural healthy glow and pairs perfectly with gua sha massage to keep the skin plump, hydrated and glowing.
Shea butter forms the base of our Gua Sha Balm 01 and Sea buckthorn berry Facebalm together with kokum butter to ensure 24 hours of hydration and skin barrier repair. Both balms also contain; squalane, which improves skin hydrating, inca inchi oil which balances with it’s content of omega 3 and 6 and ricinus oil which strengthens the skin.
Both facebalms are suitable for all skin types but the sea buckthorn facebalm is particularly great for sensitive/combination/oily skin types.
Facebalms can easily replace your normal moisturizer during autumn and winter to give your skin extra protection from the cold. Use morning and night as you would your normal moisturizer. Read this blog learn more about using facebalms.
1. Add 1 tablespoon of fat to every meal to build skin resilience from within
Organic grass fed butter, cold pressed coconut oil and omega 3 from algae or fish protects your skin from within. Choose a fish oil or algae oil that has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low totox value (rancidity value). Try to get a tablespoon of omega 3, coconut oil and butter daily throughout winter.
2. Take 1 tablespoon of lecithin daily
Granulated lecithin can easily be blended into your homemade nut milks or smoothies and give a delicious creamy texture that will help keep the skin hydrated from within. Lecithin, along with the healthy fats mentioned above, help sustain healthy cell membranes which in turn helps keep the skin hydrated.
3. Take anti-inflammatory antioxidants daily
Anti-inflammatory antioxidants help protect cell membranes from damage from oxidative stress which has a long term effect on skin hydration and resilience.
The best part is that these antioxidants taste great! You find them in matcha, turmeric, colorful berries, rich leafy greens, rooibos tea, hibiscus tea and spirulina (ok - spirulina doesn’t taste that great, but you can get it in capsules ;).
We get our winter skin boosters daily by drinking a cup of matcha or tumeric latte, 0.5-1 liter of herbal tea such as rooibos and nettle, a portion of cooked leafy greens and a handful of berries. Easy and delicious!
]]>Atrophic skin is the term for mature or aged skin. It’s a completely natural consequence of living and aging, different genetics and lifestyle affects the level of skin atrophy.
Hormonal and other physiological changes cause the connective tissue to weaken and lines, furrows and wrinkles to form. Skin pigmentation and complexion become more uneven, and patches of hyperpigmentation may occur. The water content decreases, which means that the tissue dries out, which is why the skin loses its volume and natural moisture.
In addition, sebum production is reduced, causing the skin to lose its natural lubrication from within. At the same time, some may experience localized elevated sebum production at, for example, the nose and chin.
The production of collagen and elastin fibers is decreasing and therefore the dermis becomes thinner while the tissue loses its elasticity. The surface (epidermis) becomes coarser as the skin's cell turnover decreases and the pores of the surface structure appear coarser.
When the different characteristics appear is individual and vary greatly from person to person. Partly it’s due to how lucky we’ve been in the genepool and partly how we live and take care of ourselves. Therefore, atrophic skin is divided into two categories: environmental atrophy and age atrophy.
Environmental atrophic skin is seen in cases where the aging process sets in too early, and it is therefore a result of the environment to which the skin is exposed.
Characteristics of environmental atrophic skin:
Environmental atrophic skin can be due to:
How and when we age is individual and varies from person to person, however it’s still only a matter of years before the aging process of the skin catches up with all of us.
Characteristics of age atrophic skin:
Age atrophic skin may be due to:
Avoid these ingredients on atrophic skin:
Atrophic skin needs oil based cleansing products that do not wash the natural moisture out of the skin, and at the same time retain the protective barrier film on the surface of the skin - the acid mantle.
Replace traditional skintonic with a mist of e.g. flower water on spray that completes cleansing by caring for and contracting the pores.
Choose revitalizing creams with active ingredients such as. peptides, vitamin C and vitamin A, and use an oil-based serum such as squalane, inca inchi and sea buckthorn underneath for extra protection.
Avoid petrochemical / mineral oils that can act as addictive fats on the skin, and which in the long run can make the skin drier, and in addition it can cause enlarged pores.
Atrophic skin has a slow cell turnover, so exfoliate weekly with a honey mask. This removes dead skin cells, which stimulates the new formation of skin cells.
Fruit acid masks are effective in boosting collagen formation in the skin as well as promoting the natural formation of hyaluronic acid, which is the skin's own moisture. The Q-10 enzyme oxygenates the skin and provides increased microcirculation as well as a fresh complexion. Proteins and peptides in the creams fix and smooth the surface of the skin, while moisturizing masks of aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, squalane, honey or shea butter provide an extra boost of moisture and nourishment.
Herbs for atrophic skin:
Essential oils for atrophic skin:
Vegetable oils for atrophic skin:
Active ingredients for atrophic skin:
Boost skin hydration internally with omega-3, -6, -7 and -9 which nourish the skin from within. Also, choose a fish oil that has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low TOTOX value (rancidity value) - and/or organic and cold-pressed oils from sea buckthorn, evening primrose, hemp oil, olives, flaxseed and avocado. Aim to get approx. 20g fat for each meal. Sea buckthorn capsules are particularly recommended for wise skin.
Drink a minimum of one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to create a stable fluid balance. Especially herbal teas such as nettle, linden flower, red clover, rooibos, licorice root, white tea and green tea.
Boost skin daily with hydrolyzed collagen as a supplement that helps the skin to rebuild the elastic fibers from within.
Source:
Sally Walker in the book Amazing Skin by BioCosmediq
This week’s theme is all about combination skin.
Although we divide the skin into different skin types, many of us have a mix of several skin types. This occurs to such an extent that the combination skin is actually the most common skin type. In this type, some skin areas may be slightly oily with slightly coarse pores. For example, on the nose, forehead and chin. At the same time, the skin is dry on the rest of the face.
A combination skin can easily experience outbreaks in some periods and be perfect in others, this is always due to different internal or external factors meaning everything from diet to weather changes to stress.
Combination skin benefits from thorough cleansing every evening so that the sebum doesn’t clog and expand the pores, at the same time it shouldn’t be drying or contain soapy ingredients as this will exacerbate the dry areas. Oil or facebalm cleansing is great for combination skin. Massage the oil or balm into skin and use a soft wash cloth with lukewarm water (clean one, don’t reuse the next day), to gently exfoliate and wash off the oil/balm. Find a complete guide HERE how to use our Facebalm 01.
Mild, astringent and soothing herbal teas or mists complete the cleansing by disinfecting and contracting the pores. White tea, rooibos tea or hibiscus tea is great as a mist for combination skin as they contain antioxidants that calm and protect the skin.
As a moisturizer use a light oil with omega 3 as this helps to balance sebum production. We like to combine squalane with inca inchi for a light and absorbable serum for combination skin. In autumn and winter, exchange the oil blend for half a pea sized amount of our Seabuckthorn facebalm. Massage into clean, damp skin, misted with tea or hydrolates.
Apply a face scrub once or twice a week that removes dead skin cells, prevents impurities and refines the pores. A mix of honey and clay will cleanse and shrink the pores by absorbing excess sebum. Honey will soften, disinfect and moisturize skin. Wash off with lukewarm water and a washcloth.
Look for the following ingredients in your skincare products:
Essential oils for combination skin
Mix 1% of essential oil with 99% vegetable oil or facebalm
Vegetable oils for combination skin:
Active ingredients for combination skin:
Take a spoonful of omega 3 rich oil daily. Choose algae oil or fish oil extracted from liver, which also contains vitamin A. Make sure your choice of oil has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low TOTOX value (rancidity value).
