Do not rub your Eyes

I have already done two posts on bad habits which lead to aging of our skin early. I felt I was kinda doing something silly but since I have started getting comments from you all, I feel these posts are not silly instead they do encourage everyone including me to change bad habits and give information to those who are not aware of the facts yet. So, thank you guys and keep the comments coming. And, now moving on today's bad habit which is prevalent among children generally and then gets carried on to adulthood.

Habit: Rubbing the eyes vigorously to subside irritation.

Results: Wrinkled skin and fine lines around the eyes. The reason for this is that the skin around the eyes is almost 10 times thinner than that of the face. So, consequently, it is much more sensitive to various products and various kinds of movements. Another consequence can also be drooping and wrinkling of the eyelids.

If you have read about the surgery of Botox, a neurotoxic protein by the name of botulinum toxin is injected in the forehead. This toxin paralyzes the muscles temporarily so that there is no movement in the muscles near the eyes or where ever it is injected by blocking the nerve impulses. When there is no movement in the muscles, there is no chance of formation of wrinkles and slowly the existing wrinkles also smooth out because of the lack of repeated movements. The effect of the toxin lasts up to 8 months and one has to take the injections regularly to keep up the effect.

So, even the surgery is doing the same thing. Blocking the movement of the muscles so that there is no repeated movement. This is exactly what I meant when I was writing my earlier post on facial expressions and even this post. But, I am not advocating Botox here because let me also tell you the down side of this procedure. Your face freezes and does not show any emotion which is not what you basically want. Just for the record, women who under go Botox surgeries have higher divorce rates as compared to women who do not. So, you can easily imagine how much trying to stay young costs a person. And, frankly, there is nothing wrong if some of your lines are visible. That makes you look real at least.

Remedy: Apply eye gels or under eye creams to smooth the wrinkles and fine lines. (This is not what I do personally) Apply almond oil or vitamin E oil at night on the skin around the eyes. In the morning, you would find that the eye area is smooth and soft. In some days, you will see lessening of the wrinkles and fine lines too but for that you need to be persistent in your efforts. A home remedy which I would like to suggest is a honey mask for your eyes. Apply a little amount of honey on your eye area (under eye, around the eye and eye lids) every day for 15 minutes and then remove with a cotton pad gently. Honey prevents wrinkles.

How to get rid of the habit?

Of course, stop rubbing the eyes. Stop your children from developing that habit too. It irritates the eye foremost even if you forget the wrinkles. Next step is if you feel irritation and have a strong desire to rub the eyes, close your eyes and gently massage them or splash cold water in them. Either would help reducing the irritation.

READ MORE - Do not rub your Eyes

Facial Expressions can make you look old

Yup, this might be a habit of yours as is mine :) I always give a million dollar smile and consequently, I have laugh lines and fine lines under the eyes. I do not frown too often but yes it happens that we screw our faces without realizing which can again cause a lot of lines on the face.

Habit: Constant facial expressions should be avoided.

Result: Laugh lines, fine lines under the eyes, forehead lines. A lot of lines on the face can develop if this is a regular habit of a person. Many people have forehead lines which develop when you screw your forehead and then there are vertical lines between the eyebrows too. Fine lines under the eyes are really common in people because of excess exposure to sun and also because the skin around eyes is a very thin layer. Crows feet and other wrinkles around eyes develop if you close the eyes too hard. Laugh lines are formed right from edges of your nose to the corners of your mouth and can travel down to the edge of the jaw. Many people have lines on their chin too. These are all due to the regular movements in the face muscles and if it becomes a regular habit, these lines develop very quickly just like lines in our palms. 

At this point, I also want to share something which we are told when we are children. Now, everyone knows that children make a lot of weird faces meant to tease you. So, they will smirk and scorn and turn their mouths to one side or another or stick their tongues out or pull the lips to one side of the cheeks. I have done those things and even you might have. (I really hope I am making sense. Please do tell me so if I am not) So, we are often told or even children say that your face will become like what you make it. In a sense this is exactly true. Our usual facial expressions make a mark on our faces. So, one should be very cautious about the facial expressions. They represent your character. 

Remedy: Well, wrinkles once formed are very hard to get rid of. Even then we can give them a try and things might work out temporarily. First thing is to apply sunscreen regularly so that sun exposure is not damaging the face. Second is to stop squinting and frowning too hard or laughing too hard every time. Screwing the face is not an option so keep your face pleasant looking under all circumstances. I know this is very hard but once you control it, it becomes very easy. Working people might be able to better share their experiences in this regard (you have to appear neutral in the office and not show what you are thinking). Then, obvious is wrinkle lifting creams which basically never work (you are fore-warned). And, you should try these home remedies to get rid of wrinkles. Apply a thick coat of almond oil or castor oil at night on your face and sleep. 

How to get rid of this habit?

