At times, I feel like maintain a comprehensive routine gets overwhelming and I fall off completely. Today I asked myself a powerful question. I wondered if I could boil my beauty routine into one fundamental practice that could support all of my beauty goals both inside and out.
After a few minutes of reflection I figured out that, fundamentally, there is one common factor that has a direct, positive effect on our overall beauty and health. That one common denominator is blood flow.
Ages ago, I told the story of a co-worker who had the most amazing nails I've ever seen. They were long, thick, healthy and strong. I enamored by them because my nails were weak and flimsy. When I asked her what she did to nourish her nails, she gave a humble answer of not doing anything special and blaming it on genetics.
Ok cool.
Because I'm an observer, I discovered the behavior that created her enviable nails. While sitting in a meeting, I noticed that she had this unconscious habit of constantly rubbing her nails while bored. She pretty much did it for the entirety of the meeting. In that instant, I decided to try her behavior for myself. For weeks, I dedicated a bunch of time to massaging my entire nail bed. Whenever I watched tv, I rubbed my nails, in meetings, I rubbed my nails. A short while later, I was amazed at how quickly my nails transformed. They too became strong, healthy and long.
What made the difference?
Blood flow.
Remember when everyone was raving about hair growth benefits they were experiencing from incorporating inversion into their routine? By increasing the amount of blood flow to the head and scalp, they were able to supercharge their hair growth rate. Before inversion became popular, most people were aware of how important scalp massages were to supporting growth in one's hair journey.
When you're out and about, I want you to observe a teenage girl standing next to her mother. Although their features might be nearly identical, one obvious difference is the appearance of their skin. If you were to study the differences between them, one obvious difference you'll find is the rate of blood circulation to the skin's surface.
Facial massage is one of my favorite anti-aging techniques. One of the reasons why I think it works so well is because manual stimulation promotes blood flow. When someone with pale skin gets pinched, you'll immediately see blood flow rush to the surface of the skin. That rush of blood flow is why our faces look healthier and younger with regular facial massage.
Internal blood flow is a pillar of optimal health. With strong blood circulation, our bodies are able to perform cleansing at the cellular level. Blood is loaded with oxygen and nutrients so when circulation is good, our entire body benefits at a cellular. Notice what happens when it's cold out. Because our body goes into preservation mode, it funnels our blood flow inwards. Suddenly our extremities appear dry and shriveled because the cells are devoid of nutrients.
Every single one of us will benefit from incorporating daily activities that enhance internal blood flow. Now's a really great time to start before the cold weather arrives. Some examples of blood flow enhancing activities include:
- Scalp Massage/ Inversion
- Facial Massage
- Rebounding on a trampoline
- Time in the sauna
- Steam facials
- Exercise
- Full body massage
People who work out regularly are able to maintain a younger-looking physique partly because the increased blood flow feeds the muscle cells. Keep in mind that, as a general rule, activities that raise the body temperature promote blood flow/circulation because the body utilizes our sweating mechanism to cool the skin. Healthy blood circulation is a gift that we receive at birth. But as we age, there is a natural decline. Let's fuel optimal health incorporating a health + beauty regimen that promotes healthy blood flow for our entire lives.
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