Lowering high blood pressure at home
If you have high blood pressure (hypertension) it is important to keep it under control as it tends to worsen over time if you do nothing about it.
One of the best ways to keep blood pressure under control is exercising and looking after your diet, as this raises your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure levels, while also improving your fitness and reducing the risk of suffering from chronic diseases.
Exercises to lower high blood pressure
There are numerous types of training and exercises that you can do at home that will help you to raise your heart rate and bring down your blood pressure. Here are three simple and effective types of exercise that we recommend:
- Cardiovascular exercise: walking around the house, dancing, going up the stairs, exercise bike, Zumba, etc., there are numerous options. The important thing is to monitor your heart rate and breathing while you are doing it so that your heart rate does not go higher than recommended. With this in mind, it is best to do these exercises for at least 20 minutes a day, at a good pace. As the days go by and your stamina increases, your heart rate will go down and you will be able to increase the time and intensity.
- High-intensity exercise. This type of training consists of increasing your heart rate while doing a given exercise and combining this with rest periods (of 10 seconds) between sets to bring your heart rate back down.
- Relaxation exercises like yoga. In addition to helping you to relax, it improves your breathing, strengthens your muscles and helps you to lose weight, thereby lowering your high blood pressure.
If you practise yoga regularly, you will improve your balance and physical fitness. In fact, the ideal routine would involve doing these exercises every day along with at least 30 minutes of physical activity (aerobic and/or anaerobic).
And you must not forget to look after your diet, as both things combined are the best way to control your blood pressure.
Foods to lower your blood pressure
The most important thing is to follow a balanced and healthy diet, although with so much spare time on your hands it is far more difficult not to be tempted to snack between meals and eat things that are bad for you.
You must not forget that you need to lower your salt intake as much as possible, so you should avoid processed foods and snacks like crisps more than ever right now.
Instead, you should increase your intake of the following nutrients:
- Vitamin A. This is mainly found in tomatoes, peppers, apricots, mangoes, broccoli and spinach.
- Vitamin C. This is found in oranges, lemons, kiwi fruits, strawberries, spinach, watercress, lamb's lettuce, etc. These are antioxidant foods that prevent the ageing of cells in blood vessel walls and help to lower blood pressure.
- Potassium. A mineral found in bananas, dried apricots, potatoes and tomatoes. It helps to regulate the excretion of water in the kidneys and therefore lowers your blood pressure.
- Calcium. It can be consumed in dairy products, broccoli, pulses and almonds. It helps to improve the quality of the walls of your arteries.
Also, remember that it is always beneficial to take natural food supplements that help to look after your cardiovascular health and lower high blood pressure, like Keriba Duo, which provides a high amount of natural antioxidants from fresh pomegranates and olives: hydroxytyrosol and punicalagins.
Cholesterol during lockdown: how to keep it under control
During the current lockdown, it is important that you only leave the house when necessary, and this can affect your health by altering your daily habits. People who are prone to high “bad” cholesterol should be more careful than ever with their diets and try to adapt their physical activity to the current circumstances. Yes, you can control your cholesterol during lockdown.
Diet to control cholesterol during lockdown
Following a healthy and varied diet helps to increase “good” cholesterol (HDL) levels in the blood by 10% and reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides, thereby benefiting your cardiovascular health.
The key to a balanced diet is to consume fruit, vegetables, pulses, cereals and polyunsaturated fats. It is also important to reduce or cut out refined sugars and carbohydrates that increase your triglyceride levels and visceral fat.
Among the wide variety of foods that help to lower “bad” cholesterol in the blood, we recommend consuming:
- Extra virgin olive oil. Rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins A, D, K and E, it helps to reduce “bad” cholesterol and control high blood pressure.
- Fruits and vegetables. Especially ones that are high in vitamins A and C, which help to boost the body's defences and are antioxidants, i.e. they combat cell ageing.
- Oily fish. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins (A, D, E, B6, B12), proteins, amino acids, minerals and trace elements. They are also low in saturated fats, so they provide cardiovascular benefits.
