The skincare edition
Contents:
1. On skin and lymphatic movement
2. Herbs for skin
3. Supplements/ other things for skin
4. Beautiful, clean, plant-based facial products in the world
5. Facial massage/ gua sha
6. People you should definitely be following on social media
*There are too many scenarios and situations to write about, and each has so many different possible causes! It often seems as though there should be a ‘herb for acne’ or a ‘herb for eczema’ but it doesn’t work like that in herbalism: skin acts and reacts in certain ways and there are any number of different causes. The best thing to do when having skin issues that you cannot figure out is to get in touch with a good herbalist or wholistic skincare expert and have a consultation so that you can get to the bottom of it together. You’ll see, as you read on, however, that there is lots of information about ‘healthy skin’ in general, and the herbal recommendations might apply.
Ps. Next week, bigggggg shop update coming, with lots of products leftover from previous surprise boxes. I’ve had a few emails asking whether that Damiana syrup, or the Warp & Weft cocoa will be available, and, I have a few left of each, plus a few other things.
1. On skin and lymphatic movement
Our skin is our largest organ and most of what we are taught about it comes from old information that makes it sound like our skin is an entirely separate thing to the rest of us: this troublesome thing that displays rashes and zits and lacks brightness, but that all of this can be solved by using some magic [expensive] potion or another.
What I so rarely hear said by people other than holistic skincare experts, is that the state of your skin is an expression of the state of your whole body. And because of that, most of the recommendations for healthy skin are also recommendations for general health. Probably things you’ve heard before, maybe even things that make it onto new years resolution lists.
I know, I know, its sooo annnoyyying to think that we might have to take care of our whole selves instead of just ignoring our bodies and deeper feelings and slapping on a mask once a week or something, but, that’s the way it is. And there are benefits to thinking about your whole body as opposed to just our superficial layers: you feel better all over, and as a side effect, your skin looks amazing.
That said, one of the most neglected areas in our body, for both skin and overall health, is the lymphatic system. And when it comes to healthy, glowing facial skin, nothing is more transformative than paying attention to your lymph and superficial fascia.
What the lymphatic system does for the skin:
The lymphatic system brings nutrients TO the skin and removes waste products from the skin. When it comes to inflammatory skin conditions (acute like sunburn or chronic like acne or eczema, it doesn’t matter), lymphatic movement is even more important, because all of that inflammation is an indicator that the skin is not receiving nutrients, or clearing waste. Skin heals faster and more efficiently when it is receiving the nutrients it needs and able to clear what is hurting it. In addition to that, when the lymphatic system is working more efficiently to remove waste products from cells, then the skin doesn’t need to bear as much of a burden of the excess, and so it will not be as inflamed.
What happens when lymphatic flow to our faces is impeded:
Restricted lymphatic flow in the face can cause a number of inflammatory skin conditions, and lead to puffiness, sallow complexion, lack of tone. TREATING lymphatic congestion in the face, however, can make a person look ten years younger, can make wrinkles disappear, increases skin’s plumpness, vitality and overall glow (See below for links to Insta feeds that show some amazing before and afters).
Lymphatic flow to and from the skin of the face can be impeded by a number of things, but the main ones are:
-Lack of hydration
-Fascial firmness
-Lack of exercise/ physical movement
-Muscular tension
HYDRATION:
Lymph is a milky white substance that travels through lymphatic vessels in our bodies, bringing nutrients and removing waste. It is made up of blood plasma (it is ACTUALLY blood plasma— it moves from your blood vessels, into your interstitial fluid, and then into the lymphatic vessels, where it circulates around the body and is dumped back into your blood again. This movement of blood plasma-> extracellular spaces -> lymph is constantly happening in your body, in the same way that water in the world around us is always transforming from ocean -> cloud -> rain), and this substance is made up of water. Dehydration, even slight dehydration, leads to thickening of this fluid, and that makes it harder to pump around the body. Lymph gets stagnant and sticky really easy, which will lead to more congestion. This applies to your skin, but lymphatic congestion affects the entire body, in subtle but noticeable ways. Keep hydrated, and keep your lymph happy.
FASCIA:
Fascia is really important for skin because where there is fascial adhesion, blood and lymph are not flowing as easily to an area. Where fascia is nice and jelly-like, our skin receives nutrients. What does this mean for our skin? Well, if we have chronic muscular tension, or spend a lot of time in a single position, or even have very little movement of our facial muscles, then our superficial fascia is probably spending a lot of time hanging out in a single position. After a while, it firms up into this position. Many deep facial wrinkles are due to fascia firming up.
MOVEMENT:
Our lymphatic system does not have a pump of its own, so it is moved primarily by the movement of our own muscles. It is also moved by the bellows of our lungs, and movement of our diaphragm. Physical movement is one of the best things you can do for your lymphatic system, and actually walking is one of the best things you can do: it doesn’t need to be vigorous or super sweaty, just go for a long, slow walk, every day. The key here is consistency, and that its done often.
