Do Not Underestimate the Value of Touch
In this series we are taking a more holistic look at how our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being is interlinked and interdependent. That means that how we are feeling, what we are thinking and what we think of ourselves is reflected on our skin, in our faces, on our bodies and through our posture.
It is important that we are good to ourselves and recognise that our faces need to be cared for emotionally, spiritually and physically. It is good to treat ourselves and have a holistically based skincare treatment regularly.
We live in a culture where touch is becoming less and less valued and we are touched less and less. Paradoxically, the virtual world has become more and more valued, whilst becoming at t he same time more and more isolating.
Being touched, through a professional skincare or massage therapist can help us reconnect with ourselves as well as physically working out the stresses we all carry around with us. Do not undervalue the healing powers of touch!
As skincare therapists we recognise the healing aspect of our work. At the Dermalogica Congress in Istanbul, Jane Wurwand, Founder of Dermalogica believes that skincare therapists have never been more important, as there has never been a time when we are all so disconnected from each other. How often do we touch each other with a loving heart? How often do you hug your friends and family rather than communicating over the internet facebook, myspace, or any other messaging virtual spaces, webcams, texts, telephone etc.?
Although these new forms of communication have their place, they should not replace our connections.
Jane believes that as a society we have hungry skin…hungry for touch. “We are the walking wounded of a touch starved society,” she says. Plus we are taught not to touch any longer, we are in fact taught to be a little afraid of touch, so we seek to fulfil our need to be touched elsewhere. Because we are touch starved we misinterpret our need and look in the wrong places, shopping and retail therapy, comfort eating, over eating and eating the wrong things, drinking alcohol.
“What we really need is human touch and nurturing. What we really need is a skincare therapist.” Jane believes, as I do, that as skincare therapist’s not only do we make our clients skin look better and increase their self esteem and consequently, their sense of self worth, but we also listen to them, hear them and most importantly, touch them and nurture them. As professional skincare therapist we are trained to touch people.
We believe that a small reaching out, can have enormous impact. One skincare treatment, I believe, literally can change your life. You allow yourself to be touched, you allow yourself to connect to parts of yourself that you’ve perhaps ignored by not looking after yourself. You allow yourself to nourish yourself.
Without that human touch we become more and more objectified, and we can objectify ourselves. Especially as women, we can become very caught up in our own objectification. Focus too much on criticising what we look like and we let our inner critic overtake ourselves. This is not good. And yet in my skincare practice I see beautiful people focused in the smallest skin issue.
They have amplified to such an extent it can become the main part of their negative self image. As a professional skincare therapist I believe in focusing on the positive and moving forward into healthier habits and maximising skin health. I will always tell my client the good bits about their skin, face, bone structure, as we don’t often allow ourselves see the good bits, or even accept a compliment. But we need to. We need to nourish ourselves by seeing ourselves in a loving, human way.
"The experience of being touched in a safe, non-threatening way is very powerful," says Jane , "and very healing. "
“I truly believe that what we do as professionals touches the well-being of our clients in a very deep way, far beyond making their skin feel and look better."
So put yourself first and try a skincare treatment today. See if it changes the way you think of yourself, and see yourself.
Fiona Harlowe is known as the “skin doctor”. She specialises in acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation and aging skin conditions to regular complexion perfecting using a combination of high tech equipment, peptide packed products containing active plant extracts and holistic techniques.
Fiona Harlowe is a Skincare Expert & Laser Therapist who always gives free consultations. Fiona is one of the leading, authorised Dermalogica stockists on the Costa Blanca and is based at Vanilla, Villamartin. Call for your free consultation today on 96 676 5616 or 678 836 961.