- White meat. It provides high-quality proteins, vitamins (especially B12) and minerals that support the regeneration of red blood cells and myelin, boosts the immune system and improves red blood cell function.
- Nuts. These are high in fatty acids, which are beneficial for the heart as they help to lower “bad” cholesterol, provide fibre, minerals and antioxidants that combat cell ageing and slow down the production of free radicals.
Adapt your physical activity to the space in your home
You may not be able to leave the house, but staying active is essential to keep your weight in check and boost your cardiovascular health.
There are several ways to do this:
- Cardiovascular exercises: you can do housework, walk around the house, go up and down the stairs, or cycle if you have an exercise bike. You should do this for 30 minutes every day, or take 10,000 steps a day.
- Guided classes. On the internet you can now find yoga, Zumba, aerobics, LTB, etc. classes to keep you active in the comfort of your own living room. Choose the exercise that is best suited to the space and equipment you have available.
- Tabata. This is functional training in which you use your body weight to complete intervals of intense (cardiovascular) physical activity combined with brief rest times. There are countless exercises and routines that you can combine, and as your stamina increases you can adjust the times, e.g. 1 minute of exercise, 20 seconds of rest.
- HIIT. This training is very similar to the above exercise. The difference with this type of exercise is that you can use weights, dumbbells, resistance bands, water bottles, etc., anything that allows you to give your muscles an intense workout. If you do not have the necessary equipment, you will have to use your imagination to find suitable alternatives 😉.
In short, now more than ever, to keep “bad” cholesterol in check, you need to take special care of your diet as well as doing 30 minutes of exercise every day.
Additionally, you can supplement you diet to lower your cholesterol with Keriba Duo, the food supplement made from fresh pomegranate and olive extracts. It is a great way to look after your cardiovascular health during this lockdown. 100% natural!
The cold and cardiovascular health
In this post we tell you how the cold and cardiovascular health are connected. During the winter, the cold temperatures can affect your cardiovascular health because they increase your blood pressure, make you more susceptible to blood clots and raise your cholesterol. These risk factors are also affected by other environmental factors such as air pollution and having an unhealthy lifestyle with little physical activity and a poor diet.
How does the cold affect your cardiovascular health?
In low temperatures, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, increasing the secretion of the hormone responsible for raising your heart rate (catecholamine), which increases your cardiac output and raises your blood pressure.
This increase, combined with a decrease in the size of the coronary arteries and the vessels in the brain due to the cold, can lead to a heart attack or stroke, depending on where the blockage occurs.
On top of this, at this time of year, the body's defences are weakened and you are more susceptible to flu or even pneumonia, whose respiratory complications exacerbate cardiovascular problems. 
Prevention and taking care of your heart in the winter.
Now that you know about the link between the cold and cardiovascular health, you should take steps to take better care of your heart:
- Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day on average is vital for minimising cardiovascular risk, as it promotes blood circulation and oxygenation, helps to burn fat and maintain a healthy weight, and also helps to boost the immune system.
- Avoid sudden changes in temperature and wrap up warm to protect yourself from the cold, especially when entering and leaving heated places.
- Avoid consuming saturated fats as, generally speaking, people tend to eat more of these during the winter, causing more blood to accumulate in the stomach during digestion and, as a result, reducing the body's blood flow and increasing the risk of suffering from angina pectoris, atherosclerosis or heart attacks.
- Look after your diet and eat foods that help to lower cholesterol, like omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, which are found in olive oil, oily fish and nuts.
- Eat foods that are rich in vitamins C and D, which strengthen the body's defences and lower the risk of hypertension and diabetes.
- Boost your diet with natural food supplements that are high in antioxidants, like Keriba Duo, which contains hydroxytyrosol and punicalagins (MEDITEANOX® and POMANOX®), powerful antioxidant compounds that help to lower cholesterol and protect cardiovascular health.
Taking care of skin in the winter
In the winter, cold temperatures wreak havoc on your skin by slowing down circulation and decreasing the production of collagen, sebum and sweat. This reduction causes an imbalance in the skin's hydrolipidic film, which loses its natural moisture, leading to dehydration.