Drink at least one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to maintain a stable fluid balance. Especially herbal teas such as stinging nettle, red clover, viola tricolor, linden flower, rooibos, green/white tea, peppermint and fenugreek work wonders on combination skin.
If you're interested in knowing more about the different skintypes, you can read about the dry skin HERE and the oily skin HERE.
]]>This week is all about sensitive skin.
The sensitive skin type is characterized by being fine, thin, often reddish, poor tolerance to the sun, and often reacts a bit dramatically to external influences by blushing and flaring up. It can easily become hypersensitive, which can lead to rashes, bumps and, in the worst case, eczema or rosacea.
Mind, body and skin are naturally connected, and not surprisingly, sensitive skin often appears when we are mentally stressed, depressed or out of sorts.
For sensitive skin, it is important that you use oil based cleansing products that do not wash the natural moisture out of the skin or destroy the protective barrier film on the surface of the skin, namely the acid mantle. Try oil cleansing with facebalm massaged into moist skin and cleansed with a clean, lukewarm water soaked soft wash cloth. Replace the traditional skintonic with a mist of e.g. flower water with rose, jasmine or chamomile, which gently disinfects and constricts the pores. Mist can also be sprayed on during the day to soothe and counteract flare-ups
Choose water free moisturizes such as facebalms (which most often don’t contain preservatives as they don’t contain water) that protect against wind and weather and preferably with serum or with drops of oil, e.g. inca inchi or sea buckthorn under the moisturizer, to soothe the skin. 1 drop of sea buckthorn oil is so carotenoid-rich that it leaves the skin with a healthy golden glow that can help cover mild redness.
Use only grain-free exfoliation and use it no more than every 14 days. Choose an enzyme peel or a mild and emollient face scrub with emollient herbs that do not scratch and irritate the skin. Our favorite is honey, but if you have a very sensitive skin patch test on a small area first, as honey is very active.
Use moisturizing masks after exfoliation with regenerative care from aloe vera, sweet almond, honey or shea butter, which rebuilds the fine skin surface and provides an emollient layer of nourishing and protective care.
Herbs to look for in skincare products for sensitive skin:
Essential oils for sensitive skin (max 1% concentration of essential oil in 99% vegetable oil):
Vegetable oils for sensitive skin:
Active ingredients to look for in skincare products for sensitive skin:
Take a spoon of good quality omega 3 oil daily which nourishes the skin from within. Choose a fish oil or algae oil that has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low totox value (rancidity value) - or organic and cold-pressed oils from sea buckthorn, evening primrose, hemp oil, olives, flaxseed and avocado.
Drink at least one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to maintain a stable fluid balance. Our favorite herbal teas for sensitive skin are calendula, chamomile, stinging nettle, linden flower, white tea, rooibos tea, rosehips, chamomile and peppermint.
With optimal doses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega, collagen, algae and herbs, your skin gains more resistance and radiance. Use it as needed as a cure in periods or as regular rituals all year round.
If you're interested in knowing more about how to treat your skin during the day read our blog about daily skin care cycle HERE.
]]>This week's theme is all about oily skin
If the skin forms large amounts of sebum, which is the skin's own natural moisturizer, it is classified as an oily skin type. Oily skin is naturally protected against premature signs of aging, as sebum acts as protection against external factors such as wind and weather. Sebum also acts as a protective film that prevents moisture from evaporating from the surface of the skin and thereby delays signs such as lines and wrinkles.
Oily skin is characterised by visible and open pores and a shiny appearance.
If the pores are clogged with sebum, there is a risk that the so-called acne bacteria can occur. This bacteria lives on sebum, which it breaks down leaving the skin irritated and inflamed. Once the acne bacteria first appears the condition is difficult to get rid of and it may be necessary to seek treatment.
Oily skin should be thoroughly cleansed every evening so that the sebum doesn’t get too cosy hanging out and expanding the pores, which leaves the pores enlarged and open.
If the pore structure is to be kept fine, the pores must always be kept clean and free of sebum, and therefore it requires a little extra work. At the same time, oily skin must not be dried out either, as the skin will otherwise compensate by forming even more sebum.
For oily skin, use an oil cleanser or balm containing castor oil that helps unclog pores.
Vegetable oils for oily skin:
Essential oils for oily skin
(mix 1% of essential oil with 99% vegetable oil or facebalm):
Many citrus oils are photoxic. Therefore, use them only at night and in less than 0.1% concentration. And better yet choose distilled citrus essential oil as these are largely free of the light-reactive substances.
Use a soft wash cloth with lukewarm water (clean one, don’t reuse the next day), to gently exfoliate and wash off the balm. Find a complete guide HERE how to use our Facebalm 01.
Mild, astringent and soothing herbal teas or mists complete the cleansing by disinfecting and contracting the pores. Green tea is great as a mist for oily skin as it helps to calm inflamed skin.
As a moisturizer use a light oil with anti-inflammatory ingredients such as sea buckthorn and omega 3. We like to combine squalane with inca inchi and sea buckthorn for a light and absorbable serum for oily skin. In autumn and winter, exchange the oil blend for half a pea sized amount of our Seabuckthorn facebalm. Massage into clean, damp skin, misted with green tea.
Exfoliate twice a week with a honey mask (link til honning maske bloggen) to remove dead skin cells, prevent impurities and refine pores. In addition, use clay masks that cleanse and shrink the pores by absorbing excess sebum from the pores. Massage and gentle lymphatic drainage will also help remove accumulations, stagnation as well as inflammation and cleanse the skin from within.
Take a spoonful of omega 3 rich oil daily. Choose algae oil or fish oil extracted from liver, which also contains vitamin A. Make sure your choice of oil has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low TOTOX value (rancidity value).
Drink at least one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to maintain a stable fluid balance. Especially herbal teas such as stinging nettle, red clover, viola tricolor, peppermint, licorice root and fenugreek are great for oily skin.
]]>When the skin does not form as much natural oil, the so-called sebum, it is classified as a dry skin type. The skin may also have dried out in other ways due to external factors such as wind, cold, frost or too much sun. In addition, skin can become dehydrated and depleted by incorrect treatment with too coarse and hard skin care products. Note that there is a difference between whether the skin is low in moisture or low in oil, and therefore the skin is divided into two categories, which are cared for in the same way: The dry skin type is usually very nice and problem-free by nature, but ages prematurely if not it is well cared for. If the dry feeling in the skin is due to temporary external influences, it should be cared for as if it were dry due to lack of production of sebum until it is in balance again. But then the care rituals that apply to the actual skin type must be followed again.
Cells and tissues lack fluid, which is why the skin is dehydrated and lacks moisture. Low levels of skin hydration can be due to over-treatment or incorrect treatment with too strong, oil-stripping products. Such products can wash the water-binding molecules out of the skin and / or remove the skin's natural protective "acid mantle", which i.a. aims to prevent moisture evaporation from the surface of the skin. Low-moisture skin is often dry in the deeper levels, but can cheat by appearing soft and well-oiled on the surface.
The sebum production here is low by nature, which is why there is a lack of oil and natural lubrication from the inside, which creates a dry and low-fat skin that is often rough or scaly on the surface. At the same time, oily skin quickly becomes dehydrated, as it easily loses its natural moisture by not having the necessary sebum to prevent moisture evaporation.