A secondary benefit to physical movement is that it gets us breathing more (breathing helps your body take in oxygen and clear out waste products), AND it gets us sweating, which is another way to help your body nourish the skin and remove waste.
MUSCULAR TENSION:
Muscular tension in the face and neck can block the flow of lymph to and from your face, leading to congestion, puffiness, and slow healing. Learning how to do a self-massage on your neck and shoulder muscles can be really helpful, especially if you tend towards holding a lot of stress in your jaw, neck or shoulders.
My absolute favourite way to move facial lymph and make the skin look instantly better (but really helps the overall health of your skin more and more over time) is facial massage and/ or gua sha-- it moves lymph AND helps to move and lubricate the facsia, which helps with the appearance of wrinkles (but also just helps your overall skin health in general). Below (in the last section), you'll find some of my favourite facial self-massage tutorials by some brilliant wholistic skin people who are sharing their knowledge far and wide on the Insta-net.
2. Herbs for skin
Burdock // Arctium lappa
Burdock is an alterative that has a strong affinity for the skin, bringing both oil and moisture from the middle of the body (digestion) to the surface. It is of special use in cases there there is dryness, sluggishness and the body isn't clearing waste products efficiently, resulting in eczema, or acne. Burdock moistens, but it also helps the body break down fats, and then helps the body transform and excrete waste products, making it sorta useful all around. Take internally, and in many different ways: add to soups, stir-fries, make infusions, all and any of the above.
Chickweed // Stellaria media
Chickweed is soothing, calming and incredibly healing, plus its got a ton of minerals, which are really good for the skin. A gentle lymphatic, and amazing, gentle, calming skin soother, chickweed is useful all around where there is dryness, redness and irritation. It can be taken internally in infusion form (tastes a little like dirt if I'm being honest, but, I don't know how else to say this, it tastes like really, really *good* dirt; like you can literally feel all of your cells going 'YES YES YES' as you drink it down in the summer. Cooling, soothing, healing and deliciously dirt-y. Oh, and I have a great chickweed skin-healing story! Last year when I was in Berlin, I was drinking daily chickweed infusions, and took a big ziplock bag with me. I was making my infusion one night when the glass jar exploded all over me. I had been standing there in my underwear, and it exploded all over, erm, some very sensitive body parts. It was 1am, I was starting to blister, and I was in a foreign country and had no idea what to do or where to go. So I cleaned up the glass and plant mess, then made another infusion, and lay on my bed for the rest of the night, draping a chickweed-soaked towel over my burned crotch and thighs. The next day, all the blisters were gone, and it was VERY red but I could at least function. When I got back from school, I repeated, and all pain and redness was gone the next day. Chickweed tried to kill my ladybits, but it also healed me in record time; I'll choose to focus on the latter.
Read Rosalee's article on it for more.
Violet // Viola odorata
Violet is a gentle, cooling, moistening lymphatic herb that is so wonderful for when there are skin conditions like eczema or dermatitis, or where there is congestion or achiness. Infusions of violet work best as the water can extract the mucilage which is where the bulk of their medicinal action comes from. I also LOVE violet infused in oil and used as a facial massage oil, or base for doing gua sha (see below).
I love jim's monograph, which you can read here.
Rose // Rosa spp.
Rose is cooling, calming, soothing and astringent, which makes it superbly helpful when there is swelling, irritation, itching or inflammation. Rose infused in vinegar is still my favourite sunburn remedy (learned from Kiva Rose), even if it does make one smell a tiny bit like a salad. And rose is SO soothing and healing that whenever there's redness or inflammation its one of the first things I reach for, both topically and internally.
Calendula // Calendula
Calendula is a beautifully gentle wound healer that also moves lymph in the body making it lovely in facial products when concerned about congestion, swelling, or slow wound healing. Use topically or internally, and internally especially if you're seeing more systemic mucous membrane inflammation (like, do your guts feel raw at the same time as you're having skin issues?), or sluggish lymphatic movement all over (swollen glands? Slow healing? Congestion?). As with violet, above, infused into oil it is wonderful for facial massage.
Helichrysum // Helichrysum
Also known as immortelle, or everlasting, helichrysum is a very potent herb that's usually used in concentrated form in skincare products, and is a *brilliant* wound-healer and inflammation soother.
Here is a great article about it.
3. Supplements/ other things for skin
TONS OF VEGGIES
Seriously, eat your rainbow folks. As an experiment, try upping your carotene-containing vegetable intake and see how your skin looks more glowy (also, carrot juice with cream in it is strangely delicious).
Fish oils.
If you happen to have a perfectly balanced omega 3-6 ratio, then taking more fish oils isn't such a big deal. But most of us have a predominantly omega-6-dominant diet (especially if you're not eating wild fish, or pastured meats), and when these two fat ratios in our body get out of whack, we develop inflammation. One of the easiest ways to re-balance this is to take more omega 3 fatty acids. This affects inflammation all over the body but is apparent especially in the skin where you can see changes in skin conditions, and luster, and plumpness quite quickly.