The cold also slows down cell reproduction and regeneration, making the skin dehydrated, dull and sensitive, while the use of heating and pollution cause the skin to become dirty, clog up pores and reduce oxygenation.
To lessen and avoid these effects, you need to take special care of your skin in the winter, especially your cutis, as this layer of skin is most exposed to these environmental factors.
Taking care of skin in the winter
To restore your skin's natural protective barrier, and therefore its hydrolipidic film, extra moisturising and proper nourishment are necessary. This will prevent tightness, dryness, irritation and premature ageing.
This skin care will require you to:
- Perform a deep facial cleanse. To do this, you should use a face scrub once or twice a week, depending on your skin type, to allow the dermis to breathe and improve the penetration of the treatments you apply afterwards: moisturiser, anti-ageing, etc.
- Apply moisturising and nourishing creams or serums. You can also apply oils with moisturising and rejuvenating properties like argan oil, which has a moisturising, nourishing and tightening effect, or rose hip oil, which reduces facial blemishes.
- Use a day cream with active ingredients that restore the skin's hydrolipid barrier, prevent dehydration and promote circulation. It is also important to choose a day cream with a sun protection factor to avoid the effects of free radicals and the sun's photoageing rays.
- Apply a night treatment that meets the needs of your skin: moisturising, anti-ageing, regenerating, etc., as elastin production increases and collagen is activated at night. This nourishes, regenerates and strengthens the barrier of your skin.
- In the morning and at night, apply a nourishing and regenerating balm to your lips, nose and cheeks, as these areas of skin are very sensitive and highly exposed.
- Eye contour. This area has the thinnest and most sensitive skin on your whole body, so it needs special care. Apply a moisturising eye contour cream with rejuvenating and circulation-enhancing active ingredients to keep the area hydrated, protected and free of dark circles and puffiness.
It is important to remember that after we turn 30, skin regeneration starts to slow down, making it especially important to perform this skincare routine and choose products that not only moisturise, but also promote collagen production and tighten the skin.
In addition to the skin on your face, you should also take care of the skin on your neck, décolleté, hands and your nails. The first two require pretty much the same care as the skin on your face, but your hands and nails need a little extra care:
- Use rubber or latex gloves for manual tasks where you come into contact with chemicals, dust, soil, etc., and wear wool or leather gloves when you go outdoors to protect your skin.
- Use hand cream daily; it should be highly moisturising and specifically for this area. Additionally, you should always apply it after your hands get wet.
- Exfoliate your hands once a month with a mild product and apply a highly nourishing cream for at least two hours. When doing this, apply the cream to the hands and cover them with cotton gloves to aid its penetration.
- Nails become more fragile and brittle as the temperature falls, so you should massage them daily with a suitable moisturiser and, once a week, you should soak them in a bath of lukewarm olive or almond oil for 15 minutes.
Nourish your skin
Diet is essential for taking care of skin in the winter. To nourish your skin from within, it is important to follow a healthy and balanced diet, which should include foods that help care for your skin. These foods should be high in:
- Healthy fats, which contain omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids, to promote skin regeneration, e.g. oily fish, avocados or olive oil.
- Vitamins A and E, which are powerful antioxidants and counteract the damaging effects of free radicals that cause premature skin ageing.
- Antioxidant vitamins, like the ones found in berries, slow down ageing and boost collagen production.
- Protein, as this is an essential source of collagen to keep skin toned and firm.
You can also include food supplements to boost your daily diet, such as:
- Keriba Forte, which contains punicalagins from pomegranates, antioxidant polyphenols that help to slow down the ageing of the skin.
- Poppy extract, which helps to reduce wrinkles.
- White lily, with regenerative and skin lightening properties.
- Lotus flower extract, to protect the skin’s hyaluronic acid and elastin, tighten its pores and stimulate cell renewal.