I have certainly stopped laughing too hard every time and controlled my smile extent (seems stupid but true!!). Now, when I laugh or smile, my eyes do not get all wrinkles up. Then, I used to squint a lot in the sun coz I have specs and cannot wear sunglasses :( A big problem for people with glasses (I find contacts too tiresome!!). So, controlled my squinting too by being conscious of it. I do not frown but when I concentrate I do screw my forehead so have to take care of that too. And, whenever I close my eyes, I gently close them instead of squeezing them hard as is generally asked in facial exercises. So, remember this if you do facial exercises, do not squeeze any muscle in your face, gently do the exercises so that wrinkles smooth out instead of developing more.

I wish to add that most of our habits can be changed by constant observation and control of the habit so it is a good thing to be conscious of what your children are doing and then teach them accordingly what is right so that they do not need to change their habits tomorrow.

Update: I wish to add that neither this post is saying you to stop laughing nor am I encouraging you to become sad and morose. The only thing which I have tried to convey is that keep your face relaxed instead of in a particular expression. And, of course, smile all the time. It makes you look beautiful :)

READ MORE - Facial Expressions can make you look old

Daily Body Massage to cleanse your body

Body Massage is one of the oldest ways to detoxify your body. It has been recommended in Ayurveda as one of the best ways to keep your body and skin soft and radiant. It is touted that one should make body massage a daily habit. It helps relieve stress, muscle pains, improves blood circulation, nourishes skin, lose weight and detoxifies your body. A daily massage also helps your body become immune to muscle spasms and sprains and all other kinds of injuries. A warm oil body massage is even better. It helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines and blemishes, not only on your face but also on your body, and helps you take years off your body. It helps make your skin more elastic, firm and flexible preventing any aging signs for a longer time. Oh, the best benefit of daily body massage is that it helps you sleep and also helps get rid of insomnia.

We might want to indulge in spa massage luxuries as frequently as possible but the main hitch comes  as lack of time and money. So, the simplest way is to include a 5 minute daily massage into your daily routine. Of course, the relaxation and soothing effect of a masseuse would be missing but at least you can gain a little benefit than nothing at all. And, you can always ask your spouse or friends to help with it. Making kids walk all over your back is another great way of providing acupressure relief.. Just make sure your kid is below 5  and you can handle the weight otherwise you might end up breaking your back. I have been trying to make the body massage a daily routine for a week and would say that I have found many differences in my body in a week only. My skin has become more radiant, luxuriant and soft. And, it does not get dry skin bouts which I used to get from time to time. The fine lines under my eyes and on my neck have started diminishing. And, I have also done a little experiment by leaving the massage after a week. And, I have also noticed the effects of leaving the daily body massage. The skin is not so soft and smooth and luxuriant and of course, the fine lines and other aging signs are not any more vanishing. So, I have decided to stick on to the daily body massage regime.

In case pampering yourself with massage daily seems too much difficult due to reservations on your time, you might consider going for a professional body massage once in a month.  Find out a spa which has professional and trained masseurs. Kerela massage therapists are one of the best available in India so in case you re going for vacation there, reserve a day for their massages. I have heard that it costs anywhere between 15,000 - 30,000 for one sitting. And, a sitting is for around 3-5 hours.

Now, how to massage your body?

• First dilemma I faced with massaging my body was the time of massage. I, first, thought that body massage after a long day would be the best as it would help me relax. But, soon, I realized that the skin is not clean after all the exposure to sun and dust and pollution in the day. So, I figured a shower at night and massage in the morning would be a better routine. 
• Warm a bowl full of your favorite oil in the morning. Close all the windows and the doors to prevent exposure to cold wind. 
• Divide your body into 6 parts: chest and stomach, back, arms, legs, feet and face and neck. Now, start massaging your body starting from legs and arms. Use long single upward strokes on your arms and legs. Work towards the middle of your body or towards your heart. Use circular motions on your chest and back. You could ask anyone else to massage your back for you because it is not easy to reach your back. 
• Do not forget to massage your feet. This would relax your feet and prevent the skin to turn hard and crack in the heels.
• While massaging your face and neck, use the facial massage techniques.
• Keep massaging your body with your palms with even pressure applied from whole of your palm. I know that finger pads provide better results but you might get tired easily while doing self-massages so your might want to stick to using palms. You can spend two to five minutes on each of your body parts and you would get finished in fifteen minutes at max. 
• Wait for half an hour or so before you go for a shower. You can take a sauna or lie in a bath tub full of warm water to help your body absorb oil. 
• After the waiting period, you can take a shower. Just make sure you do not slip on the bathroom floor. You might want to wash your feet before entering the shower. 
• Use a mild soap to wash off the oil. You need not moisturize your body afterward. Or, you can, if you wish.

A tip: Sesame Oil is the best for an oil massage. Sesame oil is the only oil which can get absorbed in the blood stream and removes the toxins from inside. You can also infuse your massage oil with herbs like lavender, jasmine, rose, sage or other herbs. Read this post to know how to infuse oils with herbs.

Update: After a hot shower at night, you can devote 10-15 minutes to massage your body. Do not be generous with your oil. Instead use 5 drops of oil for each part of the body.

READ MORE - Daily Body Massage to cleanse your body