Everyday that I look in the mirror a part
of me regrets the tell-tale signs of aging that I see. Of course I have
gained many benefits from my longish life that I would never trade away,
but still I always try to look my best, and this gets harder and
harder. And I have often wondered just how our oriental cousins over in
the East have managed to keep their skin looking so luscious and fresh,
so I was very pleased to read this lovely list of 15 natural anti-aging
secrets that the wonderful orientals have cultivated throughout the
ages.
Take a look at these brilliant tips, that will show you too how to get
your skin looking radiant and young again.
In the West, for cultural-historical
reasons, darker, tanned skin is considered desirable: people sunbathe,
go to tanning booths, or apply artificial creams to make their skin
darker. But in the east it is precisely the reverse. For different
cultural reasons, tanning is often considered a sign of a laborer,
someone of a poor-caste, whereas the more effete pale skin is associated
with refined upper-middle and aristocratic classes.
Therefore many of the skin benefits that
Asian people have enjoyed will be hard for us to accept if we cling to
the usual idea that darker tanned skin is more beautiful and better for
us. Realizing that pale skin is indeed very beautiful, should be part of
your first step towards learning how to care for your skin.
2. Regularly Drink Green Tea
Green tea contains many health benefits,
including antioxidants and metabolism boosting properties. In Japan, tea
drinking ceremonies are very important semi-religious events that shape
the day. Make you and your family a special pot of green tea every
afternoon, and drink it yourself throughout the day. Green tea can
become a useful healthy anchor on which you can embrace Asia’s best
healthy practices.
3. Use the Geisha-Nightingale Method
Just as horse manure is good for growing
crops, nightingale droppings, offer a (much more civilized) antidote to
your skin’s hardening and dullness. For many centuries Japanese geishas
made use of nightingale’s dried waste, and now expensive facials are
produced across the world using the same ingredient. So, if you want
your skin to be as soft and bright as a dazzling geisha’s, this
traditional remedy may be the thing for you.
4. Keep Your Face Away from Sunlight
Dangerous UV rays cause skin problems, like
premature aging and cancer. Therefore it is paramount that you avoid
direct sunlight by seeking shade, wearing big hats or even umbrellas,
covering your sleeves and legs, while making use of sunscreen. This has
long been a way of life in Asia and there is no reason why we can’t do
the same.
5. Make Fresh Fruit Your Daily Dessert
Put away the gloopy, chocolate pudding and
sugar-infested ice-cream sundae you had planned for tonight’s dessert
and head to the green grocer’s instead. If you pick up a colorful
selection of fresh fruit you can chop it all up and offer a stunning and
natural dessert for your family. It will fill yours and everyone else’s
body with antioxidant rich vitamin C. In Japan and Korea, eating fresh
fruit at the dinner table is a normal way of life.
Again, due to historical reasons, much of
east Asia does not eat a lot of dairy. So if you want to look as healthy
as an oriental you must be prepared to reduce the amount of milk and
cheese you consume. Not only will this reduce your fat intake, it will
keep you less full so you can enjoy other nutritious and beneficial
foods.
In the West, if you have a particular
problem, your doctor will likely prescribe you with some excellent drug
specifically produced to target and destroy your symptoms. Traditional
Chinese medicine, on the contrary, emphasizes the need for holistic
solutions to health troubles. A Chinese medicinal expert might provide
you with a healing soup that will tackle the root cause of your ailment,
as part of a balanced new approach, to alter and improve your
lifestyle, rather than simply tackling the symptom and result of a poor
lifestyle. Talk to a local Chinese chemist about what they can do for
you.
Even though they have great cars, people in
Asia walk and walk, that is, when they are not bicycling. This kind of
non-sedentary lifestyle lies at the heart of the orient’s healthy root
behavior, and unfortunately makes a favorable contrast to our lazy
drive-everywhere attitude. So, instead of driving from one building to
another, make more journeys on foot. Or purchase a bicycle and use that
(it’s a lot more fun and enjoyable than driving in busy traffic). This
behavior will improve your body’s health, giving your skin the shiny
results to show.
9. Discover the Uses of Tofu
Tofu is a regular and surprisingly tasty
part of many an Asian dinner table. This natural soy-bean wonder is full
of healthy goodness that your hamburger or steak will never be able to
match. And it is not just tofu either. Miso soup, edamame and soy sauce
also spice up your savory meal. Unfortunately most western people do not
eat enough of this kind of plant-based protein, and we can learn a
thing or two from our Asian cousins.
Ginger is everywhere in the east, not just
in stir fry’s but also soups and teas. Ginger is a wonderful root that
you will be amazed by. Some of its keenest results will be seen in your
improved circulation, which is absolutely vital for a glowing face.
11. Embrace Face Masks – the Asian Way
It’s not an accident that Asian people take
good care of their skin. They use several products, like this tissue
face mask, specifically to help do everything they can to keep their
faces luminous. Different tissue masks, like shampoos, are aimed at
those with different requirements, but all include some kind of
anti-aging ingredient.
12. Use Coffee Beans for an Exfoliate
In Indonesia, for a long time, women have
been using ground up coffee beans as a strong exfoliant. You too can
make this part of your body care routine. The benefit of using your
leftover coffee grounds to exfoliate your skin, apart from that lovely
smell, is that it is a great anti-inflammatory, which boosts your skin’s
collagen production. Caffeine is often used in products which tighten
your skin, but if you can do it yourself why waste money on such
products?
13. Use Matcha Powder for Your Skin
This green tea powder can also be used as
part of a face treatment which increases your skin’s brightness and will
even help treat acne. Matcha is such a wonderful thing, it is full of
lovely anti-oxidants, makes delicious and healthy cups of tea, plus in
Asia it is used in ice-cream, cakes and even bread. So it should
certainly be part of your next big supermarket shopping trip.
14. Use Mint to Lighten Your Skin’s Dark Spots
If you already have sun damage on your
face, like dark spots for example, there are natural remedies from Asia
that can help you. If you grind mint leaves into paste, you can make a
superb face mask. Apply and leave for 15 minutes before washing away. If
you repeat daily you will see truly sparkling results.
15. Get with the Goji Berry
Combining rice flour ( as it is coarse slightly) add little milk and turmeric pdr to make you face mask/ This serves 2 purpose- 1) lighten your sun tan. 2) By rubbing away from hair growth, you’ll have smooth face, if done regularly, as you get old, you’ll have glowing face without any hair.
You can do it daily or at least 2-3 times a week.
Some people use besan/ chickpea flour with milk cream as your face mask daily, you’ll have a glowing skin without any blemishes.