Dry skin needs oliy and liquid cleansing products that do not wash the natural moisture out of the skin or destroy the protective barrier on the surface of the skin, also called the acid mantle. Try a cleansing with oil or balm, which is massaged into moist skin and cleaned off with a damp and soft washcloth. You can read our blog how to use our facebalm HERE.
Replace the traditional skintonic with a mist in the form of e.g. herbal teas or hydrolates which completes the cleansing by disinfecting and contracting the pores. Choose nourishing facebalms such as our Facebalm 01 or Facebalm co-lab and add a serum for anti-aging care such as inca inchi oil or sea buckthorn.
On the other hand, avoid petrochemical / mineral oils that can act as addictive fats on the skin and thus - in the long run - can make the skin drier.
Dry skin has a slow cell turnover, which is why exfoliation is particularly beneficial. Therefore, exfoliate twice a week to remove the dead skin cells and stimulate the skin's cell rhythm and the formation of new skin cells. Honey is our favorite enzymatic exfoliator.
Moisturizing masks of aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, honey or shea butter provide an extra boost of moisture and nourishment.
Boost skin hydration internally with omega-3, -6, -7 and -9 which nourish the skin from within. Also, choose a fish oil that has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low TOTOX value (rancidity value) - and/or organic and cold-pressed oils from sea buckthorn, evening primrose, hemp oil, olives, flaxseed and avocado. Aim to get approx. 20g fat for each meal.
Drink at least one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to create a stable fluid balance. Herbal teas such as green tea, marigold, nettle, linden flower, golden rice, licorice root and rooibos are particularly great for dry skin.
We hope this guide will get you through the fall and winter with supple, delicious and moisture-saturated skin.
]]>Always start your gua sha massage on clean, damp skin.
It’s also important to have a product on the skin before you start scraping with the gua sha in order to prevent damaging the skin. We recommend that you use a face oil or even better our Gua sha facebalm 01. A serum or face cream will absorb too quickly and you won’t have enough moisturizer on your skin during the gua sha massage.
If you have oily skin, don’t worry about using an oil or facebalm. It's just a matter of choosing the right oil or balm for your skin type. If you are in doubt which product is best for your skin - start with our Gua sha facebalm 01 or pure squalane or inca inchi oil. You can read more about our skincare HERE.
We have designed and developed several different types of gua shas over the past 6 years. All gua shas have different shapes for different purposes. If you don’t know which gua sha you should choose, you can find the solution HERE.
During a gua sha massage we’ll be working with the 4 organ systems:
For each of these systems, we work with different sides of the gua sha, different pace, different pressure and different directions.
Especially the pressure and the angle are crucial for the right gua sha massage results.
90° angle:
Medium/firm pressure:
With this angle and pressure you’ll relax the facial muscles. Imagine that the gua sha is melting into the muscles. The movements are small scrapes back and forth or up and down over the tense area. Pace is medium.
Light pressure:
With this angle and pressure you’ll get the skin glowing. The movement is back and forth, up and down and zigzag. Pace is fast. You need to create a light friction massage on the skin surface.
20-45° angle:
With light/medium pressure in upwards direction - this is the position for face lifting.Pace is slow to medium.
0-15° angle:
With a feather-light pressure in the direction of the lymph, meaning from the center of the face out towards the ears and down the neck - this is how you’ll use the gua sha during the lymphatic drainage. Pace is very slow. Imagine you are pulling a small water balloon under your skin.
The smooth sides of our gua shas and side 4 on the Sculpt gua sha are used for
Lymphatic drainage
We always complete each gua sha treatment with lymphatic drainage e.g. for swelling under the eyes, clogged pores, minor spots etc.
During lymphatic drainage, the angle of the Gua sha should be flat against the skin and the pressure should be feather-light and the pace slow.
Lifting
When working with the lifting gua sha techniques, you are working with the fascia which is located right between the skin surface and the muscles. When lifting we massage the fascia and loose connective tissue. Use a medium pressure. The angle of the gua sha should be as flat as possible - the more contact the gua sha has with the skin, the better it works. Lifting movements are always upwards as you have to counteract gravity. The pace is slow to medium.
The jagged edges stimulate blood circulation.Consider the jagged sides as a kind of eraser that smoothes fine lines and fades scars and pigmentation.
The angle of the gua sha should be at 45-90 degrees on the skin and the pressure light when working with the gua sha.The pace is brisk as you want to create a light friction massage to turn the skin slightly pink (never red!)
Arches / ends are used to work muscles and tensions. The arches / ends are used to relax and de-stress as well as counteract tension wrinkles.
When working with muscles / tensions, the gua sha should be placed at a 90 degree angle on the skin, and the pressure should be firm - but always comfortable - and the movements are small back and forth motions concentrated on the tense area.
You'll find all our gua sha HERE
]]>It is a myth that problem skin only belongs to teenagers; in many people, the problem actually arises much later in life.
Although we may get tired of the eternal battle against pimples and oily skin, people with this skin type are so lucky that their skin does not age as fast as others because it has a protective layer of sebum. On the other hand, the naturally oily skin must be well cared for in order to be kept in check. Oily skin can lead to problem skin, often related to an imbalance in the body. Therefore, it is very important that we eat right as a first step to clear skin.
Problem skin can be the body's way of signaling that a lifestyle change is needed. When foods with a high sugar content are consumed, it leads to an increased content of sugar in the blood, which causes the body to produce high levels of the hormone insulin. An elevated insulin level creates a vicious cycle by producing an excess of male hormones (testosterone), which causes the pores of the skin to secrete sebum in excessive amounts. In severe cases, this can attract, accelerate and activate the acne-causing bacteria.
With correctly performed gua sha massage, we stimulate the lymphatic system of the skin, which we can call our “skin’s inner cleanser”.
During absorption of nutrients from the blood capillaries to the body, excess fluid is released into the body ́s tissue. This is called lymph; in Latin, Lympha means ”clear water”.
Lymphatic fluid is a clear liquid, which consists of a variety of waste products from cells in the body’s tissues. It can also contain foreign microorganisms or particles such as bacteria, viruses, etc.
Lymphatic capillaries are thin vessels that absorb the fluid. Each lymphatic capillary carries lymph into a lymphatic vessel, which in turn connects to a lymph node. When the lymphatic fluid reaches the lymph nodes, it is cleansed and returned to the venous circulation. Our lymph nodes really are our body ́s detoxification plant.
When working with lymphatic drainage, we always work in the direction of the lymphatic pathways. If the lymphatic system is damaged or its function somehow impaired, the fluid will accumulate in the skin. This can result in lymphedema which causes swelling, pain and increased risk of infection. The lymph ́s primary task is to remove the excess fluid from the skin and rid the body of foreign microorganisms and toxins. You can see the lymphatic pathways in the illustration by Oriol Angrill below.
With the help of lymphatic drainage, we can stimulate the lymphatic circulation and clear puffiness and inflammation. By stimulating the lymph, we can also treat many different skin conditions such as pimples, cellulite and redness.
We have about 900 lymph nodes in the body, 200 of which are in the neck (!) which is why we always always always have to start our gua sha facial on the neck and shoulders before moving up to the face. Think about lymphatic drainage like this: we always want to work with gravity, which means that we have to clear “roadblocks” from the neck and upwards, so that the lymph can flow freely down.
