Saving Face

Your face is the most noticed, most expressive part of you, so it should merit the most precious care- and yet it's often neglected. What other section of your body is relentlessly exposed to sunlight, subjected to applications of frequently germ-laden and unsuitable cosmetics, insufficiently cleansed and often accompanied by grubby hair, suspect teeth, bleary eyes and discontented expression?

It's an ugly picture, isn't it? Maybe it doesn't fit you but there are probably at least some face-care improvements you could make.

Start d-e-e-p cleansing. If you have acne, ask your pharmacist or doctor to recommend a medicated wash. Otherwise, use a deep cleansing cream over your face and neck and finish off by washing with gentle soap and warm water. The practice of merely tissuing away cleansing cream or lotion will remove make-up but leaves a residue of cream containing bacteria and has been implicated in causing acne.

Follow up once or twice a week with a face pack or facial scrub to remove dead skin cells. A fine moisturiser lotion or cream is must, especially as you grow older.
Use nourishing or massage cream and massage your face every day to exercise muscles and improve blood supply. Wash your face and hands thoroughly first, the spread the cream lighly on your face and use liberally on your fingers. You don't pull, push or stretch the skin but gently stroke and cushion it between your hands.

Here is the correct method for different areas of your face.

• Cheeks. With second and third fingers smooth gently up laughter lines across cheek bones, then move easily on as far as temples.
• Brow. With four fingers of your right hand, from centre of forehead, lift eyebrows upwards, following with the left hand up to the temple.
• Temples. With second and third finger gently circle on temples, keeping eyes closed.
• Eyes. With third fingers only and using the lightest touch, stroke outwards over brows; continue underneath eyes and over your eye lids
• Neck. Using one hand after another, smooth backward under your chin. Then still using both hands as before, move down over the throat.
• Chin. With palms of hands held downwards, hold your chin between first and second fingers. Slide you fingers briskly outward at jawline.
• Cheeks. Using the middle two fingers of each hand, lift your cheeks with a series of brief upward strokes.
• Stimulation. Rotate second and third fingers of each hand up , in, down and out around the chin, over the corner of mouth.