Tone and Firm the Skin
8:37 PM Posted by jo
It is not unusual to experience some loose skin after a rapid weight loss. The skin has a hard time adjusting to the quick change, but if the weight loss is more gradual the skin has more time to adapt and shrink to the smaller body. The best is to do various exercises during the weight loss journey to gain muscles to firm the skin. The right kind of exercises can tone and increase the elasticity of the skin.
Of course, you don't have have lost weight to experience loose skin, a poor muscle tone can cause your skin to sag too. We also lose muscle tone as we age unless we keep up the training and eat sufficient amount of protein.
Protein
I also often notice that many people don't seem to eat a sufficient amount of protein. During weight loss, or any other time of course, it is important to not lose important muscles that help shape and fill out the body. An extra plus is that protein is the body's metabolic engine and burns fat at a higher rate than carbohydrates or fat.
Hydration
When you are dehydrated you will lose elasticity and skin tone. Make sure you are well hydrated daily.
Detoxify
Make sure you detoxify the body to remove toxins stored in the fat cells. Flushing out toxins may make your body feel tighter. In addition to a clean diet that contains a lot of fresh detoxifying foods, you can make steam baths, body wraps, dry brush your skin, or enjoy detoxifying baths. Cleansing with Essential Oils will provide you with more information.
Nutrients
Make sure you eat a good diet that contains sufficient amount of nutrients to nourish the skin. Stay away from processed foods, refined grains (preferably no grains at all), and trans fats. Try the Paleo Diet. The truth is, you need to build health from scratch with all the nutrients the body needs and not just a few for a certain problem. That means, to make sure you get plenty of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, probiotics, and essential fatty acids, preferably from the diet. Vitamin A, C, E are important nutrients for skin health. Zinc, iron and magnesium are key minerals involved in repairing and maintaining skin cells, and Co-enzyme Q10 and B vitamins play a vital role in generating energy within the skin cells.
Of course, there always seems to be areas where the skin is saggy in spite of all exercise and diet attempts.
So, here are some things to try naturally:
Essential oil
Skin firming blend to use in the morning
10 drops of tangerine
10 drops of cypress
Skin firming blend to use in the evening
8 drops geranium
5 drops cypress
5 drops helichrysum
1 drop peppermint
Apply neat, undiluted, or dilute 50/50 and massage 4-6 drops daily.
You can also blend lavender, grapefruit, cypress, juniper and basil with some carrier oil and add to a bath.
For extra toning baths
Blend
5 drops of grapefruit with 3 drops of basil with a carrier oil for a toning bath.
or
4 drops of lemongrass with 4 drops of lavender with a carrier.
Massage oil
Blend Almond oil and carrot seed oil
with grapefruit, oregano, rosemary and cypress
Other tips
- Add a capsule of vitamin E to the massage blends.
- Take vitamin E internally and externally, it is an important ingredient for production of collagen.
- Use shea butter since it is known for its skin firming properties.
- Add coconut oil to your massage blends.
Thanks for visiting!
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.
This post is linked up to Monday Mania hosted by The Healthy Home Economist and to WFMW hosted by We Are That Family.