The Sculpt Gua Sha has a special lymphatic drainage edge (Edge 4 on the photo below) , which creates a small vacuum when it is pulled across the skin. This vacuum gently draws excess lymph fluid away from the skin.
Remember to use ultra gentle pressure, just like a feather touching the skin. If we press too hard we block the lymph rather than stimulate it. When using the sculpting edge of the gua sha, keep skin contact always and move at a slow mindful pace. It helps to imagine that you are pulling a tiny water balloon under the skin that you don’t want to let go off.
You can learn more about the Calmlish SCULPT Gua Sha® HERE
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Connective tissue massage is often referred to as face sculpting technique as it helps to lift, firm and contour your face through a combination of stretching the fascia tissue, muscle fibers and the skin and by opening up the lymph pathways to drain excess fluid build up.
When you massage your face, connective tissue massage techniques such as the gua sha massage below, blood flow to the skin increases, improving oxygenation and cell nourishment and build up of lymph fluid is removed. As a result the skin will look plumper, firmer, brighter, lifted and more sculpted as puffiness caused by fluid build up is removed.
Use this facial to tighten skin and promote drainage of fluid retention to sculpt and contour cheekbones, eyes, lips and jaw.
This facial is great for sculpting and draining and gives an immediate result where cheekbones, eyes, lips and jawline are contoured. The more times a week you do this facial, the better it works. Try it daily for a month and remember before and after pictures so you can see the difference.
Place the textured edge (side 3) of the gua sha on the middle of your neck, under your chin, and the small straight edge of the gua sha touching your jawline. Now pull the gua sha with medium pressure and slow pace towards the lower part of the ear. Repeat 5-20 times.
Now turn around the Gua Sha and use the Sculpt edge (side 4) on the backside of the gua sha. Place the gua sha under the chin. Pull the gua sha along the jawline with a medium pressure and slow pace towards the lower part of the ear. Repeat 5-20 times.
Hug the jawline using the space between side 1 and 2 on the gua sha. Start by the center of the chin and pull the gua sha with medium pressure and slow pace towards the neck and lower part of the ear. Repeat this 5-20 times. When reaching the edge of the ear, make a little wiggle with the gua sha. This helps to remove tension and stagnation around the jawline, so blood flow and lymph flow is increased.
Start by using side 3 of the Calmlish Sculpt Gua Sha®.
Place the gua sha on the skin by the corner of the nose with a 45 degree angle.The textured edge (side 3) is touching the lower part of the cheek and cheekbone for drainage. The small straight edge (side 2) is pressing lightly under and up the cheekbone. This area might be sore as we carry a lot of tension here. Pull the gua sha 5-20 times over the skin, with medium pressure and slow pace, from the corner of the nose towards the ear. Do a little “wiggle” motion with the textured edge of the gua sha just before you reach the ear. This helps loosen up tension.
Now move the gua sha up over the cheekbone. Place the textured edge of the gua sha by the corner of the nose again, but this time pull it upwards and over the top of the cheek and cheekbone towards the top of the ear.
Pull the gua 5-20 times over the skin, with medium pressure and slow pace, from the corner of the nose by the nasolabial fold towards the upper part of the ear and do a little “wiggle” motion with the textured edge of the gua sha just before you reach the ear.
This stretches the fascia and muscle fibers to lift and tone the skin.
Now turn around the Gua Sha and use the Sculpt edge (side 4) on the backside of the gua sha. Use it the same way as earlier. Place the gua sha next to the mouth under the cheekbone. Pull the gua sha over the chin and cheekbone towards the hairline. Use a medium pressure and slow pace until you’ve worked through the entire area of the chin. Repeat 5-20 times.
Place the Sculpt edge of the gua sha right under the eye by the corner of the eye. Make sure that the pressure you use here is feather-light. Too much pressure will block the lymph flow rather than drain excess fluid.
Now pull the gua sha gently and slowly towards the temple and hairline. Imagine you are pulling a water balloon under the skin. Repeat 5-20 times.
Now flip the gua sha using side 5 the long smooth edge. Place the tip of the edge (side 2) right under the eye by the corner of the eye and the other end of the edge by the corner of the mouth to drain the whole eye and cheek area. Use the same movements as before and pull over the skin with feather light pressure all the way towards the hair line. Repeat 5-20 times. The angle should be 15 degrees on the skin.
Continue to work with the same area of the face. Using the same edge (side 5) and a 90 degree angle, work the same area of the face but this time move the gua sha with tiny vibrating movements towards the hairline. Flatten the gua sha as much as possible the closer you get to the hairline so you'll end up with a 15 degree angle. Imagine that under the skin are multiple air bubbles which need to get out. Repeat 5-20 times. If possible, use the opposite hand to stretch the skin.
Repeat the exercise by using the long smooth edge (side 5). Place the tip of the edge right under the eye by the corner of the eye and the other end of the edge by the corner of the mouth to drain the whole eye and cheek area. Use the same movements as in step 6 and pull over the skin with feather light pressure all the way towards the hair line. Repeat 5-20 times.
Now use the Sculpt edge (side 4) Place the gua sha next to the beginning of the brow - drag it all the way towards the hairline and do a couple of wiggles. Repeat 5-20 times.
Using the pointy tip of the concave edge (side 2) of the gua sha, do acupressure on the following points:
1. inner corner of the eye.
Place the tip under the brow. Hold the point with a comfortable pressure for 30 seconds. This helps to release eye strain.
Continue to use the same side of the gua sha at the same place. The edge is placed under the brow alongside the brow all the way to the hairline. Repeat 3-5 times. Pressure is medium. Use the opposite hand to do a good stretch.
2. the center of the edge of the lower eye bone.
Place the tip (side 2) under the highest level of the brow. Hold the point with a comfortable pressure for 30 seconds. Afterwards continue with the gua sha in a straight line towards the hairline.
Flip the gua sha and use the Sculpt edge on the brow.. Use the Sculpt from the beginning of the brow towards the highest level and continue in a straight line towards the hairline and do a couple of wiggles at the hairline. Repeat minimum 3. times. Pressure is medium.
3. outer corner of the eye.
Place the tip (side 2) under the outer corner of the eye. Hold the point with a comfortable pressure for 30 seconds.
Flip the gua sha and use the Sculpt edge on the brow. Use the Sculpt from the beginning of the brow towards the end of the brow. Continue in a straight line towards the hairline and do a couple of wiggles at the hairline. Repeat minimum 3. times. Pressure is medium.
Place the textured edge (side 3) between the brows and pull it with a medium pressure up towards the hairline. End the pressure with a wiggle. Repeat 3 times minimum.
Place the textured edge (side 3) on the highest level of the brow and pull it with a medium pressure up towards the hairline. End the pressure with a wiggle. Repeat 3 times minimum.
Place the textured edge (side 3) outer corner of the brow and pull it with a medium pressure up towards the hairline. End the pressure with a wiggle. Repeat 3 times minimum.
Now turn the gua sha and use the Sculpt edge. It is time to lift the brow. You need to do the lifting in 3 lanes from under the brow to the hairline. The pressure is medium. Repeat 3 times minimum.
Using the textured edge of the gua and placing it on a 45 degree angle on the lower part of the temple, pull the gua sha with medium pressure up towards the hairline. You can go all the way on to the scalp with this technique if you like. End the pull with a couple of wiggles. Repeat 3-20 times.
