Original illustration by one of my fave illustrators: Jason Brooks edited by me.
Happy Friday fellow bloggers! I hope your week has been good to you and not too crazy-hectic!
Years ago, I came across face mapping, a technique used in traditional Chinese Medicine & Auyerveda when I had a skin analysis prior to a Dermalogica facial, which was great for understanding how certain areas of your face are related indirectly or directly with your health, indicating imbalances in key organs in your body.
I haven't really thought much about it since, but every now and again I notice dark circles under my eye or major breakouts around the chin area - a true the tell tale sign that there is a major hormonal imbalance or perhaps it's just that time of the month.
So what's your skin trying to tell you & what organs should you be paying attention to?
Forehead:
Break outs can usually mean a build up of toxins in the digestive system & bladder. Up your intake of water to flush out the toxins and improve your diet or take a closer look to see if there are foods that you have a tolerance to. Eliminate processed foods and refined sugars where possible.
Eyes, orbital area & the space above your nose:
Redness, flakiness, oiliness (inbetween the brows), itchy eyes here is related to your liver and possible allergies. Cut back on the booze, heavy, fatty or rich foods (are you eating out a lot?) and also dairy. Saturated fats are difficult for the liver to proces, so go easy on the grease... Whilst refined sugars will convert into fats and cholesterol if the liver processes too much!
Fresh orange or even lemon juice are great for invigorating the liver & also great for cleansing both your body & liver.
Under the eyes & ears:
Notice any dark circles under your eyes? It's not just a lack of sleep that's an issue, you're most likely dehydrated. The area under your eyes & your ears, if they appear redder/hotter than normal are related to your kidneys so keep hydrated and reduce your intake of alcohol, moderate your intake of caffeine, avoid too much salt in your diet and if you must, do a detox.
I always notice how some of my friends who have a low tolerance of alcohol (or are allergic to alcohol) react to drinking when I see their ears & cheeks go red! It's always the first place to colour.
Nose:
Apparently redness, broken capillaries & puffiness are related to any underlying heart or blood problems. (Or you may simply have a cold & have been blowing your nose too much!)
Cheeks:
This area is related to the lungs and respiratory system. Irritation from pollution, smoking or passive smoking will cause broken capillaries, puffiness, inflammation or minor breakouts here.
Mouth area:
Any congestion here shows underlying problems with your stomach and digestive system - up your intake of fibre and try to eat clean - include lots of fruit, veggies!
Chin area:
I don't know if this applies to everyone, but breakouts here are usually very common for many women. Hormonal imbalances & even stress are the main causes. I normally just take Omega 3 vitamins & switch it up with Vitamin E with Evening Primrose Oil. Research shows that Vitamin E is actually better for PMS. (via Livestrong)
Apparently, depending on which side you have breakouts as this area is also related to your ovaries, you can probably determine which side you're ovulating... now that's just weird!
You might just think this is all a load of rubbish and most likely don't apply to you, but next time you experience any congestion, breakouts or notice anything out of the ordinary on your face take another peek at this face map again! Are there any noticeable correlations?
Have a brilliant sunny, smiley weekend loves!
References: Healthy voyager & Dermalogica via Beautifully Gorgeous
