Facial Exercises to look five to ten years younger

Your face has more than ten bones and 12 muscles, with numerous branches of nerves, arteries, and veins. As a person ages, the skin on their face begins to sag. This can be caused by loss of muscle tone and elasticity.

Facial exercise can help in all of these areas. It is typically used to stimulate blood flow and circulation, to better prepare skin for a facial treatment, relieve tension, or assist in treating medical conditions.

What is Facial Exercising?

It is a series of contractions and applied resistance to specific muscles in the face, sort of like body building but for the face and neck. In addition to increase in muscle size, which provides a nice lift to the face, when muscles are contracted the supply of blood to that area increases by ten times than normal, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to skin.

How do Facial Exercises work?

Facial exercises pull and push the facial skin to permit more oxygen as well as nutrients to the cells of the skin. As a result the old and damaged cells are whisked away and the face complexion gets better or cleaner. Since facial exercise enables the skin to absorb more moisturizer, the wrinkles will be rubbed out within no time. The most advantageous aspect of facial exercises is that they are economical and you can do it absolutely free.

What are the benefits of Facial Exercises?

Benefits of facial exercise can be given as below:

• It stimulates blood circulation to feed the cells of the outer layers, promoting better color and skin tone.

• It rejuvenates the elasticity and natural collagen, and smoothes sunken areas of the face.

• It diminishes fine lines and softens deeper lines to create a more firm and youthful texture.

• It brightens and tightens the skin.

Here are a few of the exercises that you can do at home to get started:

Exercises for a Double Chin

The chin is just another handy place for the body to store fat and too much body fat being deposited under the jaw causes double chin. Here are some double chin exercises that you can do every day (twice a day if possible):

• Sit upright, tilt your head back looking at the ceiling, while keeping your lips closed and then start a chewing movement. You will feel the muscles working in your neck and throat area. Repeat 20 times.

• Lie on your bed, with your head hanging down over the edge. Slowly bring your head up towards your torso and keep it there for 10 counts. Relax and lower your head towards the floor again - repeat 5 times.

• Sit upright and face forward and while keeping your lips together, separate your teeth by dropping your jaw and then push your jaw forward, keep for a count of 10, bring back to starting position and repeat 5 times.

• Sit upright, then tilt your head back as far as you can manage, now open and close your mouth several times feeling the muscle stretch each time.

Exercises for a Cheek

Over the course of time, the skin of the cheeks tends to lose its elasticity causing it to sag and developing wrinkles. The following exercises, if done regularly, will assist in lifting and firming the cheeks:

• Have a relaxed smile with your lips closed and then suck in your cheeks toward and on to your teeth. Hold this for 10 counts, relax and repeat 10 times.

• Look in a mirror while doing this exercise. Smile a wide as possible while keeping your lips closed and your mouth corners turned up. Try to make your mouth corners touch your ears. Next wrinkle your nose and see your cheek muscle move upwards and feel these muscles work. Keep for 5 counts, relax and repeat 10 times.

• Pout your top lip, turning the corners of your lips upwards and move your cheek muscles towards your eyes. You should at this stage try to get your top lip touching your nose. Keep in this position for 10 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.

• Keep your lips and teeth closed and blow air under your top lip (do not let the air out) and keep it there for 10 counts, then move the trapped air to your left cheek for 10 counts, then your right cheek for 10, then your lower lip and hold for 10. Relax. Repeat 5 times.

Eye Facial Exercises

• While keeping your eyes closed the whole time, first look down and then look up as far as possible. Repeat the facial exercise 10 times.

• Keep your eyes closed while lifting your eyebrows and stretching your eyelids down as far as possible. Keep in this position for 5 counts, relax and repeat 5 times.

• Lift your eyebrows while closing your top eyelids until about halfway closed, then open your eyelid wide open until the white of your eye shows over your iris.

• Gently tone the muscles of the eyes by pressing two fingers on each side of your head, at the temples, while opening and closing your eyes rapidly. Repeat 5 times.

Forehead Exercises

Forehead is one of the places where lines and wrinkles easily form. The following exercises, if done regularly, will help you reduce forehead wrinkles and make your forehead skin look and feel tighter:

• Lie on your bed with your head hanging over the edge. Lift your eyebrows as high as possible, with your eyes opening very wide. Relax and repeat 10 times.