Complete the facial with the classic lymphatic drainage strokes using the sculpt edge. You start at the top of your forehead, in the center, and with the warped edge as flat as possible on the skin, you pull it with feather light pressure towards the hairline. Repeat all the following lymphatic strokes 5-20 times.
Do the same on the lower part of the forward.
Repeat under the eye area and upper part of the cheek area and pull the gua sha towards the center of the ear.
Repeat under the cheekbone starting at the corner of the nose and pull the gua sha towards the lower part of the ear.
Repeat from the corner of the mouth on the lower chin towards the lower part of the ear.
Repeat from the center of the chin towards the lower part of the ear.
Now place the warped edge at the upper side of the ear and pull gently down towards the collarbone. End this pull with a couple of wiggles.
Check your face in the mirror to see the difference between the two sides of the face.
Now repeat the whole facial on the other side of the face.
Remember we always recommend to massage your neck and shoulders with the gua sha before you do a facial, as this helps to remove tension so that the lymph flows more freely.
Meet Calmlish Sculpt Gua Sha®! Our long awaited new gua sha! This gua sha-baby has been in the process for over one year, starting from notepad doodles to cardbox cuttings to endless testing of crystal samples and design protection - but now it’s here!
And we are so happy with the result.
As the name suggests, Calmlish Sculpt Gua Sha® is specially designed to tone, sculpt and tighten your face naturally. For example, around your cheekbones, chin and jaw, to make your face feel more toned, lifted and tight. Or under the eyes, to reduce any mild swelling or puffiness significant.
When using Calmlish Sculpt Gua Sha® you’ll work with the fluid within the skin to contour and sculpt your face back to its youthful, toned look. Sculpt is also perfect for reducing the accumulation of lymphatic fluid as well as tension, to make your face look more toned, lifted and tight.
The 5 edges of the Calmlish Sculpt Gua Sha® each work with different techniques and areas of the face to sculpt and tone the skin:
The Sculpt edge is placed on the backside of the gua sha. We particularly use this edge to tone and sculpt the face. This edge is also called the lymphatic drainage edge, as the warped line creates a small vacuum when pulling it gently and with feather-light pressure against the skin. This helps drain away fluid retention. Here it is important that you keep the gua sha as flat as possible on the skin, so that the edge is constantly touching the skin and making sure your pressure is light and pace is slow. Imagine you are pulling a water balloon under the skin. The lymph pathways are superficially placed right beneath the skin and if pressure is too hard, we block the lymph flow rather than draining it.
You'll find the Calmlish Sculpt Gua Sha® HERE
]]>If you have any body gua sha questions you would like answered, ask them on our insta account HERE
As you begin to release tension and break up facia adhesions with the gua sha tool, you increase blood flow in the skin so that more nutrients enter the skin and waste leaves the skin. It’s through blood - as in increased blood flow, that collagen and elastic is delivered to the skin, which firms and tightens skin over time.
In addition, you can use the body gua sha massage, if you have tense muscles and need extra relaxation.
Poor diet, poor hydration, lack of movement, weak lymph & blood circulation, suppressed emotions and unresolved anger can all contribute to the accumulation of toxins in the connective tissue and stagnant energy, which causes cellulite and sagging skin. That’s why it’s so important to take a holistic approach to eliminate the cause of cellulite.
In our book “Honest Beauty Talks vol 1” (buy it HERE or on Amazon) you’ll find a complete cellulite treatment guide using our Shape and Drain body gua shas.
You may experience some bruising when you start to break up fascia adhesions with the gua sha techniques. Even though it doesn’t (and shouldn’t!!) hurt to do the gua sha massage. Bruises are quite normal and actually a sign of you have worked in the right place! Just don’t “chase” bruises - Slow and gentle pace will get you further than hard and intensive (which requires much longer rest periods).
You may feel overwhelmed in the beginning, but remember that 5 min. every other day is better than nothing at all and you will still see results. They’ll just show up a little later.
Results take time! This is not a quick fix. It has taken many years to accumulate cellulite, and it will also take time to release it. But in a year from now, you wish that you had started earliere. So just get going. Grab your gua sha and start with baby steps today.
If you tend to get varicose veins and broken blood vessels easily, then move forward slowly and use very very light pressure with the gua sha. If you can tolerate body massage without aggravating your symptoms, you can also tolerate gua sha. Gua sha SHOULDN’T HURT. It should feel like a pleasant deep tissue massage. If it hurts, make it even gentler and slower until the tensions and accumulations dissolve.
A body gua sha with a smooth side such as Drain body gua sha in sodalite crystal.
A body gua sha with a textured side such as Shape body gua sha in rose quartz or obsidian. You'll find them HERE.
Your favorite body oil, preferably mixed with arnica oil extract to prevent and heal bruises.
Aorund 10 mins a day to do a body gua sha massage
Lymphatic drainage is an important part of Gua Sha treatments. In almost all our facials and our cellulite treatments, we work with the drainage of lymphatic fluid to the lymph nodes.
During absorption of nutrients from the blood capillaries to the body, excess fluid is released into the body's tissue. This is called lymph; In Latin, Lympha means "clear water".
Lymphatic fluid is a clear liquid, which consists of a variety of waste products from the cells in the body's tissues. It can also contain foreign microorganisms or particles such as bacteria, viruses, etc.
Lymphatic capillaries are thin vessels that absorb the fluid. Each lymphatic capillary carries lymph into a lymphatic vessel, which in turn connects to a lymph node. When the lymphatic fluid reaches the lymph nodes, it is cleansed and returned to the venous circulation. It is safe to say that our lymph nodes are the body's detoxification plant.
When working with lymphatic drainage, we always work in the direction of the lymphatic pathways (see illustration above). If the lymphatic system is damaged or its function somehow impaired, the fluid will accumulate in the skin. This can cause fluid retention, swelling, pain and increased risk of infection.
The lymph´s primary task is to remove the excess fluid from the skin and rid the body of foreign microorganisms and toxins. With the help of lymphatic drainage, we can stimulate the lymphatic circulation and thus remove excess fluid build up in the skin.
By stimulating the lymph, we can also treat many different skin conditions such as cellulite
Our favorite lymphatic system beauty tools are our sodalite Shape Body Gua Sha, cold showers and dry brushing.
Apply oil to the area you want to work on. Preferably from a spray bottle, as oily fingers are the number one reason to drop and break your gua sha.
Use side 1 (textured side) of your SHAPE Gua Sha tool. Scrape light and briskly, but with comfortable firm pressure, up and down the area. You can also scrape from side to side but never in circles.
From a pain scale from 1-10, where 10 is very painful, you should never exceed a pain level of 3-4.
Continue the scraping with side 1 for a few minutes until the surface of the skin is warmed up and has turned slightly pink.
Using side 3 (smooth side) of your SHAPE Gua Sha tool or side 1 (curved smooth side) of Drain Body Gua Sha, scrape with firm pressure up along the lines of the lymphatic system. Always use a long scrape up towards the heart (not up and down as before).
Do 10-60 scrapes on the same area before you move on to the next area.
You can do body gua sha daily, until you are satisfied with the result. If you get bruises, and the area is too sore, wait a few days until the bruises are gone before you do it again.
We recommend you use 5-10 minutes on one body part a day, so that you get the whole body done in one week. It gives the areas plenty of time to recover and you’ll get to work with your entire fascia system. The fascia system is a holistic system that “communicates”, which means that the cellulite on your thighs may well come from tension in the hips, and then you can scrape a lot on your thighs without seeing proper results, before you work on your hips too.
