Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Face Value

(Berbedak Session - Traditional Malay Wedding Rituals)

More than any other part of our body, our face reflects most accurately what is going on beneath our skin's facade. It's the clearest indication of the popular maxim : "beauty from the inside out". While we know that we cannot halt our natural ageing process, we can help our skins age with grace by taking a few simple steps. Fresh air, adequate sleep, a higher water intake, relaxation and a diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in processed foods, all help our facial skin stay plump and relatively free from blemishes.

Tropical Asian women have a head start on those in the west. These basic steps have been an integral part of their traditional life-styles for centuries. And many of their facial preparations are mixed directly from the vast botanical heritahe that this region lays claim to. For example, many natural beauty preparations stem from the palaces in Central Java where princesses spent youth learning and preparing them for their own use. In the absent of night creams, neck creams, and a new oxygen creams, Asian women have used raw plant extracts to slough off dead skin cells, fight acne, replenish moisture or achieve an SPF.

Now that "natural" is de riguer once more, women are flocking to Asian spas where traditional treatments, free from clinical input, are giving them soft skin and a relaxed state of of mind. "Bacik to basics" is the new concept for modern beauty, and ironically, they may now find themselves having their faces 'cleaned' with the very food that, at home, they have hastily wiped from their chins.

In my next entry, i will share some of my home made, back to basics face treatments. Until then, for a start ; sleep tight baby....

No comments:

Post a Comment