Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where our lifestyle choices can hinder our lives’ journey. The choices we make in terms of our health and wellbeing can affect us differently. Sometimes these habits develop without us even realising. Maybe it’s our circumstances that dictate it. Or simply we just have made a wrong decision and then decide not to make the change. However, developing healthier habits can be beneficial to our well-being and how we feel on a day-to-day basis. With that in mind, here are some of the easiest ways you could do it.

Does your diet need looking at?

The first thing to think about would be whether or not you have the right diet in place. We can all be guilty of reaching for those convenience foods when life is busy or just choosing to eat things that are not particularly good for us. This is when the diet can go out of the window. But it shouldn’t be about losing weight, and it should be more about having the right balance with the food you eat and getting the proper nutrients and vitamins from your diet to give your body precisely what it needs to function. There is a lot of information online about how to have a balanced diet and the right foods to be eating. 

Do you have a vice you want to give up? 

We all have vices and bad habits that we want to rid ourselves of now and again. Smoking is one of them, and while it can be a tricky thing to give up, there are some great methods out there to help you do it. You might want to consider a healthier habit and switch to vaping instead.  Or perhaps speak with a doctor to see what other methods are available. Some even go cold turkey, but it can take a lot of willpower and determination to see it through. Alcohol is another vice that we can all be a little reliant on at times. Reaching for that drink too often and knowing that you perhaps need the glass rather than enjoying it. Getting rid of the temptation is a good place to start with alcohol, and keeping a good stock of non-alcoholic drinks that you want can help you make the switch. 

How often do you exercise?

When was the last time you exercised? Probably not for a while if you are starting to question your lifestyle. Exercising forms a big part of a general healthy lifestyle, and so you may want to consider how often and when you decide to exercise and be more active. It isn’t about joining a gym and trying out grueling aerobic classes or sweating away on a treadmill. Being active could mean a brisk walk. It could mean a run in the park, an at-home workout you follow on YouTube or even simple yoga positions in the garden. It is all about making a choice. 

There are many healthy habits you might want to change up. Drinking more water, taking better care of yourself and your mindset. Often just starting on this quest can have a knock-on effect in other areas of your life. 

The simplest way to make a change is to start today and give it your wholehearted committment.  If you need support to hold you accountable, get your loved ones involved or join a support group.  

If you are not sure what bad habits you have that you would like to change, take a pen and a piece of paper and have a good think about your everyday routine.  You could look at areas such as diet, exercise, how much time you spend on your mobile phone or social media, whether you spend to much time worrying about the future etc.  Then be practical and set yourself a realistic, achievable goal, such as only going on Facebook for 1hr a day or going for a walk twice a week.

They say that it takes anywhere between 18 to 265 days to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behaviour to become automatic.  So why not start something new today that moves you in the direction of onwards and upwards improvement in your life?  

Until next time

Zoe

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In this post, we take a look at some of the things that you can do to improve the appearance of your skin and start positively glowing!

Committ to a regular routine

The number one advice to improve your skin is to choose and stick to a regular routine using products that are suitable for your skin type and skin concerns.  A regular basic routine would involve sleanse, tone, moisturise twice a day, wear a minimum of SPF 15 during the day, eat a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and stay hydrated.  You will also need to exfoliate and apply a face mask at least once a week. 

Other useful skincare hacks to improve your skin include:

Get A Regular Face Massage and/or Facial

A face massage is a fusion of a facial and a massage, except the masseuse applies it more gently. During a treatment, your skin is cleansed and toned, followed by a relaxing massage of the face, chest, neck and shoulders.

We tend to treat our faces differently from the rest of our bodies. We are often keenly aware of stress and strain in our back or hip muscles. But noticing the effects of stress on our faces isn’t always as easy because we use them to make expressions.  Face massages relieve this tension and help drain lymph from the face. This can help reduce puffiness around the eyes and will stimulate the circulation bringing fresh oxygen and nutrients to the skin.

In addition to your home skin care routine, getting a regular professional facial will help to target specific concerns you may have such as blemishes, fine lines and wrinkles, loss of collagen and elasticity.  If you would like a free consultation to help you choose the best facial for your skin type and concerns, please get in touch.

Rinse Your Face In Cold Water

For years, beauty gurus have been using cold water on their faces to inspire more youthful skin. In the past, people didn’t have a clue how it worked. But they noticed that if they put their face in icy water every morning, it helped to keep their wrinkles at bay. 

Now that we understand a bit more about the science behind it, we can explain it. It turns out that stressing the skin with cold is good for it. It switches on cellular pathways that regenerate and rejuvenate the skin from within

Change Your Skin Care As You Get Older

Good skin care involves changing with the times. That’s because the nutrients your skin requires when you’re young are completely different from those it needs as you get older. 

When you’re young, the main concern is to create effects on the skin, such as dewiness. But as you age, you also need creams that penetrate below the surface and bolster hyaluronic acid and collagen concentrations. Key active ingredients that you need to look out for in your anti ageing skin care include daily SPF (even on overcast days), Retinol (derivative of Vitamin A), Peptides and Vitamin C.

Swap Out Your Pillowcase Regularly

Doing the laundry can become a bit of a chore sometimes. But washing your pillowcase regularly is essential if you want perfect, clear and beautiful skin. 

Why is it so important? Well, it has to do with skin shedding. Your skin isn’t a static organ. Instead, it changes all the time. New skin cells rise up from below, and the old ones shed. Over time, your pillow can become engorged in dead skin cells, oil, makeup and dirt. And that can make it easy for bacteria to spread from the pillow, back to your face. 

You might also want to try using a silk pillowcase. These are good for when you put products on your face at night. The silk creates a natural barrier, keeping any creams or lotions on your skin’s surface. 

Sleep On Your Back

If it is comfortable for you, try sleeping on your back. According to dermatologists, your sleeping position is the second-biggest creator of wrinkles, after UV exposure. So if you’re sleeping on your front and crumpling your face, you’re much more likely to develop wrinkles in the long-run. 

Thus, if you can, sleep on your back. It stops your skin from creasing and also allows fluids to drain from your face naturally. 

Spend As Much Time As Possible Make-Up Free

Wearing makeup is a part of many women's (and some men's) everyday life. But as many people have noticed during the pandemic that going makeup-free has actually improved their skin. That’s because going nude keeps the skin free from pore clogging ingredients that are present in many make up items.

Wash Your Hands

This isn’t just COVID advice: washing your hands regularly is a great beauty tip too. Again, it comes back to bacteria. The skin on the face is sensitive. So when you touch it with bacteria-covered hands, it has a nasty habit of flaring up or becoming inflated. 

Before touching your face or applying creams, wash your hands in soap and water. If you have long nails, use a scrubbing brush to remove all the dirt caught underneath. The rest of the time, try to avoid touching your face at all. 

Well, that's all for now, fingers crossed I will be able to reopen again from 12th April but I will keep you posted

Until next time, stay safe

Zoe 

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PS Do you need help with your at home skincare routine?

Check out my Skin Care Guide - only £5 - Ebook PDF

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• Help you choose products that are suitable for your skin type and skincare issues
• Key information on common skincare issues and which products can help: acne and breakouts, dehydrated skin, dull skin, hyperpigmentation (uneven skin tone), mature skin concerns, rosacea and redness, sensitive skin.
• A to Z glossary of over 40 popular, effective skincare ingredients