The type of exercise to meet your goals
Regular exercise helps to keep you in good health and prevent illness, but it also has psychological benefits as it promotes mental well-being: it improves self-esteem, memory and mental alertness, promotes positivity and improves rest.
The type of exercise you choose to do should not only depend on your preferences, but also on the goals that you want to achieve. Some people exercise to lose weight, others want to gain muscle mass, some exercise to relax and unwind and others simply want to stay fit and reap the many benefits.
Aerobic exercise
This type of exercise increases your heart rate, works your muscles and makes you breathe faster and harder.
So, aerobic exercise keeps your heart, lungs and blood vessels healthy, as well as improving your fitness.
This type of exercise includes: walking, cycling, swimming, running, etc. You should exercise with moderate-high intensity for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. When combined with a healthy diet, exercise helps you to lose weight.
Anaerobic exercise or strength training
These exercises are characterised by the endurance and strength required to perform them. With strength training you can maintain strong muscles and bones, tone your body and improve your posture, while also building muscle and burning fat.
As you build muscle mass your body's calorie expenditure increases, as muscle burns more calories even when at rest, helping you to lose weight and look more athletic. 
Strength training can be done with resistance bands, dumbbells, weightlifting machines or simply with your own body weight.
To enjoy the benefits of this type of exercise, you should do it two or three times a week, working all the muscle groups of your body. The intensity should be varied, starting with light weights and gradually increasing the weights and/or number of repetitions. You can also combine it with aerobic exercises, which you can do at the end of the workout to continue burning fat.
Flexibility exercises
It is essential to stretch your muscles regularly so that they do not lose their elasticity or shorten. Doing this type of exercise improves the range of motion of your joints, reduces stiffness, and lowers the risk of injury.
This type of exercise includes disciplines like yoga, Pilates and tai chi, which improve flexibility and elasticity, relaxing and stretching your body in different positions that you have to hold while controlling your breathing.
It is best to do these every day for a few minutes at a time, to increase your flexibility and strength, help you to relax and rest and improve your circulation, balance and posture.
*These are standard recommended times, intensities and frequencies. They will vary according to your goals, age and fitness. Professionals should oversee high-intensity workouts, especially if you have health problems or want to lose weight.
Muscle fatigue and contractures
When you exercise or exert yourself continuously, your body can become weak: you lack energy, your stamina wanes, or you may even suffer from muscle cramps. This weakness is known as muscle fatigue, which is the total or partial loss of your physical ability to continue performing a given action. Your muscles are unable to move because they lack the strength to continue functioning.
When this happens, the muscles have inadequate levels of calcium, glycogen and water, which are necessary for efficient muscle contraction and relaxation. Failing to return to a relaxed state and a build-up of lactic acid in the muscle lead to muscle soreness, contractures and muscle injuries.
Types of contractures
Muscle contractures are a continuous involuntary contraction that causes the muscles to remain constantly under tension, resulting in swelling and hardening of the muscle tissues, commonly known as “knots”.
There are different types of contractures, depending on how they originate:
- Contractures during exertion. These occur when the body is unable to clear the metabolites that are produced during exertion. As a result, these accumulate and cause pain and inflammation in the affected muscles, leading to contractures.
- After exertion. These occur after heavy exertion, when the muscles are exhausted, lack nutrients and are unable to return to a relaxed state.
- After an injury. These are caused by the protective function of the muscles. During an injury, whether it be a bone fracture or sprain, the surrounding muscles tend to contract for a prolonged period of time to protect the area. Once the injury has been treated and healed, the muscles are unable to relax again, resulting in contractures.
How to prevent muscle fatigue
To prevent muscle fatigue and contractures, it is important to:
- Avoid overexertion by planning your training, organising your workouts and getting plenty of rest.
- Warm up and stretch. Before any activity or physical effort, it is important to prepare your body for the exertion it is going to be subjected to. It is also necessary to stretch when you finish exercising to help the muscles return to their relaxed state.
- Keep well hydrated. Hydration is essential for health, as it helps to keep muscle fibres in proper tone, which will prevent muscle fatigue and any contractures.