• Sit upright facing forward and while bringing your eyebrows down over your eyes, wrinkle your nose as far up as possible while flaring your nostrils. Keep for a count of 10, relax and repeat 5 times.

• Frown as much as possible and try to bring your eyebrows over your eyes while pulling the eyebrows toward one another. Then lift your eyebrow as far as possible while opening your eyes as far as possible as well in a look of surprise. Repeat 5 times.

You can see the obvious improvement in your face only after two weeks. Within six to nine months you will be looking five to ten years younger than you were before starting to exercise! It's so much fun to have a natural skin care, and look younger with these simple exercises.

Skin Care Tips for Men

All too often men neglect their skin, believing that all the products on the market are designed for women and that they don't need any cosmetic products for them. Beyond the world of shaving their faces, it is rare for a man to devote time to his skin, especially the skin on his face.

That idea is now starting to fade. Men skin care products are becoming more and more popular these days. A modern man has realized that he also needs to pay attention to his skin regimen. Nowadays, men are increasingly taking care of their skin. There are an amazing amount of skin care companies whose goals are to keep men looking their best (and youngest).

If you are of the old opinion then you should think about this. Proper skin care is essential for the present and the future. Skin is the body's first line of defense against sickness, germs, and diseases. Additionally, as we age, our skin loses its elastic nature. Thus, we develop wrinkles and facial lines. For these reasons alone, proper skin care is important.

Your skin is a mirror of your overall body health. But that doesn't mean that you use the same cosmetic products as women to keep it healthy. Men have thicker (about 20% thicker) and oilier skin (owing to larger pores and more active sebaceous glands) than women. Therefore, their skincare needs are different. There are preventive techniques that will help you promote the best skin possible and keep it looking its best longer. Here are a few:

• Know your skin type: You can have normal skin, oily skin, dry skin, or a skin that is a combination. Each skin requires care and hence you should choose the cosmetic products accordingly.

• Wash your face: You should wash your face at least once day with lukewarm water and a good cleanser. Cleansing helps remove the grease, dirt and environmental pollutants from the skin and helps in preventing pore clogging which can make the skin prone to breakouts. An exfoliating cleanser containing alpha hydroxy acid should be preferred. Avoid using soap for cleansing as it can leave your skin dry.

• Shave Carefully: Shaving is always rough on your face, so get it done right. Buy a shaving cream that will properly lubricate the skin so the razor blade will glide over it, preventing razor burn. Also, use a good quality sharp razor that has a double blade attached to it. Shave lightly over acne-affected areas, and try not to drag your razor or nick pimples. Be gentle, and use a soft and smooth action when using your razor.

• Aftershave lotion: Aftershave lotion is an important part of the shaving process. It reduces the irritation and helps to soothe the skin after shaving. Alcohol based aftershaves should be avoided as they can close the skin pores on your face. Choose an aftershave based on your skin type, and the one that will soothe and condition your irritated skin. The lotion may contain an antiseptic to prevent infection, a moisturizer, or fragrance.

• Use Sunscreen: Sun damage leads to hyper pigmentation (brown spots) which can develop into serious skin disease. To prevent the elements from damaging your skin, wear sunscreen when you plan to be outdoors for an extended period of time. An SPF factor of 15 should be enough.

• Use a Moisturizer: Moisturizer isn't just for women! Due to regular shaving, your skin can get dehydrated quite easily. Therefore, it is very important that you keep your face moisturized, which will keep your skin healthy and soft as well. There are plenty of moisturizers on the market today made with a man's skin in mind. Gently smooth it into the skin after shaving.

• Tone your skin: As skin ages, it needs to work harder to maintain its elasticity. Astringents and toners with glycolic or alpha hydroxy acids work the best for toning the face.

• Have a balanced diet: Excessively fatty or greasy foods can increase the oiliness of your skin and cause blemishes. Drinking plenty of water and eating a high-fiber balanced diet will help you to maintain a young and glowing skin. Vitamin C, E, B and zinc are important components of a healthy skin. Make sure that you include these in your daily diet.

• Exercise: Exercise will do more than simply get your heart rate going. It will clear your pores, increase your metabolism, and for the most part make you feel better about yourself. Sweating during exercising allows your inner body to cleanse itself.

Stay away from excessive alcohol, smoking, fatigue and stress. Not only can these factors lead to premature aging; they also decrease facial circulation making you look older. Diligent practice of the above tips will make your skin will look healthier and younger, allowing you to feel better about yourself.

