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 A physically active way of life keeps us in a state of vigor, prolongs youth. But there are other means for this, the role of which for us increases over the years. These include cosmetics.
When people think about the deep historical roots of cosmetics, they usually say that the ancient Egyptians, Greek women and Roman matrons let their eyes down with black paint, inked eyelashes with soot, covered their faces with whitewash. But in those distant times, other means were also widely used to maintain beauty and attractiveness - today we would classify them as curative, restorative, preventive cosmetics. Women and men from wealthy estates rubbed themselves with aromatic vegetable oils, took baths from special infusions, which undoubtedly had a beneficial effect on the skin and the body as a whole. Apparently, in ancient times, people perfectly understood: the beauty and health of a person are inseparable.
Let's sit down to the mirror (your mirror is positioned like this: your face is illuminated with even natural light that does not blind your eyes.) Look closely at the face of the person opposite. What do you like about him? What would you like to fix?
If you are over 30, there will probably be many reasons for dissatisfaction with yourself. Of course, it would be good to start taking care of the prolongation of youth not at the end of it, but at the beginning - after all, the first wrinkles appear already at the age of 24-25, only against the background of general health and freshness they are almost invisible. However, do not rush to be upset: a lot can be fixed.
Are you sleeping well? A night's sleep in women should last at least 8 hours (it is believed that men sleep an hour less), be calm and deep. But it often happens: the worries and worries of the day make it difficult to relax, we toss and turn in bed for a long time, and in the morning we get up broken, not exhausted. In such cases, walking before bed is a must, as is fresh air in the bedroom. You can take a warm shower and drink a cup of warm milk - these remedies act as a sedative and mild sleeping aid. Get in the habit of sleeping on a low pillow on your back - this way muscles relax better, and the risk of premature wrinkles on the neck disappears.
 When you wake up, do not jump out of bed, no matter how tense the rhythm of the morning. It is necessary to give the body 2-3 minutes to adapt to daytime working conditions: breathe actively, move your hands, "accelerating the blood." Only then - toilet and exercise. (If you did not heed what was said about the need for charging in the previous chapter, then maybe your own reflection in the mirror will "push" you to it?)
Why does the human body respond with such pleasure to water procedures - whether it is swimming in the river, the sea, a comfortable shower or bath, a Russian bath or a sauna? Water cleans, right. At the same time, it can invigorate or soothe, restore health and strength. There is even a concept - "hydrotherapy", when during bathing, useful substances penetrate into the body through the skin.
The stimulating effect of a contrast shower is well known. Applying it after morning exercises, you will not only provide yourself with a cheerful mood for the whole day, but also improve your health. At the beginning of the procedure, the water should be cooler, after that - a little hotter, then again - a cold shower, etc. As with all hardening methods, gradual changes in temperatures and the duration of the procedure are necessary here, otherwise, instead of a healing effect, you will get a completely opposite one. In addition, you must be sure that your cardiovascular health allows you to use a contrast shower. Many doctors highly appreciate this remedy for hardening children, but in each individual case, of course, you need to consult a doctor.
If there is a possibility and there are no medical contraindications, try to get out to a Russian bath or sauna once a month. Just do not flatter yourself: as a means for losing weight, they are not suitable. In the bath, along with sweat, you can lose up to a kilogram of weight - but not fat, but fluid, the amount of which in the body is restored quickly. The main effect of the bath is different: blood circulation is increased, pores are cleansed, the skin "looks younger" in the eyes, and the body's resistance increases.
Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to periodically take a wellness bath. For example, pine with sea salt has a calming effect on the nervous system (it is also used in children's practice). Baths with an infusion of medicinal herbs can be used after consulting a doctor; they often act no less actively than medications taken orally. Just a warm bath with the addition of aromatic agents or without them will also have a beneficial effect on well-being, but one must take into account: it will relax someone, on the contrary, it will invigorate someone. Based on this, it is necessary to choose the time of taking a bath, because there is no need for an invigorating procedure before bedtime.
In short, communication with water should not be limited to purely hygienic purposes, thus we dramatically impoverish the arsenal of tools that help us stay young and energetic.
