Last week, we had the pleasure of having a team from Business Insider Beauty come to our Windsor Terrace location and spend a few hours both in the service room and our production space.
The young woman that they brought in for the facial demonstration has seriously sensitive skin and has been struggling with eczema for many years. At the time of the visit, she had a large patch of eczema right under her nose. If you know me (Emma), you know I took the opportunity to teach her about some of the things she can do to help with her issues.
The crew was so excited about what they learned that they climbed up on top of the facial table, really zoomed in and the results:
Can a Wand Up Your Nose Relieve Your Eczema?
Fortunately, no. The wand does not actually go UP the nose, no matter what it looks like on your iPhone screen. But Facial Point Stimulation, along with some topical solutions and a few dietary changes can come a long way in clearing up those dry, scaly patches so many people struggle with.
Topical
Our guest was using upwards of 8 products on her face both morning and night—a danger that comes with being a beauty editor I suppose. I told her to simplify and started her out on this regimen that anyone with over-reactive skin can benefit from:
Regimen
AM: Splash the face with warm water and massage gently with fingertips. Splash again with cooler water and gently pat dry. Moisture Duo: Drip 3 drops of NO EVIL into the palm of your hand and spray 5 pumps (6 if you live in a dry climate or tend towards dehydration) of Sense & Sensitivity Mineral Mist directly into the NO EVIL. Gently massage into the skin using long, light strokes towards the lymph nodes behind the ears and at the armpits.
PM: Apply 10 drops of NO EVIL to the entire face and massage in circular motions. (If you want, get in the shower and massage some more.) Remove by pressing with one of our textured washcloths, damp with the warm water, into the face and gently wiping away. Go to bed with no moisturizer on these nights.
Ritual
1-2x’s per week, mix 2 tsp Sense & Sensitivity Clay with 3 tsp water and apply over NO EVIL. Leave on for up to 8 minutes. Remove with damp cloth (shower is good!) in the process described above. It may bring up a mild flush in the skin, but this is just increased circulation and is helpful. Follow with your Moisture Duo.
At the same time, you will want to increase your transdermal mineral absorption with Soak Your Wild Oats and Instant Alchemy. Instant Alchemy can be sprayed directly into our calendula and red clover infused coconut oil and applied all over the body, including the areas that you wish to address specifically.
Reminder: If you are currently using controlling products, such as suppressants or steroids and suddenly stop…you can expect that “things will go out of control.” Read this article or book a consultation to learn how to gently add nourishment before letting go of control. Also, once the skin is less reactive, it is a great idea to switch to Nourish & Replenish Oil as part of the Moisture Duo in order to maintain your great results with daily topical nourishment.
Food
Though she would benefit from a full consultation to determine her exact needs, there were some basics that I could impart that could benefit anyone who experiences inflammatory distress. These tips included ways to make the food easier to digest (bringing down the body’s level of need) as well as finding ways to get more nourishment–especially minerals–out of food.
Cook your veggies with an acid (vinegar, citrus juice, tomato, etc.) and eat with with fat (clarified butter, olive, coconut, avocado) in order to break down the cell walls of the plant and assimilate its goodness. All those raw veggies and salads won’t do you any good if the body is not getting the vitamins and minerals out of them.
Limit your grains to one kind at a time and make them easier to digest. Simple sourdough is easier to digest than a dense loaf that has lots of different kinds of nuts, seeds and grains. Soured, soaked, sprouted and “leftover” grains are the kinder way to go when the body is sensitive. Get your energy sources from easy to digest grains and the nutrients from cooked veggies and a delicious diverse diet.
For more information, check out Diet For Incredibly Good Skin (read closely!)
Facial Point Stimulation to Support Cellular Communication, Immune Function, and Digestion
Facial Point Stimulation is a healing therapy similar to reflexology or acupressure. In this practice, specific areas or points on the face are gently stimulated using fingers, our Facial Point Stimulation Wands (pictured in the video above and available to purchase at our workshops) and precious stones such as jade, rose quartz and amethyst.
By stimulating specific areas on the face, we also increase blood flow to the many points that pass through our face that have a connection with each of the organs and glands of the body. Many of these points and zones coincide with Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic teachings, and energy meridians. Regular sessions (you can do it yourself!) can result in improved circulation, enhanced body system functioning and a more relaxed nervous system.
Though there are many points that we use, there are two “sets” that are particularly useful to those who experience the uncomfortable symptoms of eczema. They are the Inflammation set and the Digestion and Elimination sets. You can use this technique at home to improve your body’s ability to eliminate as well encourage a “normalized” immune response.
After you have applied your Moisture Duo and massaged it in, press and stimulate each point with your finger knuckle (tip could work too), one of our unique wands or a precious stone for 3-6 seconds and release. Follow the charts and directions for each set below:
Inflammation Set
This set of points is designed to remind the subtle body how to deal with inflammation appropriately. In our modern world, we have used so many drugs (antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, steroids, etc…) to tell the immune system not to respond the way it intends to, which may be part of what can eventually lead to a hyper-responsive system. This set is extremely useful in an acute situation when the body is in over-drive (major itchy bug bites) or to calm chronic inflammatory responses such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. It also releases some of the soreness related to TMJ and a tight jaw.
Emotionally, it helps to ground us in reality–like when we find ourselves unhinged for no reason that we can pinpoint. I think of it as inflammation of the emotions when it’s almost as though we just can’t make the connection to the material world.
Digestion / Elimination Sets
The body has 4 major pathways of elimination. If we don’t eliminate metabolic wastes through bowel movements, urine, or breath the preferred method the body chooses is the skin. The elimination set is designed to remind the subtle body that it’s ok to let go when it’s time to let go…and ok to hold on until then!
Though the physical manifestation of this type of elimination is bowel movements, we all experience times when we are emotionally constipated (or even worse: experiencing diarrhea of the mouth…when you can’t stop talking and nothing but….comes out!) and could use some toning in this area.
Not only is this a place of elimination, but it is the final stage of digestion, where the body is able to get the last bits of needed nutrients from your food.
Facial Point Stimulation for Digestion and Elimination
Stimulate around the lips with the entire fingers and then and tap gently under the nose and then sweep the area as needed as needed–Down and to the left (the direction of digestion in the body) for constipation. Use even, regular stimulation regularly to promote…regular movements.
Putting It All Together
When the skin is over-reactive (such as in cases of sensitivity, hyper-immune responses and irritation) we can support the subtle body in its quest for equanimity with Facial Point Stimulation in addition to the physical body with our unique topical solutions and these dietary considerations.
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