Skincare as a Practice- Why Lymphatic Massage, Breathwork, & Movement Are Essential For Healthy Skin

It’s time to start viewing skincare more as a practice and less like a string of products you apply each morning and night. Healthy skin is so much more than what you apply to your skin, but about what you do. It may not sound that obvious at first, but daily movements like yoga flows, facial massage, and even meditation are key to unlocking an effortlessly radiant glow from the inside out.

Talk to any dermatologist and chances are you’ll hear that the root of many diseases and issues, at least when it comes to beauty, is stress. “People with chronic inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea are more sensitive to flare ups when they are stressed. Elevated level of cortisol has even been shown to trigger hair loss,” warns certified dermatologist and Carbonnique cofounder Dr. Monika Konczalska, M.D. 

When your body experiences stress, “it triggers a wide range of physiological and behavior changes and responses that try to adapt the body to the stress,” Dr. Konczalska explains. “However, if the stress responses are inadequate, they may trigger adverse physiological events.”

Unfortunately, your skin is one of the first places you’ll see these negative effects. “Recent research has confirmed skin both as an immediate stress perceiver and as a target of stress responses. Additionally, when your lymph drainage is weak, unwanted toxins lay stagnant and take the place of healthy nutrients and oxygen that could be contributing to healthy skin.” warns Dr. Konczalska.

Thankfully, there’s a way to save your skin from the impact of stress, and no, it’s not another face cream. The secret to healthy skin lies in treating skincare as a practice, shares Dr. Konczalska. Simply taking a more hollistic approach to skincare, Carbonnique founders urge, with daily habits like exercise, lymphatic massage, and even breathwork can help you achieve that coveted glow like nothing else.

What Happens to Your Skin When You’re Stressed?

 During moments of stress, cortisol, your body’s principal stress hormone, is released. The more cortisol your body produces, your skin experiences something called trans-epidermal water loss. In other words, the barrier function of your skin is weakened, so it isn’t able to protect your skin cells from the “bad stuff” like bacteria and toxins like it should, leaving us more prone to skin issues and even premature aging.

“When we’re stressed, we experience a decline in the production of collagen, elastin and other skin proteins which reduce the skin’s elasticity and contribute to the formation of wrinkles,” shares Dr. Konczalska.

Why Adding Movement Enhances Skin

• It enhances oxygen flow to skin cells, which in turn enhances skin radiance.
• It reduces stress (and therefore inflammation, aka the root of skin damage).
• It helps us be more mindful and nurture our skin-mind connection

 

3 Steps to Add to Your Daily Skincare Practice for Healthier Skin

Add these habits to your daily routine for the best glow of your life.

1.   Lymphatic Massage

When it comes to glowing skin, massage - particularly lymphatic drainage techniques - are key. The lymphatic system is basically your body’s detox center: Its role is to collect excess fluid and toxins as well as transport white blood cells that fight off infection. Unfortunately, it’s more common than ever to have a weak lymphatic system, which can be caused from lack of movement, too much sodium, dehydration, or inflammation. When your body’s lymph system is weakened, excess fluids and toxins start to build up under the skin, causing visible effects like puffiness and acne. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to keep your lymphatic system moving with the help of some easy massages. Bonus points for those with facial tools like the Carbonnique Roller which can also be used to massage the entire body for clear, toned skin all around. The benefits of consistent practice using a roller go beyond beautiful skin, but include improved digestion (yes, you can use your roller on the abdomen!), as well as reduced stress and anxiety levels.

2.   Breathwork

Feeling skeptical that breathing can enhance your skin? We don’t blame you, but there’s science to back up the mind-skin relationship. The Gut-Brain-Skin Axis, discovered in 1930 by dermatologists John H. Stokes and Donald M. Pillsbury at the University of Pennsylvania, essentially proved that the skin and the brain are made from the same embryonic layer.

 

In other words, one of the best ways to enhance your skin is through calming the mind with activities like breathwork and meditation. “There is some evidence that meditation may lower overall catecholamine levels in people who do it regularly,” says. Dr. Konczalska. Catecholamine is the hormone that helps your body respond to stress, so having a healthy production is key to a healthy body and skin.

Deep breathing can also dramatically increase oxygen flow to your skin cells, improving your mind-skin connection and instantly helping you achieve a more radiant complexion. What’s more, scientists are currently theorizing that the physical responses of the body during breathwork essentially prevent the body from translating psychological stress into physical inflammation.

3.   Movement

“Exercise increases overall health and our sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits. Almost any form of exercise or movement can increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress,” shares Dr. Monika Konczalska. In other words, it doesn’t matter what you do, whether it’s yoga, core workouts, or swimming, as long as you stick with it. The beauty benefits of exercise lie in consistency and frequency.

The Best Way to Keep Up Your Holistic Skincare Practice

By now, you might understand our passion for enhancing the skin through holistic practices. We believe that activities such as daily movement, breathing, and mindful activities like massages can help us maintain stress and therefore reduce inflammation like nothing else. That’s why we created the Carbonnique Studio, transforming skincare routines through relaxing exercises that feels anything but routine. Inspired by professional lymphatic drainage techniques, the Carbonnique method offers a more global approach to skincare and body care.

 

 

Designed by a dermatologist, vain surgeon, and certified lymphatic massage therapist, these curated classes were expertly created to keep your lymphatic system in good shape, detoxify your body, and support the transport of healthy nutrients into your skin for a healthy yoga glow. 

Here’s what you get when you join the studio:

• Unlimited online yoga and core exercise classes featuring facials and body massage time
• Live and on demand classes you can watch anytime, anywhere
• 4 certified instructors
• Videos ranging from 5 to 40 minutes
  • Classes include:
    • Immunity Boost/Lymph Flow
    • Tension Release
    • Lift and Sculpt

 

Want to try a 30-day free trial?

Carbonnique is offering unlimited facials, body massage classes, yoga flows, and core exercises free for 30 days with the purchase of the Carbonnique roller ($139). Each of the on-demand and live classes are led by certified instructors who focus on boosting immunity, and glow, releasing tension, as well as lifting and sculpting the skin.

Launching 20/11