In case you have only 10-15 minutes that you can devote to yourself, we offer one simple recipe: mix 150-200 g of salt with a quarter cup of full-fat milk or cream. Gathering a small amount of this mass into a handful, rub it into the skin with strong circular motions - from neck to heels, especially on keratinized areas of the body - elbows, knees, etc. After that, get under a warm shower. You will feel a surge of energy (after all, this procedure is a kind of massage for the whole body), as well as unusual smoothness and silkiness of the skin.
The first "serious" wrinkles, suddenly discovered by a woman, bring many sad minutes. But before you tacitly agree with the inevitability, watch yourself. After all, wrinkles are not always a sign of wilting. Do you have a habit of pressing your chin against your neck? Then it is clear where the premature flabbiness of the neck and lower part of the face comes from. Keep your head royally! And do not mope often: drooping corners of the lips, frowning forehead, pursed lips put their indelible "stamps" on the delicate skin. Indelible ... Indeed, it is almost impossible to get rid of the wrinkles that have appeared, but it is in your power to make them less noticeable.
First of all, the upsetting changes occur in the skin of the neck. And we often, not knowing about it, take care of the skin of the face, leaving the dangerous area unattended.
Here is a set of neck exercises that are best done daily for 2-3 months. After a break (1-3 months), this exercise can be repeated once a week.
Sit in front of a mirror, relax (face and neck are pre-cleansed and lightly lubricated with cream). Exercises should be done calmly and evenly, fully concentrating on them.
1. Sit, bent over, bend slightly forward, tilt your head back, slide your lower lip over your upper lip and pull it up with all your might. Count slowly to 15, then gradually relax. The first 3 days do the exercise 1 time, then 3 times. Relax.
2. Sit in the same way as in the first exercise. Throwing your head back, slide your lower lip onto the upper one, counting to 15. Then tilt your head back as much as possible. Return to starting position. Relax.
3. Closing your mouth, pull back the tip of your tongue, rest it on the palate. Then move your tongue to your front teeth, while supporting your chin with your left hand. Mentally counting to 10, repeat the exercise 3 times, changing your hand. Relax after each exercise.
4. Tilt your head back a little. Pull your lower lip higher and, counting to 15, turn your head to the right as far as possible. Focus on keeping the pouch under your left cheek as tight as possible.Relax when you feel muscle tension. Do the same, turning to the left. Repeat each exercise 3 times.
5. Press the back of the hands to the side of the neck. Without releasing their pressure, slowly tense your neck muscles for a count of 10. Then relax your muscles, then remove your arms.
6. Tilt your head back slightly. Wrap one hand around your neck as shown in the illustration. Relax your lips. Tighten your chin and upper neck strongly, mentally saying "mu" and counting to 10. Relax, remove your hand. Repeat 3 times.
 After completing the complex, pat your neck (from top to bottom) and face (from bottom to top) with the edges of slightly bent palms. After that, put a cold compress on your face and neck, then, after blotting your skin, apply a nourishing cream.
Massage is useful for the skin of the face and neck, it stimulates blood circulation, restores muscle elasticity. Better if facial massage will be done by a specialist, so it would be good to find time to go to the beauty parlor. Having studied the direction of massage lines and having understood the technique of movements, you will be able to engage in self-massage over time. There are electric vibrating massagers on sale that can be used if there are no contraindications (read the instructions and consult your doctor).
Cosmetic masks are one of the best ways to prevent the appearance of wrinkles. You need to choose them depending on the type of skin (dry, normal, oily). Apply them 2-3 times a week. Before applying the mask, remove your hair under the headscarf, wash yourself. During the procedure, it would be necessary to lie down or sit quietly, but we always have a shortage of time, so we will limit ourselves to advice not to talk, not to frown, not to smile, that is, to exclude mimic movements of the face.
An oatmeal mask is suitable for all skin types: pour 2 tablespoons of rolled oats with 1/2 cup of boiling milk. When the gruel has cooled, apply it to your face, neck and upper chest with a gauze or cotton swab. No need to rub in the composition, make strong and abrupt movements that shift skin areas. After 15-20 minutes, wash off the mask with warm water, lightly touching your face, blot with a towel and lubricate (also with light movements) with a nourishing cream.
Another universal mask: mix boiled potatoes thoroughly with 1/2 cup of hot milk, add egg yolk.
If your skin is oily, use the following types of masks.
Protein... Add a few drops of lemon juice to the beaten egg white. When the mixture applied to the face and neck dries up, rinse with warm water.
