Face Mapping Your Way to Better Skin
Determining what is causing that breakout or dry spot using face mapping. (Illustration by Regina Yazdi and Erik Mace )
Being a professional makeup artist means I’m constantly tackling new skin issues with my clients, even though my end goal always remains the same: flawless skin. We all have our bad days, rough weeks, and even years of skin nightmares, but since I’ve started taking a more holistic approach to my career by studying nutrition and wellness, I’m looking at skin in a new way. Since your skin is a direct reflection of your health, I’m asking my clients more about what they are eating, what they are drinking, and what their busy schedules entail.
Following the guidelines of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda there is a way to determine what might be causing a patch of dry skin or a nasty breakout. It’s a technique is called face mapping, an ancient method that uses the face to read the internal organs (it’s how we know that chin breakout that comes once a month is linked to your hormones). Here is a beginners guide to face mapping plus the products and tips to help you deal with all of your skin concerns.
The Jawline
On the face map it represents the colon and ovaries and can tell you if you’ve got an overgrowth of candida (yeast) or hormonal issues.
Health Tip: Cut back on sugar, starch and fatty foods. Incorporate a lot of greens, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables.
Beauty Product Savior: Burt’s Bees Acne Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment ($10)
The Forehead
Concerns on the forehead lead us directly to the liver and gallbladder.
Health Tip: Just say no to that second (or third) cocktail of the night! Drink plenty of herbal tea and fresh water. Garlic, grapefruit, beets and carrots are cleansing to for the liver. Add fiber to your meals with papaya, cherries and whole grains for the gallbladder.
Beauty Product Savior: In Fiore, Pur Face Oil Concertré ($35)
Bridge of Nose and Upper Cheeks
The heart rules this area and rashes like rosacea are common on the nose and cheeks.
Health Tip: Load up on your omegas to boost healthy cholesterol. Snack on raw nuts, avocado, wild Pacific salmon (it is lower in mercury), chia, and flax seeds.
Beauty Product Savior: Goldies Petite Grain Milk Cleanser ($26)
Middle Region of the Cheeks
This area of the face is infamous for rosacea, breakouts and hyperpigmentation and is linked to the stomach and lungs.
Health Tip: Chances are if you’re one of the lucky ones that are affected, you’ll benefit from avoiding gluten filled foods and dairy. Experiment with an alkaline diet and see if that reduces the inflammation.
Beauty Product Savior: Tammy Fender Capillary Strengthening Blend ($80)
Temples and Brow Line
The blood cleansing kidneys are tie into these areas. If you notice problems in this area, it can mean that they are overworked and strained.
Health Tip: Hydrate! Get your daily vitamin D fix and up the intake of superfoods and dark leafy greens. Berries are high in antioxidants and easy to incorporate into your morning breakfast. Short on time? Toss them into a smoothie with a couple handfuls of kale and some homemade almond milk.
Beauty Product Savior: Eminence Calm Skin Chamomile Moisturizer ($58)
Related:
Breathe Your Way to Better Skin