- Diet. Following a balanced diet tailored to your lifestyle is necessary to meet your nutritional needs and to keep your body functioning. To avoid muscle fatigue, carbohydrates (pasta, rice or cereals) are required to provide glycogen and energy; proteins are necessary to promote muscle recovery and tissue regeneration; and so are fat, vitamins and minerals, which can be found in fruit, vegetables and nuts.
To obtain adequate levels of these nutrients, you can add natural food supplements to your diet. Keriba Sport, one of the supplements in our Keriba range, is specially designed for athletes. It contains fresh pomegranate extract, magnesium and vitamin B6, and it helps to reduce tiredness and delay fatigue, while also improving physical performance. This supplement is extremely efficient because its ingredients are highly concentrated and it is 100% natural, with no organic solvents or chemicals.
- Rest and sleep well. Muscles recover and are built during the night, while the body is at rest. So it is important to get enough rest and sleep to allow your body to recover after exertion.
- Avoid stress, because when we experience highly stressful situations our muscles tend to involuntarily tense up too much repeatedly, leading to contractures.
- Have a good posture. Having a healthy posture helps to maintain the optimal elasticity of your muscles, preventing contractures from developing.
- Massage before and after exercise or physical activity, especially when you are prone to soreness or contractures.
- Use hot and cold contrasts, which you can do with the water in the shower, to improve blood circulation and muscle tone and elasticity. This will also help you to relax. If you have an injury, applying ice to swollen areas will help the affected muscles to recover and repair themselves.
Nitric oxide: facts and fiction
Nitric oxide (NO) supplements have become rather popular in recent years. In many places you will find that they are literally selling “nitric oxide”. But this is not possible because this molecule is a gas. So how do these food supplements work?
How nitric oxide food supplements work.
These are actually substances that promote the release of nitric oxide in the body. The main function of this gas is to dilate your blood vessels, thereby lowering your blood pressure. Nitric oxide also has antioxidant properties, decreasing the oxidation of LDL “bad cholesterol” vesicles, which lead to atherosclerosis. Nitric oxide plays such an important role in cardiovascular health that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for its characterisation in 1998.
However, these supplements are generally marketed for the purpose of enhancing sporting performance. This makes sense, because dilating the blood vessels allows more blood to flow and makes it easier for oxygen and nutrients to reach the muscles. This also increases resistance to muscle fatigue and even reduces muscle recovery time.
Scientific studies of commercially available nitric oxide precursors have shown that L-citrulline has the highest efficacy because it is not degraded in the gut and generates L-arginine, the nitric oxide precursor. All other supplements have a major limitation: they are more prone to being converted into other compounds that do not perform the same function and are excreted from the body. However, nitric oxide is not a magic bullet; too much of this gas can be harmful to the body and it can go from having antioxidant properties to pro-oxidant properties, so it should be taken in moderation. For these reasons, the efficacy of these substances has been called into question in recent years.
Antioxidant substances also affect nitric oxide synthesis, although not in the same way as precursors. Antioxidants increase the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), the enzyme that produces nitric oxide in the muscle cells of blood vessels, while precursors generate the substrate for this enzyme. Thus, antioxidants restore eNOS activity when it is diminished (e.g. in old age, due to hypertension, high cholesterol, etc.).
Nitric oxide in pomegranates
Ellagitannins are a type of polyphenol with an antioxidant effect and they are found in many nuts and fruits. Punicalagins, the main ellagitannins in pomegranates, have been shown to be effective in improving both cardiovascular health and sporting performance. And with rather astonishing results.
Firstly, a 2014 study revealed that 200 mg of punicalagins per day almost completely restored endothelial function in hypercholesterolaemic pigs, from 50% to 90%. This effect is due to increased eNOS activity, which generates nitric oxide in our blood vessels. Given the similarities between the vascular systems of pigs and humans, these results would be very similar in humans.
