This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
I recently enjoyed a virtual facial with beautician Jane Mann on Zoom using wonderfully fragrant Dr Hauschka products. Jane has very kindly offered to share some of her Pamper Missions with us – her ideas on how you can treat yourself between professional treatments. This week, she concentrates on your neck, breasts & tummy…
NECK & DECOLLETE
Amazing how many women stop their skin care at the collarbone. Most of us have got the whole face thing sorted, but we stop at the chin. But remember – a beautiful flower needs a strong firm stalk. As the skin on the neck and chest is thinner, it’s far more prone to dehydration and dryness. And wrinkles.
Remember to cleanse your neck and chest when you do your face, morning and evening, and use a neck cream. Here’s an intensive treatment: after cleansing and toning, use the warmth of your hands to heat up some Hydrating Cream Mask.
You need about the size of a broad bean. Gently press this onto your neck and décolleté. Leave to absorb for at least 20 minutes, then remove with a warm, moist cloth.
You could do a face mask at the same time… multi-tasking. Or masking.
Here’s a firming neck exercise: Stick out your tongue and try to touch the tip of your nose. Breathe in, exhale then release. Do this once for every decade of your life.
Used daily, Neck & Décolleté cream helps keep those necklace lines away. Your neck would thank you, if it could!
BEAUTIFUL BOSOM
Your bosom is as liable to wrinkle as your face and neck. Sometimes even more so, because of the effect of gravity on the breasts.
We crush them into sports and push-up bras, and forget that the skin is thinner, and more prone to dehydration and dryness. Women who sleep on their sides may even notice wrinkles on their décolleté, so it’s super important to care for this neglected body part.
In Ayurvedic massage, your breasts are automatically massaged, as they are rich in lymph tissue, and working on these areas helps keep this detox mechanism running smoothly.
Wearing a bra can keep your lymph circulation from draining well, but by removing your bra and massaging your breasts at the end of the day, you can help drain the stagnant lymph fluid and bring in fresh blood supply. Some people suggest it even helps with uplift!
To massage your breasts, use a body oil with a scent you like. Rose is lovely, as is Moor Lavender, particularly if you are going to bed soon afterwards.
You obviously need to be topless. Spread the oil on your breasts, then start the massage. Stand in front of a mirror and raise one arm. You’re going to use the other hand to massage that side.
Now, cup your breast from underneath while you stroke from the centre to the armpit area (Where all those lymph nodes hang out). Use gentle strokes, not firm pressure – you’re trying to move lymph, not iron out muscle strains. Work from the cleavage, under the breast, around the nipple and back. Repeat on the other side.
YOUR TUMMY
Hands up who loves their tummy? Anyone? It’s gone all quiet! Sad isn’t it. Our tummies digest our food keeping us alive, they sometimes grow babies and inevitably gather a few battle scars en route, so why don’t we worship them?
Look at the Willendorf Venus – nobody told her not to eat that cake, she’d have flattened them. Although she might have needed arms for that. Sadly the fertility goddess look is no longer in vogue (or Tatler) so we all try to be as skinny as La Moss who famously said “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” She’s obviously never had buttery asparagus is all I can say.
Anyway, let’s look at tummies. How can we befriend ours? Give it some loving and apply some oil, that’s how. Always massage in the direction of the digestion – which should help your digestion as well as firming your tummy.
Ideally lie flat on your back with your tummy exposed. Warm your hands by rubbing them together. Gently lay your hands on your lower abdomen and focus on your breathing.
Apply your chosen oil (I like lemon and lemongrass for its toning qualities). Using the palm of your hand, gently massage your entire stomach in a clockwise direction. Repeat. Gently massage from the outside into the centre in a spiral movement.
The Radiant Skin eating plan will help flatten most tummies. Buy my book The Skincredible Journey to find out more.
Jane Mann, aka The Organic Beautician, has been called “best kept beauty secret in the Cotswolds” and clients love her bespoke organic skin treatments and skin saving facial exercises. To find out more visit www.theorganicbeautician.com or sign up here for Skincare Secrets.