How is Your Skin’s Circulation? Take the Pinch Test!

When the skin is free of makeup, take your thumb and your forefinger and gently pinch off the skin in the apples of your cheeks.  Gently (not to the point where you feel pain) pinch the skin quickly five times. If no pinkness shows up, your skin is more than likely under-circulated. If your skin is a little pink, your skin has good, proper circulation. If the skin is bright red, more than likely your skin is over-circulated. The goal with circulation is be right in the middle, not too much and not nothing at all.

What is under circulated skin?

As we age, everything tends to slow down in the body, including blood circulation. When the skin doesn’t have proper blood flow, it can result in sluggish, dull, and tired skin that lacks a glow. This is most commonly found in medium, olive skin tones including (but not limited to) Hispanic, Indian, and Mediterranean complexions. Our skin types #6 and #7 are formulated to address these issues.

Tips to give a boost to under-circulated skin:

Try incorporating products containing vasodilators, as this will bring fresh blood flowing through the skin so the cells have new nutrients. This includes ingredients such as peppermint, rosemary, and ginseng extract, which work to give the skin a pick-me-up! Try Renée Rouleau Revitalizing Ginseng Toner, Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel, Rosemary Mint Cleanser and Mint Buffing Beads. When applied topically to the skin, these ingredients work to dilate the blood vessels, therefore, allowing the skin to accommodate more nutrient-rich blood. With continued use, you can get skin that glows!…

Also, avoid cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol, which can impair circulation, and avoid wearing yellow-based colors for makeup and clothing (like mustard and khaki) as they can make the skin appear sallow. Mineral makeup is a great choice for making your skin look radiant!

Read: Five Clothing Colors to Give your Skin a Glow

What is over circulated skin?

With age, certain skin types, particularly fair skinned and those with Scottish, Irish, and Scandinavian heritage are prone to having over-circulated skin, which appears as visible capillaries, redness, and a flushing to the skin. This excessive circulation can cause the skin to continually look rosy (note: most all skin types can get visible capillaries around the corners of the nose, this is not the type of skin I’m referring to). Add in a glass of wine, a hot shower, and a workout, and the skin can appear beet red. This overly red skin can be bothersome to some people. Our skin types #4, #5, and #9 are formulated to address the issue of over-circulation – which also includes rosacea.

Read: Rosacea Starts to Show Up in Your Early 30′s

Tips for over-circulated skin

The goal here is to calm and sedate circulation by using products containing vasoconstrictors, which help to keep capillaries strong so they aren’t flushing and dilating, causing so much redness. Ingredients such as white tea, chamomile, azulene, Vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) are all helpful in repairing dilated capillaries. With continued use, you can get calmer, less red skin. Try Renée Rouleau Azulene Gel Mask, Phytolipid Comfort Cream, White Tea Soothing Complex, Stress Recovery Lotion and Calming Chamomile Cleanser.

When cleansing the skin at night, be sure to cleanse with tepid, lukewarm water as overly hot water can add to redness. Also, keep your toner, serum, moisturizers, and masks (all products that are left on the skin when using) in the refrigerator, as this will increase their cooling benefits to skin.

When it comes to skin, people often focus on issues like blackheads, dark circles, breakouts, and oiliness – but one missing key in the quest for healthy skin is to ensure skin’s proper circulation. It’s so important that you don’t overlook the skin’s blood flow – using these tricks and tips, you too can have healthy, beautiful skin.

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Information courtesy of www.ReneeRouleau.com, a website with skin care tips, products based on nine skin types and advice from skin care expert and celebrity esthetician, Renée Rouleau.