Moreover, a study that was published in March 2019 showed the effectiveness of punicalagins in endurance sports. In this study, it was observed that it mainly affects the time when fatigue sets in, as it delays the onset of exhaustion. In an incremental exercise test on trained cyclists, it was shown to increase time to fatigue by 14%, even more than L-citrulline (12%).
Combining L-citrulline with ellagitannins.
A 2017 study showed that the concomitant intake of two juices, a citrulline-rich watermelon juice and an ellagitannin-rich pomegranate juice, increased the effects of both juices. The study showed that there were improvements in mean maximal strength, parameters related to the perception of effort and muscle soreness, and other biochemical markers involved in physical exercise. It is hypothesised that the synergistic effect of citrulline and ellagitannins is partly due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of ellagitannins. Physical exercise produces a large amount of free radicals and has an inflammatory effect on muscles and tendons. The anti-inflammatory effect helps to reduce the feeling of muscle soreness after intense physical activity.
If you're looking to improve your personal bests by enhancing your sporting performance with less effort and you want to feel less pain on recovery days, you may find it useful to include sources of citrulline and punicalagins in your diet.
Grant to participate in a direct trade mission to Chile, Paraguay and Argentina
As part of PROBELTE PHARMA's ongoing global expansion, the Murcia Regional Development Institute (INFO) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) have awarded us a grant to participate in trade missions in CHILE, PARAGUAY and ARGENTINA. This is a huge boost to our internationalisation plans, which we have been implementing since 2015.
A way of making Europe
European Regional Development Fund
Healthy dinners to make up for overindulging at Christmas
Christmas is filled with copious dinners and meals, sweet treats, clinking glasses, etc. And all of these excesses take their toll on us. Digestion is slowed down, fluid retention increases, sugar levels are out of control, your cholesterol and blood pressure rise, etc.
While resuming your healthy habits (e.g. following a healthy diet) is important after the holidays, you should also make up for stuffing your face by eating lighter meals, especially at dinner time. Here are some tips to help you make up for overindulging at Christmas.
Tips on how to make up for overindulging at Christmas
As well as exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, it is essential to look after your diet. You should always opt for healthy recipes that meet your calorie needs. In other words, a calorie deficit is needed to make up for days on which you consumed too many calories, although you should always follow a balanced diet.
There are countless options, but if you want to go back to being healthy and fit like you were before Christmas, the following foods are musts:
Fruits and vegetables
You need to consume these because they provide water, satiety, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for your body to function properly. They come in many forms, but we recommend opting for:
- Leafy green vegetables like spinach, baby leaves and broccoli. They contain a lot of fibre and proteins that will help you to feel sated and not feel hungry.
- Onions These are rich in vitamins and minerals (vitamin C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, etc.)and they contain ahigh percentage of trace elements and phytochemicals, like quercetin, an antioxidant with prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-cancer properties, especially for breast, colon and prostate cancer. They also help to reduce the symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and depression. Equally valuable is the glucokinin they contain, a “plant insulin” that helps to fight diabetes.
- Cauliflower This is high in fibre, which will help to eradicate fluid retention and keep you feeling full. It also contains folic acid, magnesium, potassium and calcium, and also vitamin C, meaning that this vegetable lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Avocados are rich in healthy fats, minerals and vitamins C, A and E, so they are powerful antioxidants that help to prevent the onset of degenerative diseases such as cancer. They also contain omega-3, which helps to lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Fish
To obtain a good supply of proteins. These take longer to digest so they keep you feeling full for longer. They also promote muscle development (important for fat loss, as the greater your muscle mass, the more calories your body consumes for its vital functions). We recommend eating:
- Salmon, as it provides proteins and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which lower cholesterol, and it is high in vitamins A and D, which promote muscle tissue regeneration and help to strengthen your bone structure.
- Hake, which provides:
- Proteins that enhance muscle development.
- B vitamins that strengthen your defences, boost your energy and support the function of your nervous system.
- Minerals (calcium, iron, potassium, iodine, etc.), which are essential for the body. For example, calcium supports bone density and the health of your teeth and iodine helps to synthesise thyroid hormones and acts on the circulatory system to prevent heart disease.
