How East & West Stay Young
Hong Kong is a fantastic mix of cultures from the East and West. In this article we look at the some of the common and uncommon practices that locals and expats try to tackle the first signs of aging and keep themselves looking forever young.

How East & West Stay Young

Grace Chan – Professional Writer in banking, finance and insurance fields
(Article is provided by Manulife (International) Limited)

Hong Kong is a fantastic mix of cultures from the East and West. In this article we look at the some of the common and uncommon practices that locals and expats try to tackle the first signs of aging and keep themselves looking forever young.

From the East
A soup that soothes and smooths
Living in a fast-paced city like Hong Kong can start to take its toll on your appearance. To help rejuvenate, some people like adding Jujube and lotus seed soup to their diet. Its properties are thought to help calm the mind, and boost heart, kidney and stomach health for an overall healthy glow.

The joy of soy
Taking care of your skin doesn’t mean having to pay a fortune on beauty creams, a simple glass of soy milk can have the same effect. Soy milk contains isoflavonoids, vitamins E and C, protease inhibitor, phytic acid. The combination helps maintain a woman’s estrogen balance and fights the activity of free radicals for anti-aging, as well as nourishing and whitening the skin.

Getting to the point
Commonly known as one of the oldest healing practices in the world, acupuncture improves circulation and the renewal of skin cells, by penetrating certain points of the body with needles. The results include a decrease in brown spots on the skin and an increase in muscle elasticity, as it regulates the organs that control this.

Fancy a dip?
To keep their skin looking fresh and young, some Japanese love to enjoy a good bath. Popular choices to immerse yourself in include milk, tea and medicine baths, all of which can help improve blood circulation and detoxification to hydrate and whiten the skin. Koreans also have a traditional sauna called “hanjenungmak”; a heated room built with loess and medicine stones. The heat causes bathers to sweat profusely, releasing toxins from the system and increasing the body’s receptiveness to the essence of the loess and medicine stones.

Beauty really is skin deep
If the thought of choosing the right beauty cream seems daunting, fear not. Many women like to look for skincare products that contain antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10, compound enzyme SOD and vitamin E which can help stimulate the renewal of skin cells and deep skin tissue.

From the West
Red wine is good for you?
Do you enjoy a glass of red wine with your dinner? You may enjoy it even more given that research has indicated the polyphenol in red wine is an antioxidant that boosts youthfulness and elasticity of the skin. Red wine also facilitates the creation of blood cells in the liver and kidney, improving blood circulation and metabolism.

Eight glasses a day
We are all advised to drink eight glasses of water a day. Some like to up the ante and buy water filters for home use, believing manufacturer claims filtered water can be absorbed more easily, supporting the release of toxins from the body. As yet, scientists are undecided on these claims, but filters on taps, kettles and jugs remain popular with those who wish to cleanse their skin from the inside out.

Under pressure
Ever tried facial treatment in a high pressure air capsule? Most of us haven’t, but for some, getting a big dose of oxygen has become part of their beauty regimen. In an air capsule fresh air is filtered and processed to generate oxygen species that contain 300% reactivity. This process tackles the lack of oxygen on the outer layer of the skin, facilitates the removal of excessive ammonia in the blood, revitalizes cells to fight aging, and enhances the transmission capacity of red blood cells and fat burning.

Get the glow
Although of Indian origin, yoga has been hugely popular in the West for decades and enjoys a big following in Hong Kong too. Think of the yoga practitioners you’ve encountered – they all seem to have that youthful glow. That’s because yoga stimulates your metabolism and blood circulation, promoting a healthy glow and figure. Certain yoga exercises for the face have even been thought to diminish wrinkles.

Turning back the clock
Over the years Botox injections have become a popular practice for those looking to erase the effects of time. A protein and neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, Botox is injected into the muscle, causing it to relax, become paralyzed and shrink after a prolonged period of inactivity, resulting in minimized wrinkles.


How East & West Stay Young

Grace Chan – Professional Writer in banking, finance and insurance fields
(Article is provided by Manulife (International) Limited)

Hong Kong is a fantastic mix of cultures from the East and West. In this article we look at the some of the common and uncommon practices that locals and expats try to tackle the first signs of aging and keep themselves looking forever young.

From the East
A soup that soothes and smooths
Living in a fast-paced city like Hong Kong can start to take its toll on your appearance. To help rejuvenate, some people like adding Jujube and lotus seed soup to their diet. Its properties are thought to help calm the mind, and boost heart, kidney and stomach health for an overall healthy glow.

The joy of soy
Taking care of your skin doesn’t mean having to pay a fortune on beauty creams, a simple glass of soy milk can have the same effect. Soy milk contains isoflavonoids, vitamins E and C, protease inhibitor, phytic acid. The combination helps maintain a woman’s estrogen balance and fights the activity of free radicals for anti-aging, as well as nourishing and whitening the skin.

Getting to the point
Commonly known as one of the oldest healing practices in the world, acupuncture improves circulation and the renewal of skin cells, by penetrating certain points of the body with needles. The results include a decrease in brown spots on the skin and an increase in muscle elasticity, as it regulates the organs that control this.

Fancy a dip?
To keep their skin looking fresh and young, some Japanese love to enjoy a good bath. Popular choices to immerse yourself in include milk, tea and medicine baths, all of which can help improve blood circulation and detoxification to hydrate and whiten the skin. Koreans also have a traditional sauna called “hanjenungmak”; a heated room built with loess and medicine stones. The heat causes bathers to sweat profusely, releasing toxins from the system and increasing the body’s receptiveness to the essence of the loess and medicine stones.

Beauty really is skin deep
If the thought of choosing the right beauty cream seems daunting, fear not. Many women like to look for skincare products that contain antioxidants such as coenzyme Q10, compound enzyme SOD and vitamin E which can help stimulate the renewal of skin cells and deep skin tissue.

From the West
Red wine is good for you?
Do you enjoy a glass of red wine with your dinner? You may enjoy it even more given that research has indicated the polyphenol in red wine is an antioxidant that boosts youthfulness and elasticity of the skin. Red wine also facilitates the creation of blood cells in the liver and kidney, improving blood circulation and metabolism.

Eight glasses a day
We are all advised to drink eight glasses of water a day. Some like to up the ante and buy water filters for home use, believing manufacturer claims filtered water can be absorbed more easily, supporting the release of toxins from the body. As yet, scientists are undecided on these claims, but filters on taps, kettles and jugs remain popular with those who wish to cleanse their skin from the inside out.

Under pressure
Ever tried facial treatment in a high pressure air capsule? Most of us haven’t, but for some, getting a big dose of oxygen has become part of their beauty regimen. In an air capsule fresh air is filtered and processed to generate oxygen species that contain 300% reactivity. This process tackles the lack of oxygen on the outer layer of the skin, facilitates the removal of excessive ammonia in the blood, revitalizes cells to fight aging, and enhances the transmission capacity of red blood cells and fat burning.

Get the glow
Although of Indian origin, yoga has been hugely popular in the West for decades and enjoys a big following in Hong Kong too. Think of the yoga practitioners you’ve encountered – they all seem to have that youthful glow. That’s because yoga stimulates your metabolism and blood circulation, promoting a healthy glow and figure. Certain yoga exercises for the face have even been thought to diminish wrinkles.

Turning back the clock
Over the years Botox injections have become a popular practice for those looking to erase the effects of time. A protein and neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, Botox is injected into the muscle, causing it to relax, become paralyzed and shrink after a prolonged period of inactivity, resulting in minimized wrinkles.