Yeast... Dilute 15-20 g of nutritional yeast with kefir or water until the consistency of thick sour cream, apply the mixture in a thick layer.
For dry skin such masks are recommended.
Egg... Mix a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of vegetable oil with crushed yolk. The mixture is applied for 15-20 minutes.
Curd... Grind 2 tablespoons of fresh cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of milk and 1 teaspoon of honey. Keep the mask for 20-30 minutes.
Fruit and berry, vegetable and herbal masks are good for any skin. However, individual sensitivities vary. Therefore, before using any new composition, check on a small area of the face, for example, in the temporal region, how your skin reacts to it.
The same can be said for commercially available creams. It happens that a new cream suddenly causes skin irritation. First, check if you have deviated from the instructions for using the cream, and if there is no error, discard it. By the way, any cream that is most "suitable" for your skin needs to be changed in 2-3 months. Do not forget about this possibility: in the beauty parlor, the necessary composition can be prepared especially for your skin.
Even with the most thorough skin care, it should be periodically cleaned. At home, it is better to use steam baths for this. With oily skin, they should be done every 2 weeks, with dry skin - once every 1-2 months.(Remember that easily irritated skin does not tolerate baths, you cannot use them with dilated blood vessels.) Add a handful of dry medicinal herbs (chamomile, lime blossom, calendula, string, etc.) to a pot of boiling water, tilt your face over the container and cover your head with a towel so that steam does not escape from under it. After 10-15 minutes, the skin of the face, especially in places of accumulation of blackheads, can be wiped with a cotton swab sprinkled with salt or drinking soda, then rinse your face with warm and cold water.
Common youthful acne - the so-called acne, do not try to remove it yourself. This is a serious medical condition that requires specialist medical treatment. Self-activity here most often only aggravates the disease. Explain this to your older children, as they often try to deal with this cosmetic defect themselves.
Compresses can be used to refresh the skin. Several times a folded piece of cloth or gauze is moistened with a decoction of herbs and applied to the face. When the compress begins to cool, moisten again. A contrast compress works well on tired and inflamed skin. Place pots of hot and cold water next to it without any additives. Soak one piece of gauze in hot water, wring it lightly, put it on your face. After a minute or two, as soon as the skin no longer feels the heat of the compress, remove the gauze and quickly replace it with a cold one - and so on several times. Then, blot your face with a towel, lubricate it with a nourishing cream.
The skin of the hands also ages quickly, especially since it often comes into contact with substances that are by no means useful. Degreasing, dryness, peeling of hands begin much earlier than the same processes in other areas of the skin. An indispensable condition for hand care is cleanliness. After washing with soap and warm water, wipe them dry (each family member should have their own towel), then lubricate them with a special cream that softens the skin. Periodically, you can make hand baths of vegetable oil or herbal infusion, as well as compound ones: 1 teaspoon of starch in a glass of water - dilute the resulting mass in a liter of warm water and keep your hands in it for 10-15 minutes; 1 teaspoon of baking soda per liter of soapy water.
If your hands are sweating a lot, you can use a bath with table salt (1 teaspoon per liter of water) or vinegar (1 tablespoon per liter of water), as well as from a decoction of strong tea, oak bark, sage. But you need to take into account: sweaty, cold skin of the hands can be the result of a disturbance in the activity of the nervous system, that is, a signal that you need to see a doctor.
To keep your hands young longer, do special gymnastics - it is so simple that it does not require any special time or conditions.
1. Lubricating your hands with cream, rub it from fingertips to palm (imagine pulling on a narrow glove).
2. Make a fist, then with force, straining each finger, spread your palm.
3. Two children's balls, not very soft, squeeze with your thumb and forefinger. Then change the index finger to the middle, unnamed, little finger.
4. Rest your thumb against the wall or the surface of the table, but try to put your index finger "on the edge", then change the index to the middle one, etc.
5. Connect the index, middle and ring fingers of your right hand and make them several semicircular movements between the index and middle left, as if you want to increase the distance between them, do the same with all pairs of fingers on both hands.