No! From a scale of 1-10, where 10 really hurts, you should be around 3-4. If you work with the end (side 4) in bound areas, it will be around 4-6 on the scale. Never more!
Spots with tensions, fascia adhesions and stagnation will typically be more tender. These places are also spots where you might experience bruises when you ”break through” the fascia adhesions. So the bruises are really a sign that you have worked in the right place. It does not mean that you should chase the bruises! Rather make the massage a little lighter, more gentle and take your time.
This is a self care practise and something to look forward to. 5-10 mins a day is better than one hour once a week. Do your body gua sha massage on the sofa while Netflixing, it won’t take extra minutes out of your day and you get to unwind while you release stress and tension from your body.
It has been proven that fascia, the loose connective tissue, becomes less viscous with heat, meaning it becomes more fluid and pliable when warm. In the sauna, after a warm bath or after working out is the ideal time to do a body gua sha massage to reduce cellulite. The inner heat from working out combined with external heat from the sauna means the superficial as well as deeper layers of fascia become softer, and we can go much deeper with the massage without pain.
]]>If you have any gua sha questions you would like answered, ask them on our insta account HERE
If you are not used to facial massage and/or using face oils or facebalms, you can experience a few breakouts for the first 2-3 weeks of doing gua sha. It’s perfectly normal and it will subside again as long as you continue the gua sha massage at least 3-4 times a week. If your skin continues to breakout after 3 weeks have passed, it might be because your chosen face oil or facebalm is not the right match for your skin type. In that case, turn to pure squalane as this neutral oil-like moisture magnet won't clog your pores but still give your gua sha massage the perfect amount of “slip and glide.”
When we do gua sha massage, or any facial massage, we move the fluid within the skin - the blood and the lymphatic fluid. This increases both nutrients and oxygen to the skin and removes impurities stored in the connective tissue through the lymphatic fluid. This movement of fluids caused by the extra circulation boost made by the gua sha massage, can cause pending build-up of “junk” to surface (better out than in - right?). Facial massage also activates the sebaceous glands (the skin’s oil producers) which release more sebum along with stem cells (partly responsible for the skin rejuvenating effect of the massage)*. These two skin cleansing and skin rejuvenating effects together can cause temporary breakouts until your skin has adjusted.
Source: Shiseido Reveals Pressure Awakens Skin Regeneration Ability: Link HERE
Ideally you should do facial gua sha 4 times a week for approximately 15-20 mins, but please remember a little is so much better than nothing at all. Start slowly and make it as pleasurable as possible. Gua sha massage is supposed to be a treat and something to look forward to.
Why not try gua sha in bed before falling asleep to gently melt off the tension of the day from your face? Or grab your gua sha while Netflexing on the sofa. There is no right or wrong - the only thing that matters is your wellbeing about the process. .
Yes!
The angle + pressure + direction + pace decide the effect of your gua sha massage.
To relax facial muscles:
90° angle with medium/firm pressure and imagine that the gua sha is melting into the muscles.
The movements are small scrapes back and forth or up and down over the tense area. Pace is medium.
For face-lifting effect:
20-45° angle with light/medium pressure in upwards direction. Pace is slow to medium.
For glow:
90° angle with light pressure using the textured side of the gua sha. The movement is back and forth, up and down and zigzag. Pace is fast. You need to create a light friction massage on the skin surface.
For lymphatic drainage:
0-15° angle with a feather-light pressure in the direction of the lymph, meaning from the center of the face out towards the ears and down the neck. Pace is very slow. Imagine you are pulling a small water balloon under your skin.
Generally we do not recommend gua sha massage on broken capillaries and spider veins on the face as it is typically a sign that the skin is severely sensitive. Instead we would advise to find a good holistic skin therapist, who can help strengthen the skin both from the inside and outside.
If you have broken capillaries on your body, you must also be cautious. If you tend to get broken capillaries and bruises from deep tissue massage, you can also risk getting it from the gua sha massage.
It is always important to keep your gua sha clean from oil and bacterias, therefore you should wash your gua sha with soap and water after each use.
However, the crystals tend to hold on to the energy they're exposed to, so we also like to clean our gua sha crystal energetically with sea salt baths.
If you have more than one gua sha crystal to clean, clean them separately, not in the same salt bath. If you're near the ocean, consider collecting a bowl of fresh salt water
Some crystals don't tolerate water, however all crystals from our selection do.
TIP:The metal on our glow rollers don't tolerate salt water, so to clean them energetically you can just place them on dry salt for up to 24 hours.
A crystal needs to be refueled as well as humans get new energy by sleeping. There are many ways to fill your crystal back up. All you need is grounding energy that comes from places in nature: the moon, the soil and water. One of the easiest ways is to place your crystal Gua Sha tools in the window sill during full moon to charge them.
You can also hold your gua sha in your left hand and place your right hand above the crystal and set a healing intention from your hand to the crystal, mentally reciting the properties you would like from it.
]]>You are now ready to begin your Gua Sha Facial
In the morning, you can splash a little water on your face and use a soft washcloth during your morning shower, followed by a small amount of facebalm on damp skin.
If your skin feels dry after a short period of time, then apply your facebalm two times. Start by massaging a thin layer into the skin, wait for one minute, and apply another thin layer. Always apply your facebalm on damp skin. This makes the balm penetrate deeper and faster into the skin, while capturing the moisture from the skin’s surface, so your skin feels ”plumper” longer.
The first layer of facebalm penetrates deep into the skin, where the fatty acids immediately begin to repair and renew the skin.
The second layer of facebalm seals the skin barrier so it can keep moisture in and irritants, pollution and bacteria out.
“The skin barrier is an active part of your immune system, and helps you stay healthy every day.”
You have probably already cleaned your skin, so why not make it extra luxurious? Enjoy the two minutes you use to wash the day off. Tanja’s aunt Meta of 70+ has always had the lovely ritual of spending 30 minutes on ”making herself beautiful for the night”, and the result can be seen today. She doesn’t have a single wrinkle!
We are not saying you need to spend 30 minutes on your skin every night. But why not make the most of the time you spend on yourself by doing it with a mindset of self-love rather than obligation?
Enjoy the texture of your facebalm, as you massage it into your skin.
Feel the temperature of the water, the heat of the steam and the texture of the washcloth while you wash and massage the day away.
Appreciate your skin while cleansing it and thank it for taking care of you.
TIP: Facebalm can be used under the eyes and on the lips for extra night care.
You'll find more information about our Facebalm HERE.
]]>As the temperature drops outside, it’s time to bring out the equivalent of a comfy sweater for your skin - shea butter!
Shea butter has emollient, nourishing, anti-inflammatory and skin repairing properties and is amazing for soothing, protecting and repairing a stressed out skin barrier.
The skin barrier is an active part of your immune system, and helps your skin stay resilient against spots and breaks out, as well as it helps seal in moisture, so your skin doesn’t dry out.
Shea butter contains phytosterols that not only improves the barrier function of the skin but also stimulates the microcirculation in the skin. This combination promotes a natural healthy glow and pairs perfectly with gua sha massage to keep the skin plump, hydrated and glowing.
Shea butter forms the base of our Gua Sha Facebalm 01 and Facebalm Co-Lab (with sea buckthorn) together with kokum butter to ensure 24 hours of hydration and skin barrier repair. Both balms also contain;
Both facebalms are suitable for all skin types but the Facebalm co-lab is particularly great for sensitive/combination/oily skin types. You'll find the balms HERE.