Home Remedies for Stretch Marks

Pregnancy and weight gain are the two major causes of stretch marks. When your skin is stretched to maximum capacity, your skin's elastic fibers and collagen breaks down and the ruptured middle layer tissue can then be seen through the thinned outer layer of skin. Every woman in her life develops stretch marks. Some women have a family disposition to develop stretch marks whereas others do not develop them at all.

There are various other causes of stretch marks. Some of them are:

• Stretch marks may occur on the body of both men and women, if they have the problem of obesity.

• Sometimes stretch marks develop due to some hormonal and genetic problems.

• Boys and girls in their teen age develop stretch marks, because of the stretch on the skin of their body in the process of growth.

• Sometimes stretch marks are caused by the intake of chemical based medicines while suffering from a disease for a long time.

• Deficiency in essential minerals and vitamins also lead to stretch marks. So proper and regular food is required.

In all diseases, nothing could be as good as home remedies. Similarly in case of stretch marks, taking to home remedies is the best way to get rid of them. But during pregnancy, it is very necessary to go with what doctors advise. Some of them can be given below:

• Gentle rubbing of warm olive oil on the abdomen and hips better one's blood circulation and help reduce stretch marks to a great degree.

• Prepare a mixture by adding one ounce of carrier oil (try avocado, sweet almond, jojoba, they are the best) with seven drops of lavender and five drops of chamomile. Apply on the affected areas. This is one of the important home remedies for stretch marks.

• Massage by using calendula oil on the affected parts work a lot in minimizing stretch marks, because this oil is known for its medicinal property. Even lavender oil which is known for its aromatic herbal quality, errand (castor oil), flaxseed oil and cod liver oil can be used to get rid of this problem.

• Apply cocoa butter and/or elastin cream through out the body. These are very good for stretch marks.

• Another most popular home remedies in this category is the mixture of a little almond oil, lavender oil, half teaspoon chamomile oil. It is said to be the most effective treatment.

• Take 1/2-cup virgin olive oil, 1/4-cup aloe vera gel, liquid from 6 capsules of Vitamin E, liquid from 4 capsules of Vitamin A. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender. After that store the mixture in the refrigerator. Apply the oil externally all over the places where the stretch marks commonly appear (abdomen, hips, thighs and breasts). This is one of the useful home remedies for stretch marks.

• An herbal solution can also be made by mixing one tablespoon wheat germ oil and one tablespoon calendula oil. Regular application of this mixture on abdomen, hips, and breast regions work greatly particularly in stretch marks caused due to pregnancy or overweight.

• It is advised to maintain sufficient levels of water in body to avert any problems of dry skin. Good hydrated skin results in regular detoxification of skin pores and restores elasticity which will further aid in diminishing the stretch markings. It is advised to drink 1-2 glasses of water several times during day.

• The adequate and uninterrupted supply of nutrition to body is of great eminence. It is recommended to include ample vitamins A, C and E in the diet chart. These vitamins endow skin with optimum elasticity and at the same time provide nutrients for skin care. Fresh fruits, vegetables, almonds, fish and eggs are some example of vitamin rich food items.

Apart from the above remedies, exercise is one of the best recourses for reducing the appearance of stretch marks because the firming of the body tightens the skin and promotes better elasticity. Because stretch marks usually develop in the areas like the thighs, abdomen, hips, and arms, here are some exercises to help you firm these areas:

• To firm your buttocks and hips, lie flat on your back and relax. Now lift one leg and create a 90 degree angle until you feel a certain pull on your buttocks. Repeat with the other leg, slowly adding to the pace and to the strain on the hips, thighs and buttocks.

• To firm your thighs, sit on a chair and put your hands down at your sides to hold on to the chair. Now swing your legs up and down.

• To firm your stomach, you can perform abdominal crunches. Lie flat on your back and bend your knees with feet flat on the floor and hands on the sides of your head. Now contract your abs and lift your upper body slightly off the floor.

• To firm your bottom, lie face down on the floor with your arms on the side. Raise your right leg first then down, and then do the same with the other leg. You don't have to raise your leg too high; three to six inches off the floor will suffice.

The goal for all the exercises is to do twenty lifts for each exercise, three times a week.

If a home remedy is used properly by keeping other necessary cares regarding the intake of nutritious food on time and drinking of enough water every day, one can easily get rid of this stretch mark problem.