6. Make rotational movements of the hands for 2-3 minutes.
7. Raise your hands up and down freely.
How to strengthen your nails? After mixing equal parts of lemon juice, glycerin, rose water and cologne, hold your fingers in this bath for 15-20 minutes. The same composition can be used to wipe your nails overnight. They also use such a tool: wrap each nail with a cotton swab soaked in sunflower oil and bandage it overnight.It is necessary to file the nails in one direction, without going far into the corners, then they will not split.
In our language, there is such a sentence: "While the legs are wearing ..." But it happens that they "stop wearing" not because of a disease of the musculoskeletal system or the whole organism, but because of our negligence, inattention to them. Narrow, tight shoes can not only ruin a festive evening, but bring you to a headache, to complete exhaustion. One time, another - and now it's not far from the disease. Shoes should be tailored and comfortable. Walking indoors in winter or autumn boots all day long is very harmful - do not be lazy and do not regret having a change of shoes with you, because such laziness or "saving" affects your health. Stockings, tights, socks must be changed every day.
Baths of warm water and soap or table salt are useful for tired legs - they cleanse the skin, improve blood circulation. If there are no contraindications, contrast baths can be used: 5 minutes in a basin with hot water, 5 minutes - with cold water, several times. Showers can be used instead of baths.
It is very useful not only for the feet, but also for the whole organism to walk barefoot, especially on the grass, sand. Massage and hardening are combined in one procedure. Special rubber slippers and massage mats with protrusions - "papillae" of different heights - from 0.5 to 2 cm appear on sale. They are convenient to use during homework, for example, cooking. See in the store, be sure to buy. At the very first "sessions" of such a foot massage, you will feel pleasure, lightness throughout the body. And regular procedures, according to experts, have a beneficial effect on the entire body.
 If cracks or scuffs form on the skin of the legs, make a bath with calendula (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water). In case of excessive sweating of the feet after daily washing, wipe them with a 1-2% salicylic alcohol solution, then sprinkle with talcum powder. You can do it differently: add a solution of potassium permanganate to the water for the foot bath so that it turns pink, after carefully drying the legs, dust with talcum powder. But care must be taken so that the skin does not become excessively dry. Therefore, while fighting sweating, lubricate your feet with a nourishing cream 1-2 times a week.
"The braid is a maiden beauty ..." Alas, modern girls almost never find this beauty. Moreover, nowadays many young beauties are in such a hurry to use chemicals for styling and dyeing their hair that they soon lose their natural wealth. And it is completely impossible to restore the density, lively shine and naturalness of the hair. There are only a few remedies that help to slightly regain the lost, willingly or unwittingly, with age.
Massage. Make it with a special brush (it should be tough, but not prickly). The heroine of F.S. Fitzgerald's novel "Tender is the Night" made 100 movements of the massage brush every day - a young movie star needs luxurious hair. Brush your hair in all directions.
Choose hair detergents based on whether they are dry, oily or normal. It is good to use natural remedies for this purpose. For example, egg yolk: carefully separate it from the protein, pour into a basin and beat. You can take curdled milk, generously grease your hair, rubbing it into the skin with light movements, tie your head with a handkerchief for 5-10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. There is another recipe: grind a piece of rye bread crumb, pour hot water, rub the resulting gruel into your hair and rinse thoroughly with warm water. For a final rinse, you can add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a liter of water - hair will become soft and silky.
2-3 hours before shampooing, dry hair can be lubricated with vegetable oil, castor or burdock, as well as onion juice ...
Under the influence of cold, sun, wind, dust, hair becomes brittle, dull, dry, and their color changes. Seasonal headwear protects hair from unwanted influences.
Thick and long eyelashes are a natural decoration for the eyes, the entire face. To make them thicker and longer, every evening, brush over your eyelashes several times with a brush dipped in castor oil. You can prepare a mixture: 10 g of petroleum jelly, 7 g of castor oil and 0.2 g of tannin.
A good complexion, firm young skin, vibrant shiny hair - even when all this is in abundance, we are drawn to artificial means that can enhance our attractiveness. Decorative cosmetics, applied without measure or ineptly in youth, can prematurely age the face, and at a more advanced age - make us funny. We will try to prevent this from happening!
We will not give advice on how to bring eyes, apply shadows or blush. The fashion for this is changing faster than books are published. If you have a taste and desire to preserve individuality in spite of any "general" hobbies - you will always look attractive.
Sashina E.Yu. The ABC of Home Economics
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