Collagen.
Collagen is the substance that keeps our skin pliant and healthy. One of the reasons we develop the appearance of wrinkles and skin stops bouncing back into shape so quickly is that collagen production diminishes as we age. Taking collagen internally is great, or you can eat collagen-rich foods like ox-tails and bone broth.
Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is absolutely essential for the production of collagen in our bodies. Also it helps with wound healing AND prevents scurvy :D.
Pearl
Pearl powder is really rich in minerals, which is probably the reason its so good at making skin glow. Used in Chinese medicine as a beauty-enhancer, it is also really calming to the mind and spirit.
Fats
Our skin needs so many of the nutrients that are found in dietary fats, and for many people with dry skin issues, it can be easily solved by adding more fat to the diet (also digestive bitters if those fats are hard to digest). Good fats like avocado and olive oil, salmon and butter are all delicious and can be really helpful if dryness is an issue.
Water
I mentioned it above, but its worth mentioning again. Drink lots of water. Add electrolytes and minerals to it if its summer and you find yourself peeing too much. There are varying thoughts on how much water to drink in a day-- some say to drink when thirsty, others say to drink as much as you can. I think it probably depends on the person and their constitution, but as a dry person who lives in a dry place, I go by my friend Brianna's wise words, who, says to people visiting her in Colorado: if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated. This would probably be different for folks in more humid climates!
Sweat
Sweat is SO good for your skin, opening the pores, releasing tension from the surface, and also allowing the water in our skin to flow, taking waste products with it. From what I've read, it doesn't matter HOW you sweat, only that you do. Combine with item 7: water.
Lymph movement
Exercise or lymph massage or deep breathing or lymphatic herbs all of the above. Lymph movement is essential for healthy skin.
Sunlight
(Within reason, be careful if you're super pale and prone to burning.) Sunlight is ESSENTIAL for our health and happiness. Spending time in the morning sun, before it gets too strong or too hot is so good for our skin and our overall health. The more naked, the better.
4. Beautiful, clean, plant-based facial products in the world
I make a few:
Queen of the desert oil serum <-- my daily moisturizer
Rose & Immortelle facial serum <-- when I need something both light and deeply moistening
lderflower & Orange blossom facial balm <-- smells like spring!
Heart of Gold:
If you're not familiar with Ally Draizin and her line Heart of Gold, you should be! I've been a huge fan of her work for years and watching her develop her brand and products has been wonderful. Everything she makes is precise, elegant, perfect (like Ally herself :P) . But these are some of my favourites:
Talisman repair balm (saves my dry, irritation and eczema prone skin allll the time)
Sectional sofa comfort balm (I sometimes use this for an extra luxurious gua sha session)
Sky compass eye balm (wake up looking refreshed every morning!)
Star keeper mineral toner (so lovely and refreshing and smells like fairies <-- I have no idea what this means but its what it smells like)
Resonant frequency Glow serum (its just magic)
Other facial products that are so worth trying:
Mettle & Loam High Desert Serum (so so so nourishing and gentle and smells like heaven. I also use this as a base for doing gua sha). Plus Alanna is a brilliant formulator and EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY HER BITTERS.
Do you remember Abbe who used to pack all your orders? Well she's all grown up now, and has started her own line (which is really good!) and has a really amazing looking skincare line, which you can check out (along with the rest of her stuff) and buy here.
And, I haven't tried Laurel Skin Care products yet, but they look really incredible <3.
Wildling beauty facial gua sha kit
Yin/ yang facial roller (I don't have this, but really want it :) )
5. Facial massage/ gua sha
Full disclosure: everything I know about facial massage and gua sha and why its so important, I learned from Angela Peck on Instagram, who's page is a veritable goldmine of information about skincare and facial massage and lymphatic movement. She posts photos of herself and clients before and after lymphatic facial massage, and shows repeatedly how things like botox, fillers, harsh chemicals and exfoliators really aren't necessary. I could paraphrase everything she says here but that'd be silly when you can just go and follow her and have everything you know about skincare turned on its head.
I have started incorporating facial massage and gua sha (I switch them up) into my daily routine and have noticed a massive difference, not just in my skin, but in the mini wrinkles starting to appear, slight discoloration, and the frequency of occurence of headaches due to facial tension (I have a really, really good scowl :P ). And its so easy and pleasurable to incorporate! I basically do it in the bath, while reading my kindle <-- #glamlife.
Some tutorials:
Here is Britta's one minute facial massage
And Britta's facial gua sha tutorial
self Lymphatic drainage massage tutorial
This amazing gua sha tutorial with a spoon (no fancy equipment needed SO YOU CAN START TODAY)
Your beauty magician on using yin and yang rollers for skin
6. People you should be following
Ally
Britta
Angela
Tuong-vi Giang
Your beauty magician