Facebalms can easily replace your normal moisturizer during autumn and winter to give your skin extra protection from the cold. Use morning and night as you would with your normal moisturizer. Read more about using facebalm on the blog HERE.
Orange coloured fruit and veggies, particularly sea buckthorn berries contain carotenoids which help calm and repair irritated and sensitive skin as well as repair sun damage and improve pigmentation.
All of these are “skin essential” vitamins and fatty acids, which strengthen, build and protect the skin against premature aging and sun damage. No wonder sea buckthorn is a skin favorite when it comes to superfoods for skin conditions such as redness, broken blood vessels, and dry itchy skin.
Sea buckthorn berries have a refreshing sour and passionfruit-like taste and are great in smoothies and juices with carrots, ginger and turmeric. You can buy them frozen in most supermarkets.
Calmlish sea buckthorn oil is also great added to skin care to protect and repair your skin from the outside. Add 1 drop of sea buckthorn oil to your moisturizer/our Facebalm 01 or use our Facebalm co-lab with sea buckthorn morning and night.
Diatomaceous earth/Silica is one of our go-to supplements when it comes to dry and dehydrated skin. It is essential for our skin cells to bind sufficiently with water and therefore plays a crucial role in the elasticity of the skin and the moisture level of the connective tissue. Silica can actually bind its own weight in water 300 times!
Silica / Diatomaceous earth ensures that the connective tissue remains supple, hydrated and elastic, which is important for everything from wrinkles to cellulite
The easiest and cheapest way to get enough Diatomaceous earth is through the dietary supplement Diatomaceous earth/silica, you can buy it online. Drink 1 tablespoon daily in a large glass of water. You can start to see and feel the difference after 1-3 months depending on age.
WARNING: Please note that there are two kinds of silica / Diatomaceous Earth, one you use in the pool which is very toxic and another which is food grade. MAKE SURE that you buy only the food grade version from the health food shop.
]]>Tendency to break out
The first day of bleeding is day 1 of the cycle, where the hormones estradiol and progesterone are at their lowest, and testosterone levels can be dominating. Skin breakouts can be exacerbated at this time.
The body’s immune system also produces a hormone called prostaglandin which is responsible for contracting the uterus. At the same time it heightens our sensitivity to pain so the skin can feel more sensitive, spots can feel painful and the blood vessels dilate which increase redness of the skin.
Due to the lack of estrogen and low sebum production (unless cortisol is dominating), the processes of skin hydration are reduced causing skin to feel more dry and sensitive, so lines and wrinkles can appear more pronounced.
The body temperature drops, as does the metabolism, which decreases the blood circulation making the skin look more dull and grey.
Calmlish beauty hack
Increasing your face yoga and Gua Sha practise during this period will be very beneficial. You'll find our selection of Gua Sha HERE
How to support your skin during the menstruation phase:
Optimal skin
In the follicular phase the ovaries start producing estrogen, which affects skin through increased collagen and hyaluronic acid production, making the skin plump, firm and hydrated. Estrogen receptors are also found within the capillary walls and dilates them which increases blood flow, nutrients and oxygen.
How to support your skin during the follicular phase:
Glowing skin
Estrogen reaches its peak at this time and testosterone levels increase too. High on hormones your skin will be glowing at this time.
How to support your skin during the ovulation phase:
Skin imbalances
There are several skin scenarios in this phase depending on the balance between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
After ovulation the estrogen levels drop along with testosterone. From day 16.17 the corpus luteum starts producing large quantities of progesterone and a small amount of estrogen, which can make the skin more oily.
If pregnancy happens, the rise in hormones will continue and skin symptoms could be anything from dry to oily to acne or pigmentation or sensitivity.
If pregnancy does not occur, estrogen and progesterone levels reach their peak around day 19-22, after which they start to decline. At this point testosterone may become dominant.
How to support your skin during the luteal phase:
A normal healthy skin can change, almost instantly, from one hour to the next. In the following text, you can follow the skin’s natural daily cycle. This will give you a better idea of which products you should add to your skin, and at what times.
The production of new skin cells is at its highest around midnight. Skin renewal takes place, at its best between 9:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m. To make the most of your beauty sleep, it is most advantageous to go to bed on the right side of midnight;)
2:00 A.M.
The skin only produces half of the amount of oil (at night), as it produces in the middle of the day, so to avoid losing moisture at night, use nourishing balms, sera, oils and creams with plenty of moisture magnets (kokum, butter, hyaluronic acid, honey etc) before bedtime.
In terms of nutrition, listen to your body and make sure to consume food which is healthy for you. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and stay hydrated all day with plain water.
Our Facebalm is the perfect moisturizer for your skin at night - you’ll find it HERE
Sleep better with our silk eye mask HERE
]]>Energizer has 2 ends - a large and a small one.
Of course, Energizer also works on tense muscles on the body or try it on reflexology points under the feet.
With the small end of the Energizer, you press the muscle point with a firm but comfortable pressure and move it in small micro circles for approx. 1 minute before moving on to the next point.
You can choose to work all muscle points in one session or simply select the points on the drawing where you feel a soreness / tension or where you have wrinkles.
We can have tension in all the muscles of the face, but for most of us we tend to accumulate tension between the eyebrows, in the forehead area and the jaw area. You can spot-massage these muscle tensions with the large end of the Energizer by massaging in circulating movements with firm but comfortable pressure until you feel the tension begin to release.
TIP: we love having Energizer close to the computer to relax tired eyes.
Buy the Energizer HERE
Each muscle has a motor point, which is the point at which the nerve enters the muscle. When these points are stimulated, a response takes place in the brain, which causes the muscle to either relax or achieve the correct degree of tension to reduce wrinkles. The in-depth point massage also stimulates local collagen production.
You can learn more about the muscle point by watching this 6 minutters video with Sally Walker. Sally is chartered Society Physiotherapist with more than 35 years experience has run her own business ‘The Goodlife’ since 1997 and works with hormone balance, physical, mental and emotional health, performance and beauty and is a Pro-Aging Expert.
]]>In this video, Face yoga coach Niki Terlich from Holistisk Hudterapeut skolen (Scandinavian School of Holistic Skin Therapy) will show you how to treat the upper part of your face with our Flow gua sha. This includes relaxing and lifting eye area, around and in between brows and treating forehead tension and wrinkles.
We tend to store a lot of tension around the brows and on the forehead causing wrinkles and sometimes headaches. The Upper facelift gua sha practise in this video, will deeply relax your forehead muscles, tension in between your brows and also calm down your nervous system.
Take this opportunity to deeply connect with your face.
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In this video, Face Yoga coach Niki Terlich shows how you can both prevent and reduce "frownies", that is, the wrinkles between the brows and forehead wrinkles with face yoga exercises and our crystal face roller.
The textured end of the crystal roller is particularly effective in loosening up the tense muscles causing the wrinkles.
WHY DO YOU GET FROWNIES?
Excessive tension in the frontalis, corrugator and procerus muscles contributes to both horizontal brow lines and vertical wrinkles between the brows. An overactive frontalis, which constantly raises the eyebrows, also affects the neighboring orbicularis oculi muscle, which becomes strained and limp. This causes loose or drooping eyelids, asymmetrical eyes, and a lack of toning of the eye area in general.
