The benefits of breathing on the skin

Discover the effects of breathing on the skin

Breath is a wonderful cosmetic that has been, for a long time, forgotten. Breath is the living expression of life itself. Without it, few things would exist.

Through breathing, we can experience the outside world. Through breathing, we can explore our inner world. Through conscious breathing we can even heal illnesses, change emotional states, and develop new skills.

Scientific studies support, with more force and insistence every day, the wonderful benefits of breathing consciously. And one of the positive effects that stand out is restoring health and luminosity to the skin.

What is Conscious Breathing?

Conscious breathing is a way of breathing where we focus all our attention on inhalation and exhalation.

We all breathe.

However, many of us do it without realizing it. When this happens, what is really happening is the following: we breathe automatically and unconsciously. We allocate a tiny part of our energy to breathing: therefore, it cannot unfold its full potential.

When we breathe consciously, all of our energy is aligned and focused on the act of taking in air through the nose and expelling air through the nose. The amount of oxygen we absorb when inhaling is ten times greater. The amount of toxins we expel when exhaling is ten times greater. The nutrition and purification process that occurs in breathing can then be greater. And this obviously has a direct impact on the state of our skin.

How does breathing affect the condition of the skin?

The skin is the organ that is most exposed to toxins from the outside world, such as pollution, dirt or solar radiation, among other things.

It is, therefore, the organ that absorbs the most harmful elements: from chemical cosmetics to car smoke.

Cleansing it with natural elements, such as botanical cosmetics, is a perfect way to keep it healthy. The active and living ingredients found in our plant-based cosmetics feed the skin with natural, antioxidant properties and are very comforting.

But in addition to nourishing it from the outside, it is important to nourish it from within. And although food also plays a great role in this process, breathing is another great element to take into account.

When we breathe consciously we are oxygenating all the internal and external tissues of the body. We are feeding our skin with life. Obviously breathing in the middle of nature is not the same as breathing in a city. Still, we can all benefit from the short- and long-term effects of mindful breathing:

- reduces stress and anxiety levels, thus avoiding free radicals

- develops the muscles of the throat, preventing it from sagging

- facilitates falling asleep, allowing all repair processes to develop harmoniously and effectively

- reduces body inflammation, thus avoiding suffering from dark circles, bags and very marked wrinkles...

Simple Conscious Breathing Practice

The best thing about all this is that conscious breathing is very simple, free and can be practiced at any time.

The only thing you have to do is change the way you breathe: instead of breathing into your chest and shoulders, you should breathe through your intercostal muscles and diaphragm. And above all, use the nasal modality: inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose. This allows us to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the body's repair and renewal processes.

Start with this small practice and you will see how your skin changes:

- inhale from the abdomen, through the diaphragm and up to the chest

- exhale from the chest, passing through the diaphragm and completely emptying the abdomen, (you can place one hand on your belly and another on your collarbones and feel how when you inhale, the hand that is below is the first to rise and how when you exhale the hand that is on top is the first to go down).

Count to 4 as you inhale, 4 as you exhale, and 2 as you hold your breath before inhaling again. This is ideal to start.

Conscious breathing, the use of aromatherapy and natural cosmetics are the key to recovering the health of your skin and radiating light through your entire being.

Photo: @lauralalahayden