Finally, we must not forget its omega-3 content, which has a cardioprotective effect and lowers your blood pressure.
How to consume them
There are countless dishes you can prepare with these foods, whether as starters or main courses.
For example, you could prepare baked hake with lemon, which is low in calories, so it will help you to lose weight after overindulging at Christmas, as well as providing the benefits of its ingredients. Or if you fancy something simpler, you can make a green sprout salad with salmon.
However, after overindulging your insulin levels are often skewed, and you will often feel like having a treat, like a pizza. When this happens, you can give yourself a healthy treat and make a home-made pizza with a cauliflower base to “trick your mind”, because it does not taste like cauliflower and you will feel like you are eating a regular pizza.
Facial rejuvenation: routines and habits for healthy, youthful skin
We all want to have firmer skin that looks healthier and more youthful, but to achieve this the natural way you need to adopt a set of healthy lifestyle habits and beauty routines that support facial rejuvenation.
The first thing you need to remember is that miracles do not exist, so perseverance and determination are essential if you want to achieve this goal. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to rejuvenate your skin.
Beauty routine
To keep your skin healthy and youthful, it is important to cleanse it thoroughly on a daily basis. At night, in order to remove any make-up, sebum, pollutants, etc. And in the morning, to stimulate facial circulation and eliminate any impurities.
You can use various types of products to cleanse your face: micellar water, purifying toners, exfoliating scrubs, antioxidant masks, etc.
Hydration is also important to maintain the skin's natural glow and prevent wrinkles and expression lines. It is best to use creams that are tailored to the needs of your skin: moisturising, firming, anti-wrinkle, for oily skin, dry skin, etc. You can also choose creams that contain moisturising active ingredients like almond oil, coenzyme Q10, hyaluronic acid, etc.
Facial treatments
There are treatments that support facial rejuvenation. They can be performed at home and produce great results. The simplest treatments are:
- Hot and cold facial massage. This consists of massaging the face with small strokes of the fingertips, using contrasting temperatures to speed up the cell regeneration process. The cold tightens the skin and muscles, providing a lifting effect that reduces wrinkles. This effect is enhanced by the differences in temperature, which improve blood circulation.
- Facial sauna. Steam opens up the pores in your skin, helping to cleanse it and making it glow more in just a few minutes. You can do this while you are in your bath, by generating steam (with very hot water) and covering your face by placing a towel over it. You can then apply some exfoliating lotion to cleanse the skin's pores thoroughly, followed by a moisturiser or firming cream to further tighten your skin.
Healthy habits
And naturally, the key to facial rejuvenation is a healthy lifestyle:
- Rest is essential and the best way to combat free radical damage. It is also essential for repairing and creating new tissues and cells.
- Drinking water is necessary for healthy and visibly younger looking skin. Ideally, you should drink between 1.5 and 2 litres every day.
- Avoid stress by practising relaxation techniques or meditating, as stress makes the skin look dull and older.
- Topical and oral sun protection, which protects cells from free radical damage and the sun's rays, thereby preventing photoageing.
- Doing physical exercise. Being active is necessary for good health, but it also produces endorphins and serotonin, the happiness hormones, which help to improve your mood and promote rest.
- Healthy diet. Diet plays a key role in skin rejuvenation due to the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants it provides. All foods provide certain nutrients and micronutrients, and the best ones to achieve youthful skin are:
- Essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6, among others, contained in oily fish, walnuts, avocado, etc.
- Vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene...vitamins that support skin depigmentation, the elimination of dead cells, collagen production, cell protection, etc. They can be consumed in vegetables - especially leafy green vegetables - and fruit like oranges, kiwi fruits and berries.
- Proteins that boost collagen production and improve the firmness of your skin.
- Zinc, selenium and other minerals that boost collagen production and help to maintain a good hormonal balance.
- Food supplements rich in natural antioxidants like Keriba Forte, a whole fresh pomegranate extract that protects cells from oxidative damage and free radicals, slowing down ageing, as well as providing other health benefits.