NIKI'S 1. TIP AGAINST THE WORRY LINE - FROWNIES PATCHES
Frownies patches is a patch you stick between the brows and on the forehead before going to sleep, to smooth out the wrinkles and prevent you from forming tension wrinkles at night. It may sound a little crazy, but it works! They are available on amazon.com
NIKIS' 2. TIP TO REDUCE WRINKLES - FACIAL EXERCISES FOR THE CORRUGATOR MUSCLE
Brow press is the name of the face yoga exercise to reduce worry line between the brows. In addition, the exercise strengthens the orbicularis oculi muscle, and balances and relaxes the frontalis, corrugator and procerus muscles. As a bonus, it helps the frontalis extend downwards which also reduces frown lines.
How to do the face yoga exercise
NIKI'S 3. TIP TO REDUCE THE 11 LINES- MASSAGE WITH FACE ROLLER
In addition to rolling the Glow roller over the 11s just like Niki does in the video, it is also perfect to use while watching Netflix, as the Glow roller is super easy and fast to use. Look at it a bit like an "all in one" face roller, which both boosts blood circulation with its textured end and removes fluid and lymph buildup with its smooth side.
The textured side (the nubby or comb end of the face roller)
Use it where you want to stimulate blood flow. This massage technique provides extra nourishment to the skin and an enhanced glow. Use the comb side where the skin needs a little extra glow and vitality, such as forehead, pigmentation, old acne scars, neck and chin.
The smooth crystal end
This smooth crystal side of the Glow roller you probably know from the ordinary jade roller or rosequartz roller and it is used for gentle lymphatic drainage as well as for tense facial muscles and to cool the skin after using the textured side. Lymphatic drainage helps the lymph fluid to move in the right direction. It removes fluid and build up from the face, giving a clean and clear look. Relaxing tense muscles in the face prevents wrinkles as they arise from repeated tension on the face.
Niki uses the Amethyst glow roller in the video, read more about it here.
Lately we've been getting a lot of questions about best oils for gua sha massage, and the answer is the oil that suits your skin type. It really does matter what oil you use on your skin, as each oil contain different fatty acids and the different skin types all need different fatty acids in different ratios.
In this blog, our focus is on the best oil for combination skin as well as recipes for oil blends for the different subtypes of combination skin.
Here's why jojoba oil is our favorite oil for combination skin
Jojoba oil is essentially a liquid wax and differs greatly from other vegetable oils through it's unique structure that resembles the skin's own sebum. Jojoba oil is rapidly absorbed through the skin's pores and hair follicles, preventing dehydration of the skin. The oil helps to give the skin a moisturized "plump" look. The oil leaves a fine film over the skin without clogging the pores, and actually helps regulate sebum in oily skin.
Jojoba oil increases the permeability of the substances blended into it as it penetrates quickly and deeply into the skin, so we like to mix it with other oils as well as essential oils to create more targeted skin effects.
The oil by itself is a brilliant make-up remover as it helps dissolve sebum and clogged pores.
Jojoba oil contains myristic acid, which is a saturated fatty acid with anti-inflammatory, regenerative and skin barrier repairing properties, which make it suitable even for sensitive or acne prone skin.
Oil serum recipe for combination skin with clogged pores
10ml squalane
10ml jojoba oil
10ml rosehip oil
Mix in a 30ml dark glass bottle. Use within 2 months. If you want to store it longer (up to 6 months) then add 3 drops of pure vitamin e or rosemary co2 extract.
Oil serum recipe for dry combination skin
10ml squalane
13ml jojoba oil
5ml melted shea butter
2ml sea buckthorn oil
Mix in a 30ml dark glass bottle. Use within 2 months. If you want to store it longer (up to 6 months) then add 3 drops of pure vitamin e or rosemary co2 extract.
Oil serum recipe for combination skin with lines & wrinkles
5ml squalane
10ml jojoba oil
2ml melted shea butter
3ml sea buckthorn oil
10ml rosehip oil
Mix in a 30ml dark glass bottle. Use within 2 months. If you want to store it longer (up to 6 months) then add 3 drops of pure vitamin e or rosemary co2 extract.
Use these oil blends for gua sha massage and as a substitute for your regular moisturizer morning and evening.
If you feel your skin needs more moisture, you can combine the oils with a hyaluronic acid serum or mist with hyaluronic acid. Amazing Space and Karmameju both create amazing face mists with lots of moisture-magnets.
When using an oil serum instead of moisturizer, make sure to massage or pat the oil into wet skin. We find that two ultra-thin layers of oil are better than one thick layer of oil.
Spray skin with water or cold green tea (green tea is perfect for combination skin) between applying the 2 layers of oil. This will make the skin feel more hydrated and plump.
]]>One of the main reasons for the lifting effects of regular gua sha massage is because gua sha directly affects the loose connective tissue.
What is loose connective tissue?
Connective tissue contains fibroblasts which produce an extracellular matrix; a structural framework outside the cells. This is composed of water-binding substances such as hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfates (GAGS). These produce a gel, in which the fibers in the connective tissue are embedded. The tissue fibers, which are constructed of collagen and elastin, give the connective tissues mechanical durability. Connective tissue consists of elastin and collagen, which help to give skin its strength, elasticity and flexibility.
Skin nutrition for connective tissue
You can affect the overall health of your loose connective tissue through diet. Protein and vitamin C are the building blocks for healthy collagen. Supplementation with GAGS and enough water provide a healthy and hydrated loose connective tissue.
The best water for our body comes from fresh, organic vegetables, herbal teas and clean water with a little sea salt or seaweed added to it.
In addition, you can eat bonebroth soups or hydrolyzed collagen powder along with flavonoids from e.g. rosehip powder to give the connective tissue an extra boost.
Avoid sugar and starches as they contribute to glycation of the connective tissue which makes it rigid and inflexible.
In this video co-founder Tanja Eskildsen & Face yoga coach Niki Terlich talk about how to correctly use gua sha even on acne and sensitive skin, and how a daily gua sha ritual can actually help your skin heal.
]]>In this video co-founder Tanja Eskildsen & Face yoga coach Niki Terlich talk about how you can motivate yourself through beauty and how selfcare is so important as a way to feel better in our daily life.
]]>We can't help but share this amazing interview with hormone and better-aging expert Sally Walker and Face yoga coach Niki, on a very important talk on how hormones affect your skin - in all ages.
This is a must watch for all women who wish to take holistic care of their skin, in our opinion.
]]>In this video FaceYoga coach Niki Terlich and co-founder Tanja talk about how to heal your skin naturally and how to take holistic care of your skin.
]]>Today, Gua Sha (pronounced “gwa shaa”) is one of the most popular natural face sculpting techniques in Asia and it's becoming a real rockstar in the beauty industry worldwide.
Gua Sha is an ancient healing technique, originating from China but also used in Japan and Korea. It is an essential part of traditional Chinese medicine, used as folk medicine in many Chinese homes. It ́s origin dates back thousands of years and involves scraping the skin to eliminate toxins, waste products, tension and pain.
“Gua” means ”to scrape” and “Sha” means ”red spots / redness”. It is a highly effective treatment that provides immediate benefits. The tools used to scrape with, are special Gua Sha tools. In our facials, we have chosen to combine Gua Sha with crystal healing. Therefore, our Gua Sha tools are carved from genuine crystals collected all over the world. Each crystal is unique and our beauty tools will vary accordingly.
]]>In this video FaceYoga coach Niki Terlich interviews co-founder Tanja on the skin health consequences of Botox and fillers.
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