Face Mapping

Face mapping can be a really interesting way of understanding our skin as well as our body and mind as well. In modern medicine, we’re able to use tools such as blood tests, scans and x-rays to help inform us about what is going on inside of our body. However, thousands of years ago, diagnostic tools such as these didn’t exist and so people had to use other ways of finding out what was going on inside the body.

Ayurveda, the oldest successful healthcare system in the world, as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to use face mapping widely in their practices because they believed it’s the skin’s job to communicate what is going on inside the body. With this knowledge, they could then be proactive in doing something about any skin symptoms, before anything became too serious.

That said, these practices are in fact still used in eastern medicine and are becoming more widely used in the west as well now. What’s most important to understand is this information is complementary, rather than an alternative. Therefore, it’s always advised that if you have any health concerns or symptoms, to seek medical advice and diagnosis…and use this information to further support a more balanced and healthier lifestyle.

So, looking at different parts of the face, let’s explore how these can relate to specific parts of the body. Let’s begin with the forehead area. If you experience poor skin tone here or perhaps it’s dull, has spots, lines or wrinkles, it’s said this can be linked to the gallbladder and the liver. To improve the look of this facial area, it’s recommended you reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, and better still eliminate it completely.

Further to this, it’s suggested to also consider the fatty foods you’re eating… what I mean by this are what are considered the bad fats, such as sugar, fast and junk foods and cooking less with oils, especially the really refined oils. We don’t need to use nearly as much oil as we do. In fact, I have been cooking without oil for some time now and it doesn’t make any difference to the overall flavour outcome of a meal. It does help to positively rebalance things in your body system though.

The next area is the space between the eyebrows. This is often linked to the stomach and the liver. So if this area is a place you tend to experience poor skin tone, lines, spots, then it’s really important you start to introduce foods, which are more cleansing into your diet. For example, more fresh fruits and vegetables and especially more fresh clean water…this is vitally important here.

Next is the temple area. Does this area get inflamed for you? Or maybe you get a lot of spots here?  If you answered yes, it could be an indication that your kidneys are not working as efficiently as they could. If this is the case, you may also notice that you’re getting back pain. Based on this, the advice is to drink more clean, fresh water, to help clean out your kidneys.

The upper cheeks. If this area is often prone to spots or symptoms like rosacea, eczema, it is most often linked to your heart. Therefore to help support this, integrate more good fats into your diet. Contrary to what you may think, this actually helps to break down bad fats in your body system. Foods to include could be oily fish such as sardines, mackerel or salmon, avocado, seeds and nuts…all of which help your heart health. Remember, it’s all about moderation though. This is not a cue to go and consume a whole bag of salted cashews or chocolate covered brazils or an entire bowl of guacamole in one sitting.

Your mid-cheeks are believed to be linked to your lungs and stomach, according to Ayurveda & TCM. So if this area is inflamed, lined or prone to spots, rebalance your diet by eating more alkalising foods. This includes vegetables, especially greens, fruits and green juices.  There are plenty of good guides to alkaline foods online…here’s one from Dr Axe.

The lower cheek area is linked to the liver and the stomach. So if the skin is poor around this area, it can be an indication that a gentle detoxification could help and support you…gentle being the operative word here. This doesn’t mean cutting out a whole list of things…it simply means reducing toxic foods such as sugar, alcohol, caffeine, too much wheat and too much dairy to help support the rebalancing of the skin around your lower cheeks.

Spots around the mouth area can often be an indication that the stomach is sluggish and perhaps even some mild food intolerances could be at play. So you may like to get this checked out, if you have symptoms around here.

For those of you whose jaw-line can often be prone to spots, this suggests there could be hormonal imbalances or a lot of stress going on for you. Anything you can do to reduce this stress and balance your hormones will help and support you. EFT is a great wee tool for these aspects, especially stress. As well as this, taking time to do something relaxing each day, be that meditation, walking in nature, breathing exercises, colouring in, yoga or whatever works for you, will make a big difference.

Lastly, if the skin around your neck is prone to spots or looks stagnant and dull, this is generally an indication that your lymph nodes need detoxing, which can also be linked to stress. So similarly, it’s important to take time out to relax.

This is just a very general introduction to face mapping and there is so much more which can be learnt from our skin and the various organs and tissues it’s connected to. As well as Ayurveda having a lot of guidance on this, META-Health is also a valuable and insightful guide and analysis tool for understanding what is going on with our skin, as well as all our other organs and tissues. Nothing works in isolation in the body system and a META-Health analysis can pinpoint root causes, especially when coupled with Ayurvedic knowledge.

Lastly, if you would like to learn about natural skincare and are looking for hand-blended vegan organic products, then check out UK-based Siskyn Skincare, who are award-winning and ethical, as well as divine on the skin. It feels like a facial every day I use their products. And no…I am not sponsored by them…I simply love their products and what they stand for in their business.

If you would like to know more about your own skin symptoms, do get in touch, where I will be happy to help and guide you on your wellness journey.